11 players with the most 'Man of the Match' awards in the first 11 IPL seasons

#6 MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina - 14

MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni is undoubtedly one of greatest captains that the game of cricket has ever seen. He led India to victory in all ICC events - T20 World Cup, World Cup, and Champions trophy. In the Indian Premier League, he is the reason why Chennai Super Kings is the most successful franchise in the tournament. Under his leadership, Chennai has not only made it to the playoffs on all occasions but also won the title on three occasions.

Dhoni's first Man of the Match award came in 2008 when he scored a 30-ball 65 against Royal Challengers Bangalore. His onslaught at the end helped Chennai score post a total of 178. In reply to Chennai's innings, Bangalore were bowled out for 165 handing CSK a 13-run win in the end.

Of all the innings played by MSD, his knock against Kings XI Punjab in 2010 is one that is remembered the most by his fans and fellow cricketers alike. In the last league stage match, KXIP posted a total of 192, thanks to Shaun Marsh's 88. The chase was all the more important for CSK as it was a must-win game for them to make it to the semifinals.

The Punjab based franchise was in the driver seat for most of the match but Dhoni had altogether different plans. With 29 runs required off two overs, Dhoni started the penultimate over with two fours brought the equation to 16 runs off the last over. In the last over, MSD bludgeoned Irfan Pathan by hitting a four and two sixes and completed the match with two balls to spare.

With the two year ban on CSK, MSD for the first time had to play for a franchise other than Chennai - Rising Pune Supergiant. Last season, Dhoni made the return of Chennai Super Kings a much more memorable affair as he led the franchise to their title and helped CSK equal Mumbai Indians record of three titles.

Also read another list featuring MSD: Five IPL bowling greats and their most feared batsmen

Suresh Raina

Just like Dhoni, Suresh Raina played for the Chennai Super Kings all seasons except for the two year ban period during which he played for Gujarat Lions. He is the only batsman in IPL history to score more than 300 runs in every season. The seasons of 2015 and 2016 were the only two times - in which he scored 374 and 399 respectively - when he could not make 400 runs in a season. As a result of his consistent performances, he is also the leading run scorer in the Indian Premier League with 4985 runs.

Suresh Raina was awarded the man of the match for the first time in an all-important match in 2008. In the last league stage match of the season, he scored an unbeaten half-century and helped chase down the target set by Deccan Chargers and helped his side qualify for the semi-finals.

His second MoM award came when he came very close to scoring a century against Rajasthan Royals at the Buffalo Park in 2009. After falling short of a century by 2 runs, it took him more than four years to score his first and only century. In 2013, his unbeaten century helped Chennai register a 15-run victory against Kings XI Punjab.

In less than a week after his century, he scored an unbeaten 99 against Sunrisers Hyderabad and again won the man of the match. In the last three years, he has been a bit quiet according to his standards winning just two MoM awards but his contributions to the team cannot be discounted. Raina is a team player and has always prioritized the needs of the team before his own.