The Indian cricket team has the second most ICC trophies under its belt in men's cricket, only behind Australia. While the Aussies have 10 ICC trophies to their name, the Men in Blue have six trophies in their cabinet as well. In this article, SportsTiger takes a look back at the player of the match award winners in all of India’s victories in these ICC finals.
India's Player of the Match award winners in all ICC final victories
Mohinder Amarnath (1983 ODI World Cup Final)
The player of the match award winner in the 1983 ICC Cricket World Cup final was Mohinder Amarnath. He played a crucial all-round role in India's historic victory against the West Indies at Lord’s on June 25, 1983. Amarnath scored a valuable 26 runs off 80 balls, helping India reach 183 runs. He also took three wickets for 12 runs in seven overs, dismissing key players like Jeff Dujon and Malcolm Marshall. His performance was instrumental in India's first-ever Cricket World Cup triumph, as they bowled out the mighty West Indies for 140 runs, winning by 43 runs.
Irfan Pathan (2007 T20 World Cup Final)
In India’s first ICC T20 World Cup victory against Pakistan at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on September 24, 2007, the player of the match award was picked up by all-rounder Irfan Pathan. Irfan took three wickets for 16 runs in four overs, dismissing key Pakistani batters Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, and Yasir Arafat, while maintaining an economy rate of 4.00, which applied immense pressure on Pakistan’s batting lineup in the run chase in the final. His crucial breakthroughs helped restrict Pakistan to 152 all out, as India won by five runs, securing their first-ever T20 World Cup title.
MS Dhoni (2011 ODI World Cup Final)
“Dhoni finishes off in style” in Ravi Shashtri’s voice is a piece of commentary that still resonates in the ears of millions of Indians. The player of the match award winner in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup final was the captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who led India to a historic victory against Sri Lanka on April 2, 2011, at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Dhoni promoted himself up the batting order ahead of Yuvraj Singh to stabilize the chase and scored an unbeaten 91 runs off 79 balls, guiding India to victory. Finished the match with an iconic six off Nuwan Kulasekara, helping India successfully chase 275 runs to secure their second ODI World Cup title after 28 years.
Ravindra Jadeja (2013 Champions Trophy Final)
The player of the match award winner in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy final was Ravindra Jadeja. Jadeja scored an unbeaten 33 runs off 25 balls, helping India post 129/7 in a rain-shortened 20-over match. He also took two wickets for 24 runs in four overs, dismissing Ian Bell and Jos Buttler, and also effectively controlled the game with sharp fielding and energy. His all-round performance was instrumental in India's five-run victory, making them the undefeated champions of the tournament.
Virat Kohli (2024 T20 World Cup Final)
In the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup final, Virat Kohli was the recipient of the player of the match award. He played a pivotal role in India's triumph over South Africa on June 29, 2024, in Bridgetown. Kohli scored a crucial 76 runs off 59 balls, anchoring India's innings to a total of 176/7. He also formed a vital 72-run partnership with Axar Patel, stabilizing the innings after early setbacks. Kohli's performance was instrumental in India's narrow seven-run victory, securing their second T20 World Cup title. Following this triumph, Kohli, along with captain Rohit Sharma and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, announced their retirement from T20I cricket.
Moreover, the 2002 Champions Trophy victory, which is India’s another ICC title, didn't have a player of the match award winner as the final was washed-out by rain and the trophy was shared by both the finalists; namely India and Sri Lanka.
