The Man of the Match award in as an important achievement for a cricketer in IPL. One good performance helps a player in cementing his place in the team. A few of them got have achieved this consistently and hence, became indispensable for the team. In this article, we take a look at three players who have reached the fastest to 5 Man of the Match awards in IPL history so far.
1) Shaun Marsh – 10 Matches
When Shaun Marsh signed up for Punjab in IPL 2008, not many knew of him. He was a budding cricketer, and many doubted if he could adapt to the big stage. However, he took the tournament by storm.
On his debut, he scored an 84*, and a few games later, he even got a century. Interestingly, within a span of just 27 days, Marsh won five Man of the Match Awards. Although he did have a few good seasons after 2008, the southpaw could not replicate his form later on.
2) Ruturaj Gaikwad – 14 Matches
Ruturaj Gaikwad is the latest entrant to this list of players who have reached the fastest to 5 Man of the Match awards in IPL history so far. The young Indian opener has achieved this feat in just 14 games.
CSK were down-and-out in IPL 2020 and hence, were in a position to offer a chance to a few youngsters. Although he failed initially, Ruturaj quickly came on to his own. He struck half-centuries at will and deservedly won the awards. Four of the five awards were won by the opener in the UAE.
3) Yusuf Pathan – 18 Matches
Yusuf Pathan was one of the big-name signings by Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2008. The all-rounder had just made his debut for India and was popular for his big-hitting skills. Yusuf wasted no time in proving it.
He has won a total of 16 M.O.M awards in his IPL career, and the first five of them, he got in just 18 encounters. Both of his first two M.O.M awards were against Deccan Chargers, while his fourth one was in the final of IPL 2008. He later on one more in IPL 2009 and KKR and hence, completed five awards in 18 games.
Least matches taken to win 5 M.O.M Awards in IPL
10 – Shaun Marsh
14 – R Gaikwad*
18 – Yusuf Pathan
23 – Chris Gayle
23 – Rashid Khan
25 – Sachin Tendulkar
25 – Michael Hussey
26 – Dwayne Smith
30 – Andre Russell
30 – Jacques Kallis#IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/VL2XCS2e5VAdvertisement— S H E B A S (@Shebas_10) September 20, 2021