Most Man of the Series in International Cricket: Kohli, Tendulkar leads list

Most Man of the Series in International Cricket: Kohli, Tendulkar leads list

Former India cricket team captain Virat Kohli (King of Cricket) leads the list of players having the most man of the series in international cricket. He is also the only player on the top ten list, who is still playing.

As the name suggests, a “Man of the Series” award is given to the player showing consistency and proficiency over a range of three or five-match series, whether it be Tests, ODIs or T20Is. 3 Indian cricket players feature on this list, proving the country’s ability to produce superstar cricketers decade after decade.

1. Virat Kohli* | 21 Man of the Series Awards

Rightly known as the king of cricket, Virat Kohli is cricket’s biggest global superstar. He enjoys recognition almost similar to footballers and basketball stars for his prolific run-scoring ability and tendency to change a match single-handedly.

He has won the Man of the Series award 21 times across all three formats - thrice in Tests, 11 times in ODIs and seven T20Is.

Image for Virat Kohli//Getty

Throughout his career so far, Kohli has an unbelievable 80 international centuries and 140 half-centuries. Virat Kohli's 50 centuries in ODI cricket is the most by any player in the 50-over format, where the batsman has almost 14,000 runs with an average of 58.34.

He has the second-highest number of Man of the Series awards in ODIs (11), which is only four fewer than Sachin Tendulkar, the best cricketer in the world. While Kohli has retired from the T20I format, he is expected to continue in the ODI and Test format, and is thereby expected to bolster this record even further.

2. Sachin Tendulkar | 20 Man of the Series Awards

Before the cricket-crazy nation of India got obsessed with Virat Kohli, there was a certain Sachin Tendulkar who ruled the masses to the extent that a match was considered lost after he was out. Debuting as a teenager back in the 1980s, Tendulkar is applauded for his longevity and for exhibiting unparalleled consistency for over two decades. The Master Blaster, as he is fondly known, has won 20 Man of the Series awards in his career - five times in Tests and 15 in ODIs.

Image for Sachin Tendulkar//Getty

Dominating cricket when T20Is were not a thing, Tendulkar’s glorious moments came mostly in Tests and ODIs. The only cricketer in the world to have tallied 100 international centuries and an unfathomable 164 half-centuries, Tendulkar leads the list of most Man of the Series awards in ODIs, a format in which he has 49 centuries and over 18,000 runs across 463 matches. He has almost 16,000 runs in Test cricket across 200 matches.

3. Shakib Al Hasan | 17 Man of the Series Awards  

Bangladesh’s longest-serving player and one of the most influential names in Bangladesh cricket, Shakib Al Hasan sits third on the list with 17 Man of the Series awards.

The former Bangla Tigers captain and world no.1 all-rounder, Shakib Al Hasan has five Man of the Series awards in Tests, seven in ODIs and five more in T20Is.

Image for Shakib Al Hasan//Getty

Shakib Al Hasan made his international debut in 2006. He has been a regular fixture for the side across formats and has consistently performed both with the bat and ball. In Tests, the Jessore-lad has over 4,500 runs and 237 wickets across 67 matches. Shakib only gets better in ODIs, where he has nine centuries and over 300 wickets in 247 games.

A modern-day T20 all-rounder, Shakib has played all the T20I World Cups since its inception in 2007 until 2024. He has over 2,500 runs and 149 wickets across 129 T20Is.

4. Jacques Kallis | 15 Man of the Series Awards

One of South Africa’s absolute legends and easily the best all-rounder that ever came up the Protean ranks, Jacques Kallis was the most reliable player in world cricket for a long time.

The broad-shouldered, muscular athlete played like a tireless engine for over 18 years and was a mainstay across all three formats of the game. He hung his boots with 15 Man of the Series Awards - nine in ODIs and six in Tests.

Image for Jacques Kallis//Getty

He played a whopping 519 matches in his career, proving his longevity and consistency - a rare trait in a fast-bowling all-rounder. A beast in both Tests and ODIs, Kallis’ number speaks for himself. In the 50-over format, the Cape Town hero has over 12,000 runs and 272 wickets while in Tests, Kallis has tallied over 13,000 runs and taken 273 wickets.

He is the player with the most Player of the Match awards (23) in Test cricket and has scored the second-highest number of fifties in Tests after Sachin Tendulkar.