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

The Indian Premier League has completed 11 seasons and the twelfth season has started attracting some attention as Mumbai Indians made the first trade for the next season. In the 11 seasons of IPL, many unknown players have become household names and many one-season wonders have perished with time.

Only a few good players have put up performances on a regular basis and have risen to the occasion when their teams needed the most. These players played a major role in the success of their teams and their impact on the tournament has been huge. These players have more often than not decided the result of the game and were duly rewarded with the 'Man of the Match' awards for their services.

In the history of IPL, only 16 players have won 10 or more Man of the Match awards. The five players who have at least 10 MoM awards and do not feature in this list are - Virat Kohli(11), Virender Sehwag(11), Dwayne Smith(11), Amit Mishra(10), and Jacques Kallis(10).

In the list below are the 11 players with 12 or more Man of the Match awards in the first 11 seasons:

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#10 Mike Hussey and Ajinkya Rahane - 12

Mike Hussey

Mike Hussey played five seasons for the Chennai Super Kings before moving his base to Mumbai. While playing for CSK, he won the man of the match award on 10 occasions. His first man of the match award came when he stuck his only IPL century against Kings XI Punjab in 2008 at Mohali. Hussey's unbeaten 116 off just 54 balls propelled Chennai Super Kings to a massive total of 240 in 20 overs. As a result of Mr. Cricket's efforts, Chennai comfortably won the match by 33 runs.

His prolific run came in the year 2013 when he was the orange cap winner for the season. During that season he won the match of the match award on five different occasions. He ended the season with 733 runs at an average of 52.35. His outstanding performance with the bat helped CSK reach the finals in which they lost to Mumbai Indians.

After spending six years with Chennai, Mike Hussey moved to Mumbai after the mega-auction in 2014. In the two years with MI, he played only 13 matches for the franchise. In those matches, he scored 3 half-centuries and was awarded man of the match for two of the three half-centuries. Incidentally, he ended with the scores of 56 in all the three matches and his two 56s in 2014 earned him the awards.

Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane and Rajasthan Royals are synonymous to each other. After playing just 10 matches in the first two seasons for Mumbai Indians, Rahane moved his base to Jaipur starting from the fourth season. In the 2012 season, he won his first man of the match award against Kings XI Punjab by scoring 98 runs. His first MoM award helped Rajasthan win the match by 31 runs.

In less than 10 days after falling short of the century by 2 runs, he went one step further by scoring a century against Royal Challengers Bangalore. As a result of the unbeaten century, he won his second match of the match award. In the next four seasons that he played for RR, he became the man of the match on 8 more occasions.

As a result of a two-year ban on Rajasthan, Rahane played for Rising Pune Supergiant for two seasons. In his first season with the new franchise, he added two more awards to his kitty. But after winning the two awards in 2016, Rahane has been silent for the last two seasons and Rajasthan will hope that he will be back to what he does best in the seasons to come.

#8 Shane Watson and Gautam Gambhir - 13

Shane Watson

Shane Watson has been one of the most consistent players in the history of Indian Premier League. He was sensational playing for Rajasthan Royals in the inaugural season of the tournament. The first season's most valuable player helped his team win the tournament.

Of the four MoM awards that he won that season, the most important one came in the semi-final against Delhi Daredevils. With the bat, he made 52 runs off just 29 balls and helped his side post a total of 192 in front of the double Ds. During the chase, he rattled the top order of Delhi by picking up the wickets of three dangerous batsmen - Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, and Shikhar Dhawan. As a result of the start provided by Watson, Delhi were bowled out for a paltry score of 87 and the double Rs went onto win the final against Chennai Super Kings.

After 10 years, the things have turned around completely for Watson as his association with the Jaipur based franchise ended after the two-year ban during which he played for Royal Challengers Bangalore. After two quiet years with the Bangalore team, Watson was written off by many but great players do not remain quiet for long.

Watson in his new yellow jersey was at his best and was the second most valuable player of the season. He also scored a century against Rajasthan Royals and won his first MoM playing for Chennai. He won his third Man of the Match award of the season in the finale in which helped CSK outplay Sunrisers Hyderabad by scoring an unbeaten 117 off just 57 balls.

featuring Shane Watson

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Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir after playing for his home franchise for the first three seasons was crucial in transforming Kolkata Knight Riders into a champion side. Incidentally, his first man of the match award came in 2009 when he played against KKR. As a result of Morne Van Wyk's half-century, Kolkata set a target of 155 against the Delhi Daredevils at Kingsmead, Durban. During the chase, Gambhir scored an unbeaten 71 to help his side chase down the target with 9 wickets.

