Most Player of the Match Awards in Cricket in Tests, ODIs & T20Is
The player of the match award recognizes individual match-winning performances across international cricket formats.
The award tracks players who deliver decisive contributions with bat, ball, or both in a single match.
Award distribution varies across Test cricket, ODI cricket, and T20I cricket.
Each format rewards different skill sets and performance patterns.
The all-format records combine achievements across all three international cricket formats.
Statistical analysis shows that most player of the match awards in cricket in Tests, ODIs & T20Is reveal performance consistency patterns.
The data covers career spans from 1974 to 2026. Award counts reflect match impact frequency across different cricket eras.
Most Player of the Match Awards in Cricket in Tests, ODIs & T20Is
Most Player Of The Match Awards (All Formats)
| Player | Country | Span | Matches | Total Awards | Tests | ODIs | T20Is |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | India | 1989-2013 | 664 | 76 | 14 | 62 | 0 |
| Virat Kohli | India | 2008-2026 | 557 | 71 | 10 | 45 | 16 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | Sri Lanka | 1989-2011 | 586 | 58 | 4 | 48 | 6 |
| Jacques Kallis | South Africa | 1995-2014 | 519 | 57 | 23 | 32 | 2 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 2000-2015 | 594 | 50 | 16 | 31 | 3 |
| Ricky Ponting | Australia | 1995-2012 | 560 | 49 | 16 | 32 | 1 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 2006-2024 | 447 | 45 | 6 | 27 | 12 |
| Rohit Sharma | India | 2007-2026 | 506 | 45 | 4 | 27 | 14 |
| Shahid Afridi | Pakistan | 1996-2018 | 524 | 43 | 0 | 32 | 11 |
| Brian Lara | West Indies | 1990-2007 | 430 | 42 | 12 | 30 | 0 |
| Viv Richards | West Indies | 1974-1991 | 308 | 41 | 10 | 31 | 0 |
| Aravinda de Silva | Sri Lanka | 1984-2003 | 401 | 41 | 11 | 30 | 0 |
| Chris Gayle | West Indies | 1999-2021 | 483 | 41 | 8 | 23 | 10 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | Sri Lanka | 1997-2015 | 652 | 41 | 13 | 22 | 6 |
| AB de Villiers | South Africa | 2004-2018 | 420 | 39 | 5 | 27 | 7 |
| Wasim Akram | Pakistan | 1984-2003 | 460 | 39 | 17 | 22 | 0 |
| David Warner | Australia | 2009-2024 | 383 | 38 | 8 | 18 | 12 |
| Sourav Ganguly | India | 1992-2008 | 424 | 37 | 6 | 31 | 0 |
| Adam Gilchrist | Australia | 1996-2008 | 396 | 35 | 7 | 28 | 0 |
| Steve Waugh | Australia | 1985-2004 | 493 | 35 | 14 | 21 | 0 |
Top 10 Players: Player Of The Match Analysis
1. Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 76 Awards
How Many Awards: 76 awards across 664 international matches. Distribution shows 62 ODI awards and 14 Test awards. The career spanned from 1989 to 2013, covering 24 years.
Performance pattern demonstrates consistent match-winning ability in the ODI format. Test cricket contribution accounts for 18.4% of total awards. No T20I participation recorded during career.
2. Virat Kohli (India) – 71 Awards
How Many Awards: 71 awards across 557 international matches. Format distribution includes 45 ODI awards, 16 T20I awards, and 10 Test awards. Active career from 2008 to 2026.
Multi-format presence across all three international formats. ODI performance accounts for 63.4% of total awards. T20I contribution shows 22.5% of the award distribution.
3. Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) – 58 Awards
How Many Awards: 58 awards across 586 international matches. Award breakdown shows 48 ODI awards, 6 T20I awards, and 4 Test awards. Career duration spans 1989 to 2011.
ODI format dominance with 82.8% of total awards. Left-arm spin bowling combined with opening batting. Limited T20I participation during the later career phase.
4. Jacques Kallis (South Africa) – 57 Awards
How Many Awards: 57 awards across 519 international matches. Distribution includes 23 Test awards, 32 ODI awards, and 2 T20I awards. Career spanned from 1995 to 2014.
Test cricket performance shows the highest individual format count. All-rounder contribution with both batting and bowling awards. ODI achievements account for 56.1% of the total.
5. Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) – 50 Awards
How Many Awards: 50 awards across 594 international matches. Format split shows 31 ODI awards, 16 Test awards, and 3 T20I awards. Active from 2000 to 2015.
Wicketkeeper-batsman dual role in award achievements. Test cricket contribution represents 32% of total awards. ODI dominance with 62% of the award distribution.
6. Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 49 Awards
How Many Awards: 49 awards across 560 international matches. Award count includes 32 ODI awards, 16 Test awards, and 1 T20I award. Career from 1995 to 2012.
The leadership period coincides with peak award frequency. ODI format accounts for 65.3% of total awards. Test cricket shows consistent performance with a 32.7% distribution.
7. Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) – 45 Awards
How Many Awards: 45 awards across 447 international matches. Distribution shows 27 ODI awards, 12 T20I awards, and 6 Test awards. Career from 2006 to 2024.
All-rounder performance across all formats. T20I contribution accounts for 26.7% of awards. ODI format dominance with 60% of the total award count.
