Top 10 Captains with most man of the match awards in ODIs

Top 10 Captains with most man of the match awards in ODIs: Cricket is one sport where the captain’s place is always under scrutiny. Captains are always under pressure to lead their team and at the same time be at the top of their game. We shall take a look at a few captains who have led their country at the highest level and have given their best performances in the most difficult situations to win the Man of the match award. Here is the list of Top 10 Captains with most man of the match awards in ODIs: 10. Imran Khan (Pakistan) – 12: Imran Khan. (Photo Source: PA Photos) Imran was easily one of the greatest captains Pakistan ever had. He was one of the pioneers of reverse-swing bowling and had amazing impact with the bat lower down the order. Imran Khan led Pakistan in the 1987 World Cup, but after his team failed to reach the finals, he decided to call time on his career. A year later at the behest of the then Pakistan President, Zia ul-Haq, Imran rejoined the team and famously led Pakistan in 1992 to win their only World Cup. The 1992 world cup final, which was also his last game, Imran scored a gritty 72 and rightfully took the final wicket, ending his career on a high. Also Read – Top 10 Most Man of the Match awards in lost ODIs 9. Sourav Ganguly (India) – 12: Sourav Ganguly. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Sourav Ganguly, or as his fans fondly call him “Dada”, is regarded as the architect of modern day Indian cricket team. It was under his captaincy that players like Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh and Virendra Sehwag rose to prominence. All of these players went on to win the 2011 World Cup for India. Ganguly’s batting was just like his captaincy, aggressive. He was impeccable through the off side and was rightly called the God of the off side. It was shambolic that he had to give up his captaincy under Greg Chappell and was even out of the team for a while. But like the champion he was, Dada made a comeback and then retired on his own terms in 2008. 8. Stephen Fleming (New Zealand) – 13: Stephen Fleming. (© Getty Images) I could hardly remember a game when Stephen Fleming was playing and wasn’t the captain. Fleming led New Zealand in a record 218 ODIs for a decade. He led NZ to the semis of World Cup twice, in 1999 and 2007. His best as a captain although came in the ICC Knockout Trophy in 2000 held in Nairobi, where he led New Zealand to their only ICC trophy till date. As a batsman, Fleming was rock solid at the top of the order and played the sheet anchor role, around whom the entire New Zealand batting line-up batted. 7. AB de Villiers (South Africa) – 13: (Photo Source: AFP) AB de Villiers might be 6th on this list; however his 13 Man of the Match awards in only 73 games is the best games to awards ratio on this list. He is probably the most complete batsman in today’s game. AB can play the waiting game and can accelerate when need be. Even as a captain, AB has been brilliant with a win percentage of 60.71. He led South Africa to the semis of the 2015 World Cup and would be hoping to win it in the next opportunity he gets and seal his legacy forever as the greatest South African cricketer. 6. Allan Border (Australia) – 13: Geoff Marsh. (Photo Source: AFP) Allan Border for the longest time was the most successful captain the game had seen. He led his team to World Cup success in 1987 after which the Australians have made winning the world cup a habit, winning it 4 times since then. He was Australia’s middle order mainstay for almost a decade and at time he would also chip in with the wickets, including the important wicket of his English counterpart Mike Gatting in the 1987 World Cup finals. 5. Sir Viv Richards (West Indies) – 14: Sir Viv Richards. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Sir Viv Richards, the original Master Blaster is still regarded as one of the greatest batsmen to grace the game. As a player he had won the first two Cricket World Cups in 1975 and 1979. He was way ahead of his time, averaging 47.00 at a strike rate of 90.20 in an era which was still coming to terms with the fast paced nature of One Day cricket, Sir Viv Richards was truly a legend. As a captain his best came in the 1987 World Cup against Sri Lanka where he scored 181 off just 125 deliveries. He alone, though couldn’t power West Indies into the semi finals, the first occasion when West Indies didn’t reach the finals. 4. MS Dhoni (India) – 15: (Photo Source: BCCI) MS Dhoni is India’s greatest captain ever. Winning the 2011 World Cup for his country and being adjudged the Man of the Match in the finals where he scored the winning runs with an emphatic six, Dhoni has given Indian cricket fans lot of memories to cherish. He is the only captain to win both the T20I and the ODI World Cups. Dhoni’s batting too has been brilliant as he had established himself to be one of the best finishers of the game early on in his career. With 104 wins in 191 games as captain, Dhoni is expected to overhaul Allan Border as the captain with 2nd most ODI wins in the course of his career. 3. Arjuna Ranatunga (Sri Lanka) – 19: Arjuna Ranatunga. (© Getty Images) This southpaw from Sri Lanka shook the cricketing world when his strategy of pinch hitting at the top of the order with Romesh Kaluwitharana and Sanath Jayasuriya in the 1996 World Cup gave bowlers nightmares. Master tactician, Ranatunga led Sri Lanka to its first and only World Cup in 1996. It was under his leadership that players like Aravinda de Silva, Muralitharan, Vaas and Jayasuriya came into limelight. Ranatunga laid the foundation for the next generation of Sri Lankan cricketers and is one of the men responsible for the heights Sri Lankan cricket has reached today. 2. Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 19: Ricky Ponting. (© Getty Images) The greatest captain in the modern era and the most successful captain ever, Ricky Ponting was the quintessential captain the game ever saw. He is one of the only players to win 3 back to back World Cups. Ricky Ponting with the bat too was unstoppable; he is the leading run-scorer for Australia in both Tests and ODIs. There is hardly anything that Ponting has not won (except the T20 World Cup). His greatest knock came in the finals of the 2003 World Cup where he batted India out of the contest with a blistering 140 and earned the Man of the Match award. There is zero doubt that any captain will ever overhaul his record of most wins in ODIs, 165 in 230 matches in the years to come. 1. Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) – 19: (Photo Source : AFP) Sanath Jayasuriya was one of the most destructive batsmen in the history of the game, however off the field; he was probably the quietest and calmest man you’ll ever meet. Never outspoken, Sanath always relied on his bat to do the talking. His best performance as a captain came against India, a team he loved scoring against, in 2000 when he clobbered Indian bowlers to all parts of the ground on his way to 189 off 161 balls. India were so demoralized by his onslaught that they folded for a meagre 54, India’s lowest score ever in ODIs. Sanath went on to score many more runs in the course of his career and retired as one of the modern day greats. Also Read – Top 10 players with most man of the match awards in international matches (All Stats Updated Till 6th October 2016)