Gambhir arrival at Kolkata has completely changed the outlook of the franchise. In his first season as the captain, he led his side to the playoffs and in the second season, he led KKR to their maiden title. In 2012, he scored six half-centuries out of the ten half-centuries scored by KKR batsmen. He was the second highest run-getter of the season with 590 runs under his belt and was the leading run-scorer for Kolkata.

During that season, he won the man of the match on three occasions and it was on one of those three occasions that he reached his highest IPL score. Gambhir's 93 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore helped KKR post a total of 190. During the chase, the Bangalore based franchise could manage only 143 even after Chris Gayle's 86. Two years later, Gambhir led Kolkata to their second title in three years.

After a successful seven-year long association with KKR, Gambhir returned to his home franchise with the aim to bring back its lost glory. But sadly for Gambhir, the return did not turn out as planned. After scoring 55 runs in his first match, he could manage only 30 runs in the next five matches and was later replaced by the young Prithvi Shaw. Gambhir failed in the last season but still remains one of the IPL greats and is the fourth highest run-getter in the tournament with 4217 runs.

#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.

#5 David Warner - 15

David Warner

After the ball tampering fiasco, David Warner was banned from taking part in the 2018 season of IPL but the southpaw still manages to retain a top 5 spot on the list of players with the most man of the match awards. He is the only player other than MS Dhoni to score more than 4000 runs with an average in excess of 40.

Warner made his debut in 2009 for the Delhi Daredevils but he won his first man of the match only in 2010. He scored an unbeaten 109 off just 67 balls to helped Delhi Daredevils post a total of 177 and helped his side win the match by 40 runs. During his five year association with the double Ds, he won the MoM award on five occasions.

David Warner's true calling came when he joined the Orange army in 2014. In the first three seasons that he played for the Hyderabad based franchise, he won the MoM award 9 times. Playing for SRH, his first man of the match award came against the Royal Challengers Bangalore when he scored 59 runs to help his side chase down the target set by RCB.

Considering his ability to lead from the front with the bat, the Sunrisers' thinktank handed him the captaincy and were duly rewarded for the decision. Warner led Sunrisers Hyderabad to their maiden title in 2016. After winning the title, he won only one MoM award in 2017. By scoring 126 runs against Kolkata in the tenth season, he became the only Sunrisers batsman to score a century for the franchise.

#3 Rohit Sharma and Yusuf Pathan - 16

Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma, the third highest run-getter in IPL, is one of the three players to win the tournament four times. He started his journey with the Deccan Chargers and after a three-year stint with the Hyderabad based franchise, he shifted his base to Mumbai where he led the side to the title on three occasions.

Incidentally, Rohit Sharma's first man of the match came against the Mumbai Indians. He won the award for mainly for his bowling performance but not his exploits with the bat. Chasing down Deccan Chargers' 145 Mumbai Indians were on their way to the target when Adam Gilchrist took the gamble of introducing Rohit Sharma into the attack. The part-time off-spinner got four wickets in five balls including a hat-trick.

The hat-trick involved the wickets of Abhishek Nayar, Harbhajan Singh and half-centurion JP Duminy. He followed that up with the wicket of Saurabh Tiwary and at the end of his two overs, Mumbai tailenders were left with a tough ask of 34 runs off 12 balls. As a result of Rohit Sharma's bowling figures of 2-0-6-4, Deccan Chargers won the match by 19 runs.

Rohit's best performance with the bat came in 2012 for the Mumbai Indians against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens. He made his only century against KKR and as a result of that, he helped his side post a total of 182. During the chase, Jacques Kallis tried his best by scoring a half-century but that was not enough to bail his team out and Mumbai won the match by 27 runs.

" to know which players equaled Rohit.

Yusuf Pathan

Yusuf Pathan's IPL journey is slightly similar to that of Rohit Sharma's. After winning his first title with the Rajasthan Royals, he went to Kolkata Knight Riders where he won two titles. Pathan was at his best when he played for the Jaipur based franchise. Of the 16 Man of the Match awards that he won, nine of them came during his three-year stay with the double Rs.

