List of players who won Player of the Match in a losing cause in IPL (2008-2025)

In the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Player of the Match award is typically given to a player whose brilliant performance leads their team to victory. However, there have been exceptional cases where players from the losing side have delivered such extraordinary performances that they still walked away with the prestigious award. Over the years, there have been such rare instances.

While cricket is a team sport, individual brilliance can sometimes decide the result of the game. Whether it's an emphatic spell with the ball or a heroic knock with the bat, these performances remain unforgettable despite the team ending on the losing side. Notably, the first player in the IPL to be adjudged the Player of the Match award in a losing cause was Shreevats Goswami in the inaugural edition in 2008.

Goswami, who was playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, scored a 42-ball 52 against Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). The Delhi side won the game by five wickets, however, the southpaw was the highest scorer of the game and was given the award. In the same year, Chennai Super Kings' all-rounder Albie Morkel became the second year to join the list. 

Interestingly, in the 2009 IPL final, RCB faced Deccan Chargers (defunct team), when skipper Anil Kumble produced a brilliant spell, picking up 4/16 and restricting the Chargers to 143. However, his efforts went in vain as the opposition managed to defend the total, winning the title by six runs. Kumble remains the only player in IPL history to win the Player of the Match award in a final despite being on the losing side.

Surprisingly, Yuvraj Singh is the only player in IPL history to receive the Player of the Match award twice while being on the losing side. In 2009, he played for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) against the Bengaluru-based franchise, scoring a crucial fifty and taking a hat-trick, but his team fell short. In 2011, while leading Pune Warriors (defunct team), he scored an unbeaten 66 and took four wickets against the Delhi-based franchise, yet still ended up on the losing team. Notably, Yuvraj Singh also had a remarkable IPL career, ranking among the top performers despite never winning the IPL Orange Cap, awarded to the tournament’s highest run-scorer.

In 2018, Ankit Rajpoot delivered one of the finest bowling performances in IPL history while playing Punjab against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Defending just 132 runs, SRH were in early trouble as Rajpoot dismantled their top order with three wickets inside the powerplay. He later returned to complete a five-wicket haul, finishing with figures of 5/14. Despite his brilliance, SRH managed to defend their low total, making Rajpoot the first uncapped Indian player to win a Player of the Match award in a losing cause.

List of players to win Player of the Match award in losing cause from 2008-25: