Who has the most player of the series awards in Test, ODI and T20I cricket?
Find out who has won the most player of the series awards in Test, ODI and T20I cricket.
You might be surprised to learn that India have dominated things here.
One of them has not retired yet and could still add to his impressive tally.
Ravichandran Ashwin – Tests
Ashwin has collected 11 player of the series awards in Test cricket since debuting in international cricket in 2011. He also has one player of the series award in T20I cricket. Ashwin’s status among world cricket’s best all-rounders has long been argued, but there is no denying his among the greatest spinners to grace the game.
For a man to collected a player of the series award effectively every 10 Tests, he has to be genuinely consistent and successful at and away from home conditions. Ashwin has exemplified this throughout his outstanding career.
Sri Lanka‘s Muttiah Muralitharan also collected 11 player of the series awards in Test match cricket.
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Sachin Tendulkar – ODIs
More than 18,400 runs and 49 centuries later, it’s not hard to believe that Tendulkar picked up a whopping 15 ODI player of the series awards. Only two other men have reached double figures here – Virat Kohli and Sanath Jayasuriya with 11 each.
Tendulkar’s 15 averaged across 108 series for a remarkable average. He also landed five Test player of the series awards. It’s little wonder he is considered by many as the best Test and ODI batsman to date.
Tendulkar only ever played one T20I as the rise of the format coincided with the twilight of his international career. It’s not unimaginable that he would have racked up many player of the series awards in this format, too, had the timing been different.
Virat Kohli – T20Is
Kohli has claimed seven player of the series awards in T20I cricket. His closest rivals are Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and Australian batter David Warner with five each.
It’s well worth noting that Kohli hasn’t just been strong in T20I competition. He has a solid split of player of the series awards elsewhere, too. It’s three in Tests and 11 in ODIs.
He has retired from T20 cricket, so won’t be adding to that tally, and time will tell if he bothers with more ODI cricket. But Test cricket remains a happy hunting ground for the India talisman, who’ll be determined to fetch more player of the series awards in the longest format of the international game.
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