Strangest Man of the Match choices in cricket

#3 Man of the Match for fielding

Jonty Rhodes was a livewire on the field

Man of the Match honours are usually given for a magnificent knock, a disciplined spell or an all-round contribution. However, there have been instances where players have won these awards for their on-field brilliance.

Players like Gus Logle, Mark Taylor, and Ravindra Jadeja have been a few to achieve this feat. But, the most noticeable incident has been involving the man who has arguably been the best fielder ever in cricket, Jonty Rhodes, as he received the award for his athleticism as a substitute!

In the fourth game of the Hero Cup in 1993, South Africa faced West Indies at Mumbai. In an era when the 12th man could be used for either batting or bowling and then released, Rhodes scored 40 runs as South Africa managed to put 180 runs on the board.

The Caribbeans later faced the wrath of Rhodes, who was a livewire on the field. He took absolute blinders to send Brian Lara, Phil Simmons and Desmond Haynes back to the dressing room, mesmerizing one and all with his dives and jumps. He followed it up with two more catches, to set a world record for the most catches by an outfielder, a record which still remains unconquered.

The Protea received the Man of the Match award for his high degree of athleticism, as a substitute, and remains the only player to do so till date.