8. Rohit Sharma (India) – 45 Awards
How Many Awards: 45 awards across 506 international matches. Format breakdown includes 27 ODI awards, 14 T20I awards, and 4 Test awards. Active from 2007 to 2026.
Opening batsman role in limited-overs formats. Three ODI double centuries recorded. T20I awards represent 31.1% of the total distribution.
9. Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) – 43 Awards
How Many Awards: 43 awards across 524 international matches. Award count shows 32 ODI awards and 11 T20I awards. Career spanned from 1996 to 2018.
Zero Test cricket awards recorded. Limited-overs specialist with leg-spin bowling. T20I performance accounts for 25.6% of total awards.
10. Brian Lara (West Indies) – 42 Awards
How Many Awards: 42 awards across 430 international matches. Distribution includes 30 ODI awards and 12 Test awards. Career from 1990 to 2007.
Test cricket’s highest individual score of 400 not out. ODI format accounts for 71.4% of total awards. No T20I participation during career period.
Most Player Of The Match Awards In Test Cricket
| Player | Country | Span | Matches | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacques Kallis | South Africa | 1995-2013 | 166 | 23 |
| Muttiah Muralitharan | Sri Lanka | 1992-2010 | 133 | 19 |
| Wasim Akram | Pakistan | 1985-2002 | 104 | 17 |
| Shane Warne | Australia | 1992-2007 | 145 | 17 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 2000-2015 | 134 | 16 |
| Ricky Ponting | Australia | 1995-2012 | 168 | 16 |
| Curtly Ambrose | West Indies | 1988-2000 | 98 | 14 |
| Steve Waugh | Australia | 1985-2004 | 168 | 14 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | India | 1989-2013 | 200 | 14 |
| Steve Smith | Australia | 2010-2026 | 123 | 13 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | Sri Lanka | 1997-2014 | 149 | 13 |
| Joe Root | England | 2012-2026 | 163 | 13 |
| Ian Botham | England | 1977-1992 | 102 | 12 |
| Graeme Smith | South Africa | 2002-2014 | 117 | 12 |
| Ben Stokes | England | 2013-2026 | 120 | 12 |
Most Player Of The Match Awards In ODI Cricket
| Player | Country | Span | Matches | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | India | 1989-2012 | 463 | 62 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | Sri Lanka | 1989-2011 | 445 | 48 |
| Virat Kohli | India | 2008-2026 | 309 | 45 |
| Jacques Kallis | South Africa | 1996-2014 | 328 | 32 |
| Ricky Ponting | Australia | 1995-2012 | 375 | 32 |
| Shahid Afridi | Pakistan | 1996-2015 | 398 | 32 |
| Viv Richards | West Indies | 1975-1991 | 187 | 31 |
| Sourav Ganguly | India | 1992-2007 | 311 | 31 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 2000-2015 | 404 | 31 |
| Brian Lara | West Indies | 1990-2007 | 299 | 30 |
| Aravinda de Silva | Sri Lanka | 1984-2003 | 308 | 30 |
| Saeed Anwar | Pakistan | 1989-2003 | 247 | 28 |
| Adam Gilchrist | Australia | 1996-2008 | 287 | 28 |
| AB de Villiers | South Africa | 2005-2018 | 228 | 27 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 2006-2023 | 247 | 27 |
Most Player Of The Match Awards In T20I Cricket
| Player | Country | Span | Matches | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virandeep Singh | Malaysia | 2019-2025 | 111 | 22 |
| Sikandar Raza | Zimbabwe | 2013-2025 | 127 | 19 |
| Suryakumar Yadav | India | 2021-2025 | 99 | 16 |
| Virat Kohli | India | 2010-2024 | 125 | 16 |
| Sami Sohail | Malawi | 2019-2025 | 66 | 14 |
| Muhammad Waseem | UAE | 2021-2025 | 91 | 14 |
| Mohammad Nabi | Afghanistan | 2010-2025 | 145 | 14 |
| Rohit Sharma | India | 2007-2024 | 159 | 14 |
| Syed Aziz | Malaysia | 2019-2025 | 117 | 13 |
| Bilal Zalmai | Austria | 2019-2025 | 50 | 12 |
| Alpesh Ramjani | Uganda | 2022-2025 | 65 | 12 |
| Dinesh Nakrani | Uganda | 2019-2025 | 82 | 12 |
| Mohammad Rizwan | Pakistan | 2015-2024 | 106 | 12 |
| David Warner | Australia | 2009-2024 | 110 | 12 |
| Glenn Maxwell | Australia | 2012-2025 | 126 | 12 |
Conclusion:
The most player of the match awards in cricket in Tests, ODIs & T20Is data tracks individual match impact across formats.
Sachin Tendulkar holds the overall record with 76 awards. Jacques Kallis leads Test cricket with 23 awards.
ODI cricket shows Tendulkar’s dominance with 62 awards. T20I format features associate nation players alongside established teams.
Award distribution patterns change based on format requirements and era.
Statistical records demonstrate performance consistency requirements. Career longevity combines with match-winning ability.
Format-specific skills determine award frequency in each cricket format.
Key findings from most player of the match awards in cricket in Tests, ODIs & T20Is analysis:
- Test cricket is dominated by all-rounders and bowlers, with Jacques Kallis leading with 23 awards
- ODI cricket led by batsmen, with Sachin Tendulkar’s 62 awards remaining unmatched
- T20I cricket shows emerging talent from associate nations, with Virandeep Singh holding 22 awards
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