IPL 2020: 3 players who have won the MVP award twice in tournament history 

It is the dream of every cricketer playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) to win the Most Valuable Player award at the end of the tournament. The organizers have laid down a special points calculating system, where the players’ performance in all the three departments is evaluated to determine the winner.

Stalwarts of the game such as Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Ben Stokes and others have won the award. However, there are three elite all-round stars who have won the prestigious MVP award twice in their careers. To win the prize once is a very tough job, but here are the three players who have won the MVP award in IPL two times.

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#3 Andre Russell - 2015 and 2019

Andre Russell is the star of the Kolkata Knight Riders

Jamaican all-rounder Andre Russell has been one of the principal reasons behind Kolkata Knight Riders’ success in the Indian Premier League. Although he was banned for some time because of a doping policy violation, the franchise did not lose their faith in him, and the all-rounder paid rich dividends with some terrific performances for KKR.

Also see – IPL 2020 Players

Talking about his IPL 2015 campaign first, Russell had played only nine matches before the start of the tournament. However, he owned the bowlers in 2015 by scoring 326 runs in 13 matches at an exhilarating strike rate of 192.89. Russell smacked 35 fours and 19 sixes to establish himself as a match-winner in the IPL. With the ball, he picked up 14 wickets in 13 matches, with his economy rate being 7.96.

Four years later, Russell emerged as the MVP of IPL once again with 510 runs and 11 wickets in 14 games. The West Indian star was a game-changer for the Kolkata-based outfit, as there were multiple occasions where his big hitting helped KKR snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat. He is scheduled to continue his journey with the Knight Riders in IPL 2020.

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#2 Sunil Narine - 2012 and 2018

Sunil Narine has evolved a lot as a player

When Kolkata Knight Riders first signed Sunil Narine, he was just a mystery spinner who could trouble the opposition batsmen with his bowling. However, a few years later, Narine transformed himself into an all-rounder as Kolkata used him as a pinch-hitting opening batsman.

The Trinidadian is one of the few players in IPL history to win the Player of the Series award in his debut season. He even helped Kolkata Knight Riders to their first IPL title that year. Playing 15 matches for KKR in IPL 2012, Narine picked up 24 wickets, including a four-wicket haul and a fifer.

As mentioned earlier, Narine evolved as a cricketer in the next few seasons and in 2018, he won the MVP award once again for his 357 runs and 17 wickets for KKR. Narine hit two fifties, with his highest score being 75. In the bowling department, his best figures were 3/18, while his economy rate was 7.65.

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#1 Shane Watson - 2008 and 2013

Shane Watson was the cornerstone of Rajasthan Royals

Former Rajasthan Royals star Shane Watson was the first player to win the Most Valuable Player award in the IPL. He helped the Rajasthan Royals to the championship in 2008 with some incredible performances both with the bat and ball.

Talking about his performance in the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League, Watson scored 472 runs for RR at an average of 47.20. He registered four half-centuries and hit 47 fours and 19 sixes. Bowling right-arm medium pace, the Australian scalped 17 wickets, while conceding runs at an economy rate of 7.07.

In 2013, Watson could not help the Rajasthan Royals to the IPL title. However, he helped them to a third-place with 543 runs and 13 wickets. The right-handed batsman recorded his maiden IPL century that year, while he had best figures of 3/22 with the ball.