The Most Man of the Match in International Cricket

From magnificent batting centuries to devastating bowling attacks, cricket has witnessed some astounding individual performances over its history. Such outstanding efforts are typically recognized with awarding players with the Man of the Match accolade following each game.

India batsman Virat Kohli is rapidly approaching Sachin Tendulkar’s record of most international cricket Man of the Match awards with 62 POTM awards already won in ODIs alone and holds a lead over Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya by an overwhelming margin.

Most Man of the Match in International Cricket

Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar, an iconic Indian batsman, is widely considered one of the greatest players ever. A true all-round batsman with unrivaled mastery over all orthodox shots and his impressive selection of improvised ones; plus being an outstanding runner between wickets who can hit long distance shots using both feet!

Sachin began playing cricket as a schoolboy in Mumbai, India. His father was a salesman who would bring young Sachin with him whenever possible to watch cricket matches on TV or the ground. By age 14, Sachin joined Sharadashram Cricket Club under Ramakant Acharekar’s tutelage; quickly garnering recognition domestically.

In 1988, he and Vinod Kambli combined for an unbroken partnership of 664 runs in the Harris Shield tournament to help their team claim victory and take home the championship title. It was the first time ever that two teammates shared such an enormous score; such was its excellence that it even earned them a place in record books!

1999 was a difficult year for this legend as he endured back issues and grieved the death of his father, yet still managed to play well enough and return to form, scoring an innings against Kenya devoted to him and dedicating it in honour of him, marking the beginning of a tradition wherein every time he scored one he looked towards heaven after making an innings century and dedicated it accordingly. By the end of test cricket career he amassed 100 international hundreds – an astonishing record.

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli has established himself as an icon for Indian cricket team and one of the premier batsmen on an international stage. He has made waves across all three formats of the game – Test, ODI and Twenty20; in which he holds both captaincy positions – being named Man of the Match awards more frequently than Sachin Tendulkar!

Kohli was born in Delhi, India and began playing cricket at an early age, forgoing higher education to focus exclusively on his passion. In 2006 – aged only 17 – he made his List A debut for Delhi against Tamil Nadu against which his career got off to a great start; unfortunately this would change in December when his father passed away, yet this did not deter his performance or alter his goal of cricket greatness.

In 2013, Virat Kohli stood in for MS Dhoni in an ODI series against West Indies and proved a worthy replacement, leading the team to victory and winning Man of the Match honours in one ODI match alone. Later he led India against Sri Lanka at Asia Cup 2014 scoring a century against Sri Lanka as captain; today, he holds both highest run scorer in both ODIs and T20Is as well as being their most successful captain across both formats.

Jacques Kallis

Jacques Kallis stands as one of the greatest cricketers ever. A prolific batsman and all-rounder alike, Kallis’ stats in both forms of cricket were truly staggering: scoring over 10,000 runs while taking 250 wickets across both ODIs and Tests combined while snaring 131 catches – an accomplishment unrivaled in any sporting arena! Kallis helped put South Africa firmly on the world sporting stage over two decades – an accomplishment made possible thanks to him.

Rehan made his debut in 1995 and quickly established himself as a key member of South African middle-order. His impressive batting was instrumental in propelling Proteas into top tier status early on; his powerful strike rates proved difficult for Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath to overcome with ease. Rehan was also an outstanding bowler; amassing 292 Test wickets throughout his career.

Kallis is also an incredible fielder, having taken some incredible catches during his career. He has an uncanny ability to pick up crucial wickets at just the right time – something which allows him to turn an otherwise unexciting match around through his batsmanship.

He currently serves as batting coach of Kolkata Knight Riders of the Indian Premier League and brand ambassador. Additionally, he is in a relationship with Cape Town model Shamone Jardim; they can often be seen together at events.

Sanath Jayasuriya

Sanath Jayasuriya was one of the most iconic cricket players ever, an all-rounder renowned for both his bat and bowling abilities – one who would shatter bowlers with one swing, as well as turning games with his bowling arm. A two-time Wisden Cricketer of the Year (1997 and 2001).

He represented Sri Lanka in 110 Test matches, 445 ODIs and 31 T20Is during his international career and scored over 10,000 runs while taking 440 wickets – second only to Sachin Tendulkar for most ODI Man of the Match awards received; additionally he holds five six-wicket haul records during this time frame.

Jayasuriya became well-known during his career for his aggressive batting style and ability to hit the ball hard and fast. His high backlift allowed his strong wrists to generate extra power in each shot he struck; and he had great skill at hitting through cover and extra cover.

One of his most impressive performances came during the 1996 Cricket World Cup when he took three wickets against India in seven overs in the semi-final. Additionally, he held onto the fastest fifty for Sri Lankan ODI players (against Pakistan off 48 balls), until this record was broken by AB de Villiers’ 55-ball century.