The Most Man of the Match (M.O.M) Awards in ICC Tournaments: A Tale of Two Captains

A comparison of the M.O.M. awards won by Indian players under the captaincy of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has spotted interesting trends that are enlightening.

Rohit Sharma Shines Under Kohli's Captaincy

When Virat Kohli led Indian in ICC tournament, Rohit Sharma emerged as the standout performer, winning the most M.O.M awards:

• 6 awards in just 19 matches, making him the most impactful player during Kohli’s tenure as captain
• Apart from Rohit, all rounder Ravindra Jadeja (2 awards in 12 matches) and pace spearhead
• Jasprit Bumrah(2 awards in 19 matches) also made valuable contributions.

Rohit’s performance under Kohli includes his record -breaking five centuries in the 2019 world cup, which played a crucial role in India’s dominant group-stage run.

Virat Kohli’s Dominance Under Rohit Sharma Captaincy

With Rohit Sharma taking over as India’s captain the table turned. Kohli himself became the most decorated player in terms of M.O.M awards:

• 7 awards in 29 matches, proving why he is one of the best batters in ICC tournaments. Kohli’s heroics in the 2022 T20 World Cup, Including the unforgettable 82 against Pakistan, reaffirmed his status as a match-winner.

Several Other players also stepped out under Rohit’s leadership:

• Mohammed Shami – 3 awards (17 matches)
• Jasprit Bumrah - 3 awards (19 matches)
• Suryakumar Yadav - 3 awards (21 matches)
• Rohit Sharma - 3 awards (29 matches)

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That is one big point that is visible, which is the way impact players changed with leadership difference. Under Virat Kohli, Rohit was India’s biggest match-winner; again, under Rohit, it has been Kohli as India’s go-to player in ICC tournaments. Under Rohit’s captaincy, bowlers have also gained supreme importance, with Shami, Bumrah, and Surya contributing to India’s success. And this shift is reflective of Rohit's leadership, whereby more of a balance was brought about in the contribution of the team, rather than being reliant on a couple of players or so.

India has always been richly blessed in ICC tournaments with match-winners. Under either Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, it has always been a cesspool of players that rises in times of need on the big stage. With these two continuing to provide a backbone to India, we'll have many more promising batsmen and bowlers—the likes of Shami and Bumrah, alongside the brilliance of Surya cutting their teeth in action-filled ICC events.