Player of the Match in Cricket — Who Decides & What Criteria Apply
The Player of the Match award goes to the cricketer judged to have had the single biggest individual impact. Learn how match awards are decided, whether there are official criteria, and why all-rounders and key wicket-takers are often favoured.
The Player of the Match award — historically called Man of the Match — is given at the end of every international and major domestic cricket match to the player judged to have made the most decisive individual contribution to the game's outcome. Unlike trophies for the series or tournament, it is a per-match recognition that can go to a player from either the winning or losing side.
Who decides the award
At ICC events, a panel of former players, commentators, or match officials designated by the ICC selects the recipient. In bilateral series, the process varies by tournament: some use a broadcaster panel, others ask the match referee, and some series simply use a single adjudicator nominated by the host board. There is no universal ICC rule specifying exactly who must make the decision or how the process must work — the award criteria are left to the adjudicator's judgment.
What adjudicators look for
The underlying principle is match impact: which player's performance most directly influenced who won. A batsman who scores 150 but in a losing cause can still win the award if the opposition needed an exceptional partnership to win. A bowler who takes 5 wickets at a critical moment, collapsing the batting side, is a natural candidate. An all-rounder who contributes a half-century and two wickets in a tight match often wins when no single specialist delivered a standalone dominant performance.
Why match context matters more than raw statistics
A century in a dead match — when the game is already effectively decided — carries less weight than a counter-attacking 40-ball fifty that rescues a chase from 30 for 4. Similarly, three wickets that broke a match-defining partnership can outrank five wickets taken in a lopsided win. Adjudicators consider pressure at the time of performance: runs scored or wickets taken in winning positions are inherently easier than the same contributions when the team is under severe pressure.
Series and tournament awards
Separate from the per-match award, most series conclude with a Player of the Series recognition based on aggregate performance across all matches. At ICC tournaments the equivalent is Player of the Tournament, typically announced at the final. These awards do account for volume of performance — runs tally, wickets tally, and strike rates across the full competition — making them somewhat more statistically driven than the match-level award.
Frequently asked questions
Can a player from the losing team win Player of the Match?
Yes, and it happens regularly. If a player on the losing side delivers an exceptional individual performance — say, a century in a losing chase, or a five-wicket haul that nearly restricted the opposition — they can be named Player of the Match. The award is for individual impact, not team result.
Is there a Player of the Match award in Test cricket?
Yes. Test matches have a Player of the Match award, though they are slightly less prominent than in T20 or ODI cricket. In Tests the adjudicator often weighs contributions across both innings — a batsman who scores a double century and takes two key wickets in the same Test is a strong candidate, as is a spinner who takes 10 wickets across the match.
What was cricket's original term for this award?
The award was traditionally called 'Man of the Match.' It began to transition to 'Player of the Match' in the early 2010s as women's cricket grew and gender-inclusive language became standard practice across major sporting organisations. The ICC formally uses 'Player of the Match' at all its events.