Team-wise cricketers with the most Player of the Match awards across all formats

In every cricket match, top performers are rewarded with the Player of the Match award. In the rich 149-year history of the sport, there have been several match-winners who’ve guided their teams to numerous victories over the years. While many players fade out after making their team register a few wins, some make winning a habit and become a reliable player under pressure for their respective sides.

A cricketer's match-winning ability is underscored by the Player of the Match awards they’ve won during the course of their illustrious careers. Here’s a list of players with the most Player of the Match awards for each full-member nation:

1. Australia

Legendary Australia captain Ricky Ponting has won the most Player of the Match awards for his country. Ponting is touted as one of the greatest match-winners in the history of the sport, having won 49 awards from 560 matches.

2. Bangladesh

Legendary all-rounder Shakib al Hasan is known as Bangladesh’s greatest ever cricketer for his remarkable contributions with both bat and ball across formats. He also has the most Player of the Match awards for his country, having won it 45 times out of 447 matches.

3. Sri Lanka

Another legendary all-rounder, Sanath Jayasuriya quite unsurprisingly tops the list for Sri Lanka, having turned many matches in his team’s favour with his explosive innings and game-changing spells. Jayasuriya won 58 Player of the Match awards in his career from 582 matches.

4. South Africa

South Africa legend Jacques Kallis is touted as the greatest cricketer to ever play the game by many, having guided his team to numerous victories with both bat and ball across formats. Kallis has won 57 Player of the Match awards from 519 matches, of which a world-record 23 came in Tests.

5. Pakistan

While Shahid Afridi may not have career numbers which make him rank among the greats of the game, whenever Pakistan needed him in dire straits, he was always there. Through his belligerent batting and tight bowling spells, he scripted numerous victories for his team. Hence, Afridi stands out as the greatest match-winner for his nation, with 43 Player of the Match awards from 524 games.

6. West Indies

Blessed with unmatched flair at the crease, West Indies legend Brian Lara was the most aesthetically pleasing batter to watch in cricket history. Lara dominated batting charts for the major part of his career as he shattered world records for highest scores in Tests as well as First Class Cricket. Unsurprisingly, he has also won the most Player of the Match awards for West Indies, 42 times from 430 matches.

7. Zimbabwe

Sikandar Raza has been one of the key players for his country over the past few years, given his magnificent all-round performances. He has guided his team to many memorable victories, winning 35 Player of the Match awards in 312 matches. Out of his 35 awards, 21 have come in T20Is, the joint-most among players from full-member nations, alongside Suryakumar Yadav.

8. India

Legendary India batter Sachin Tendulkar has won the most Player of the Match awards for India. Tendulkar redefined batting standards throughout his career, breaking records one after the other. He has won a world record 76 Player of the Match awards in international cricket, out of which 62 are in ODIs, another record.

9. New Zealand

Former New Zealand opener Martin Guptill has the honour of winning the most Player of the Match awards for his country. In his international career of 367 matches, Guptill has won 34 awards, out of which 22 have come in ODIs.

10. England

England’s most prolific run scorer, Joe Root has also won the most Player of the Match awards for his country. In 389 matches so far, he has 28 awards to his name, out of which 13 have come in Tests.

11. Afghanistan

Mohammad Nabi is the most capped player in Afghanistan’s history with 333 appearances to his name. It’s no surprise that he also tops the list for most POTM awards won for his nation, having been bestowed with the honour 21 times, including 14 times in T20Is.

12. Ireland

Former Ireland captain Paul Stirling holds the record for his country, having made remarkable contributions to his team during his illustrious career. Stirling has won 22 Player of the Match awards from 343 matches