The Man of the Match award is given in the Indian Premier League or any other cricket event to the player who changes the scenario of the match and shifts the pressure to the opponent. Whether a team wins or loses, the circumstances in which a player is put impact his performance. The Man of the Contest award is given to the player who had the most influence and made the most memorable impression throughout the contest.

Here is a list of the top five players who have received the most Player of the Match accolades in the cash-rich league. 

AB De Villiers- 23 Times

South African batsman AB de Villiers has also established himself as one of the top finishers in T20 cricket. The elegant batsman is the only player in league history to have won 25 accolades. He has 5162 runs in 170 innings pitched and a strike rate of 151.68. He made his IPL debut with Delhi Capitals against Chennai Super Kings in 2008; since then, he has struck three centuries and 40 fifties in IPL. 

Chris Gayle- 22 Times

Chris Gayle, the Caribbean left-handed all-rounder, is ranked second in the IPL for most Man of the Match awards. In the IPL, he was named Man of the Match 22 times while playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. In 141 innings, he scored 4965 runs at a 39.72 ERA. He was one of the IPL’s most formidable and dangerous batters. He began his IPL career with the Kolkata Knight Riders and debuted against the Delhi Capitals in 2008. In the IPL, the Caribbean batter has six centuries and 31 fifties.

Rohit Sharma- 19 Times

With 19 Player of the Match honours, Rohit Sharma is first among Indian players and third overall. He is perhaps the most successful captain in IPL history, leading Mumbai Indians to five titles. The impacting innings that Rohit plays can significantly reduce the chances of the opposition. In the cash-rich league, the prodigious batsman has accumulated 5880 runs at an average of 30.15 and a strike rate of 139.63.

David Warner- 18 Times

David Warner has been named Player of the Match 18 times & he is ranked fourth on this list. In the 2016 season, he helped Sunrisers Hyderabad to victory, scoring 848 runs. Warner has batted 6090 times with a strike rate of 140.92 and an average of 42.23. He also maintains the competition record for the most fifty (50) scored.

MS Dhoni- 17 Times

MS Dhoni, the former Indian captain, is ranked fifth on the list of IPL’s most Man of the Match winners. MS Dhoni was named Man of the Match 17 times during his spell with the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. Dhoni has been the captain of the Chennai Super Kings since the beginning of the IPL and the formation of the franchise. Chennai lifted the IPL trophy four times under MSD’s captaincy in 2010, 2011, 2018, and 2021. Mahindra Singh Dhoni has also played the most matches in the Indian Premier League. He made his IPL debut in 2008 with Chennai and has scored 4878 runs from 200 innings at an average of 39.66 with 24 fifties.