5 best World Cup spells that didn't win a Player of the Match award ft. Muttiah Muralitharan

Team India thwarted Afghanistan by eight wickets in a mere 35 overs to win their second consecutive game of the 2023 World Cup in Delhi on Wednesday.

Chasing 273 for victory, skipper Rohit Sharma led from the front with a devastating knock of 131 from 84 deliveries. In the process, the 36-year-old broke several records, including the most centuries in World Cups and the joint-fastest to 1,000 runs in the marquee event. Thanks to his breathtaking knock and the array of records achieved, Rohit was awarded the Player of the Match.

However, the India bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah, performed admirably to restrict the Afghan batters to 272/8 on a placid pitch and short outfield in Delhi. Bumrah returned with figures of 4/39 in his 10 overs in a magnificent spell of new-ball and death bowling.

Yet, as is often the case, the batters took the sweepstakes for the prominent post-match awards, evidenced by the adjudicators preferring Rohit to Bumrah as Player of the Match.

Even as Bumrah can consider himself unlucky, this is not the first instance of a bowler delivering a brilliant spell but walking away empty-handed as far as awards go.

Here, we look back at five other bowlers who bowled match-winning spells in previous World Cups yet did not win the Player of the Match award.

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#1 Muttiah Muralitharan - 4/31 vs New Zealand, 2007 World Cup

Muralitharan bowled a brilliant spell to lead Sri Lanka to the 2007 final.

Former Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was unlucky to miss out on being named the Player of the Match in the 2007 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.

Winning the toss and batting first, the Lankans, led by skipper Mahela Jayawardene's 115* off 109 deliveries, scored a formidable 289/5 in 50 overs. Despite an early wobble in their response, the Kiwis were seemingly on track to hunt down the total at 105/3 in the 22nd over.

However, Muralitharan had other ideas, as the champion bowler ripped through the New Zealand middle-order. With the wickets of Jacob Oram and Brendon McCullum in consecutive deliveries, the veteran spinner effectively ended the Kiwi's hopes by reducing them to 114/5 in 24 overs.

He also dismissed lower-order all-rounder Daniel Vettori in his next over before cleaning up Shane Bond to end with figures of 4/31 in eight overs. It helped Sri Lanka bowl out New Zealand for a mere 208 and win by 81 runs.

Although Jayawardene was named the Player of the Match, Muralitharan's spell was pivotal for Sri Lanka to advance to their second World Cup final. The all-time leader in international wickets, Muralitharan finished the 2007 World Cup with 23 scalps (second to Glenn Mcgrath) at an incredible average of 15.26.

He is also second in the all-time list for most wickets at World Cups, with 68 scalps in 40 games.

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#2 Wasim Akram - 4/40 vs Australia, 1999 World Cup

Akram cleaned up several Aussie batters in his four-wicket haul in 1999.

Another legendary Asian bowler, Wasim Akram, bowled a magical spell during Pakistan's group stage win of the 1999 World Cup against the eventual champions Australia.

Bolstered by a defiant 81 off 104 deliveries by Inzaman-ul-Haq, Pakistan reached a competitive 275/8 in 50 overs. Skipper Akram began their defense by casting dangerman Adam Gilchrist in the first over with an inswinger.

Australia recovered through solid scores by Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Steve Waugh, and Michael Bevan to 214/4 in the 42nd over.

However, the left-arm pacer was not to be denied as he picked up the vital wicket of Bevan for 61, leading to an Aussie collapse. Akram then completed the formalities by cleaning up Damien Martyn and Glenn McGrath off three deliveries, with 11 runs needed off four balls.

The champion pacer finished with figures of 4/40 in his spell to lead Pakistan to a memorable 10-run victory and a place in the Super Sixes. Despite that, Inzamam was named the Player of the Match for his half-century in the first innings.

Akram is the fourth leading wicket-taker in World Cup history with 55 scalps in 38 games.

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#3 Damien Fleming - 5/36 vs India, 1996 World Cup

Fleming was among the most underrated bowlers of the late 1990s.

A match that Indian fans wanted to erase from their memories over the past two decades featured one of the side's nemesis at the time, Damien Fleming, picking up his best ODI figures.

It was the highly anticipated group-stage match between the 1983 World Champions and the 1987 winners at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Winning the toss and batting first, Australia, led by a classy 126 by Mark Waugh, scored a par total of 258 in their 50 overs. In the second innings, Fleming took over proceedings with the two quick wickets of Ajay Jadeja and Vinod Kambli to reduce the hosts to 7/2.

The right-arm pacer followed that with the massive wicket of skipper Mohammad Azharuddin for 10 to leave India in a hole at 70/3.

Although the game is infamously remembered for Mark Waugh dismissing Sachin Tendulkar for 90 through a stumping, Fleming returned to pick up a defiant Anil Kumble for 17 and Javagal Srinath to complete his solitary five-wicket haul in ODIs.

While Waugh being Player of the Match is inarguable for his 100 and the wicket of Tendulkar, it is rare for a pacer to produce figures of 5/36 in Indian conditions as Fleming did.

Australia won the game by 16 runs to stun the Mumbai crowd. Fleming was part of the side that side lost in the final to Sri Lanka in this World Cup and the one that emerged triumphant in 1999.

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#4 Imran Tahir - 4/41 vs West Indies, 2011 World Cup

Tahir ran through the West Indian middle order in South Africa's opening 2011 World Cup game.

Former South African spinner Imran Tahir has legendary batter AB de Villiers to thank for robbing him of two Player of the Match awards in World Cups.

While the second one in the 2015 tournament against the West Indies was inarguable despite Tahir's five-wicket haul, the 2011 clash versus the same opponent could have gone either way.

The Delhi track back in 2011 wasn't as batter-friendly as has been the case during the ongoing World Cup. South Africa put the West Indies into bat first at the venue in the opening game for both teams in the 2011 World Cup.

An inspired move to open the bowling with Johan Botha paid rich dividends as the off-spinner removed dangerman Chris Gayle in the third ball of the match. However, Devon Smith and Darren Bravo went into all-out attack mode and added 113 off 136 deliveries to resurrect the West Indian innings.

Yet, Tahir, in his World Cup debut, wrecked the middle order, picking up the wickets of Smith and the veteran duo of Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. He capped off a resounding spell by removing wicketkeeper-batter Devon Thomas to finish 4/41 in 10 overs and help bowl out the West Indies for a paltry 222 in the 48th over.

In reply, AB de Villiers smashed a blistering 107* off 105 deliveries with South Africa struggling at 20/2 to propel them to a seven-wicket win and walk away with the Player of the Match award.

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#5 Mitchell Marsh - 5/33 vs England, 2015 World Cup

Marsh stunned the English batters with his relentless spell on opening day in 2015.

It is not often we find a batting all-rounder to pick up a five-wicket haul in 50-over cricket. However, Mitchell Marsh did just that on the opening day of the 2015 World Cup.

In front of a packed crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, England made the questionable decision to field first. They paid an immediate price as opener Aaron Finch scored a masterful 135 off 128 deliveries to lead Australia to a mammoth 342/9 in 50 overs.

Following the inspired batting display, Marsh tore apart the English lineup with the wickets of Ian Bell, Gary Ballance, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, and Jos Buttler in a superb spell of seam bowling.

Playing more as a batter in the 2023 World Cup, the 31-year-old showcased why he is one of the most versatile cricketers, finishing with figures of 5/33 in nine overs.

However, Finch pipped Marsh to the Player of the Match award as Australia kickstarted their 2015 campaign with a 111-run victory.