His first man of the match came when he helped Rajasthan chase down the record total set by Deccan Chargers. Andrew Symonds who was at his belligerent best scored an unbeaten 117 and helped DC set a target of 215 in front of the visitors.

In spite of a daunting target, Rajasthan and Pathan, in particular, were not intimidated by it as he scored a 28-ball 61 to set up the chase perfectly. As a result of his blitzkrieg, Rajasthan ended up making 217 which is still the highest total chased down in the history of IPL.

Two years after his heroics in Hyderabad, Yusuf Pathan almost pulled off a similar heist against Mumbai Indians. Thanks to half-centuries from Saurabh Tiwary and Ambati Rayudu, Mumbai made a total of 212 in 20 overs. During the chase, Pathan single-handedly took the attack to the Mumbai Indians. He scored a 37-ball century but got out when RR needed 40 runs off 17 balls. Rajasthan might have lost the match but Yusuf won the hearts and also the man of the match.

#2 AB de Villiers - 18

AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers is one of the most loved cricketers across the world. His pyrotechnics with the bat and his ability to hit the ball to any part of the park earned him the title of Mr 360. In his first three IPL seasons, he was adjudged as the man of the match on only two occasions - both in season 2 which was played in South Africa.

His first MoM award came when he hit a century against the Chennai Super Kings at Kingsmead, Durban. Delhi Daredevils did not get off to a great start as they lost both the openers cheaply. After the wicket of Sehwag, ABD joined Dilshan in the middle but Dilshan departed as soon as he reached a half-century.

ABD did not keep quiet after losing his partner. He single-handedly took Delhi Daredevils from 76-3 to 189 at the end of 20 overs. de Villiers scored 105 runs off just 54 deliveries to set up Delhi win over Chennai Super Kings by 9 runs.

In the 11 seasons of IPL, de Villiers has scored 28 half-centuries and 3 centuries but one of his most memorable innings was none of them. His unbeaten 47 against the Deccan Chargers is fondly remembered by many fans. Thanks to Shikhar Dhawan's half-century the Deccan Charges posted a total of 181 at the end of 20 overs.

Tillakaratne Dilshan led RCB chase with a half-century but his wicket in the sixteenth over turned things around in favour of DC. When Dilshan got out, the Bangalore based franchise need 65 runs off 28 balls. AB de Villiers with the help of Mayank Agarwal who scored 18 off just 6 balls helped RCB get back on track.

When Agarwal got out, RCB needed 39 runs off the last three overs. Sangakkara, the captain of Deccan Chargers, handed over the ball to the experienced Dale Steyn who conceded just 7 runs in his first two overs. AB de Villiers took the attack to his fellow country mate and smashed two fours and two sixes in his over. With 16 runs needed off the last overs, ABD did not want to waste any time and took his side home with 7 balls to spare.

His 17-ball 47 has not only helped him win the man of the match but has also invoked fear in the minds of bowlers, especially Dale Steyn. Later, Steyn went on record to say that he fears bowling to de Villiers. Steyn expressed his fear by saying that "there are only two games that I dread in a year - the two games I play against ABD."

#1 Chris Gayle - 20

Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle is regarded by many as the best batsman to have ever player T20 cricket. His records in the shortest format of the game are second to none and some of them might even remain unbroken for quite a while. The Chris Gayle that played for Kolkata Knight Riders and the one that played for Royal Challengers Bangalore were altogether different.

After two quiet seasons with Kolkata, Chris Gayle went unsold in the 2011 mega-auction. Later in the season, he was signed by Royal Challengers Bangalore after Dirk Nannes was ruled out of the tournament due an injury. Bangalore won just one match out of their five matches and the inclusion of Gayle had an immediate impact on the franchise's fortunes.

In the very first game that he played for Royal Challengers, he smashed a century against his previous franchise - Kolkata Knight Riders. As a result of Gayle's 55-ball 102, Bangalore won the match comfortably with 9 wickets. For his phenomenal efforts, he was awarded the man of the match - first of the five MoM awards that he won in that season. Even after missing the first five matches played by the franchise, he went on to become the orange cap winner with 608 runs from 12 matches.