World Cup History: 3 players who have won the man of the match awards in both semi-final and final of a world cup

With just a couple of days left for the commencement of the grand cricketing extravaganza, there is certainly a lot of buzz and excitement among fans from all around the world. With the introduction of the round-robin format, there is certainly an equal chance for all the teams to prove its mettle and stake their claim at the coveted trophy.

The players are certainly the epicenter of the World Cup. They need to train hard, get acclimatized to the English conditions, keep up their fitness levels and manage their diet and workload. Once they are out in the middle, they should be able to withstand the mental pressure and get adjusted to the match situation.

After all, if a player is able to churn up remarkable performances in a World Cup, he is definitely creating a legacy to be carried forward by his teammates.

There are certain players who bring out their best when challenges are thrown at them. They have the ability to soak in the pressure and deliver match-winning performances.

This article talks about three such cricketers who withstood the pressure and won the Man of the Match awards in both the semi-finals and final of the same ICC World Cup.

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#1 Mohinder Amarnath - India (1983)

Mohinder Amarnath's all-around brilliance with both bat and ball helped India register its maiden world cup triumph.

Team India punched above its weight and defeated the mighty West Indies in the 1983 World Cup at Lord's. This victory was certainly a watershed movement in the history of Indian cricket. While all the talks were about Kapil Dev's epic 175 against Zimbabwe or Kris Srikanth's highest score in the final, one should not forget the individual brilliance showed by Mohinder Amarnath in two of the most important games.

India took on hosts England in the semi-finals, and many believed that the hosts were certainly the favourites to qualify for the final. But Amarnath's miserly spell of 2/27 in his 12 overs put the breaks in England's scoring. Chasing 214 for victory, Amarnath brilliantly anchored the chase, scoring a patient 46. The all-around performance from him deservedly earned him the man-of-the-award.

In the final, India was taking on two-time champions West Indies. Batting first, India lost the wicket of Sunil Gavaskar very early. Soon Amarnath joined hands with Srikanth and started the repair act. Amarnath departed after making a solid 26 and the score was 90. However, the rest of the Indian batsmen couldn't consolidate, and the Indians folded up for a paltry score of 183.

Once the dangerous Vivian Richards was dismissed, Amarnath picked three crucial wickets including that of the last man Michael Holding and helped India register its maiden World Cup victory.

#2 Aravinda de Silva - Sri Lanka (1996)

Aravinda de Silva has redefined the way ODI cricket is to be played.

The seventh edition in 1996 was jointly hosted by three countries - India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. India was locking horns against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. India had all its bases covered and looked a far more superior side on paper. India won the toss and elected to field first.

Their decision was vindicated as Sri Lanka was jolted early and the score read 1/2. Aravinda de Silva walked in at number four and counter-attacked from the word go. He used his feet brilliantly against the spinners and was very strong on his back foot against pacers. His impeccable 47-ball 66 gave a perfect impetus to the Sri Lankan total.

Chasing 252 for a place in the final, the Indians were in a disastrous position at 120/8. The match had to be called off due to the violent behavior of the crowd and Sri Lanka advanced to its maiden final of the World Cup. Though the match was remembered for all the wrong reasons, one shouldn't forget de Silva's heroics with bat.

de Silva with his aggressive and audacious strokeplay had redefined the way ODI cricket was played.

He held his nerve and accounted for three Australian wickets in the final. Chasing 242 for victory against the in-form Aussies, Sri Lanka were again rocked early as both the openers were dismissed cheaply.

De Silva again continued his rich vein of form and staged two brilliant partnerships with Asanka Gurusinge (125) and captain Arjuna Ranatunga (93). He stayed there till the end and scored a scintillating 107*.

De Silva's brilliant performance with both bat and ball earned him the man-of-the-match-award. That victory had certainly enhanced Sri Lanka's tryst with ICC competitions.

#3 Shane Warne - Australia (1999)

Shane Warne.

After Aravinda de Silva, the same feat was again repeated in the next edition itself and this time it came from the legendary spinner, Shane Warne. On a cold afternoon at Birmingham, the invincible Australians were taking on the mighty Proteas in the semi-finals. South Africa won the toss and elected to field.

The pace battery of Shaun Pollock, Allan Donald, Jaques Kallis, and Steve Elworthy strangled the Australians and held them to a below-par total of 213. In reply, South Africans were comfortably placed at 48/0 at the end of 12 overs.

But, their downfall began to start with the entry of Shane Warne. Warne ripped through the South African batting line-up and picked up four wickets for just 29 runs. However, Lance Klusner took the attack to the opposition and brought the equation down to nine off the last over.

After striking boundaries off the first two deliveries, Klusner lost his head and engaged in a suicidal run out with last man Alan Donald. The match ended in a dramatic tie and Australia advanced to the final because of its superior net run rate over South Africa in the Super 6 stage of the competition. Warne was adjudged the Man of the Match in this see-saw contest and the South Africans were left for soul-searching.

Warne again crafted his magic with the ball in the finals against dangerous Pakistan. He bowled tightly in the middle overs and once again picked up four wickets. Pakistan folded for meagre 132 and Australians made short work of the chase, finishing in just 20 overs. Warne was once again declared Man of the Match.