A Man of the Match award is given to a player for exceptional contribution to the team. When a batter scores plenty of runs and helps the team win the game, he receives the award. On the other hand, when a bowler takes crucial wickets for the team and turns the game in the team’s favour, he would get one.
We have also seen all-rounders getting Player of the Match awards for delivering the goods with bat and ball. Case in point, Sri Lanka have produced top-quality players in their history. They used to be a phenomenal force to be reckoned with in international cricket, courtesy of impactful performances from big players.
Let’s take a look at the 3 Sri Lankans with the most international Man of the Match awards after the age of 36.
1. Sanath Jayasuriya
Winning a Man of the Match award is tough once a player is aged 36. However, Sri Lankan great Sanath Jayasuriya has won as many as 18 awards after the age of 36, the most by any player in the history of the sport. He scored 6973 runs in Tests, 13,430 runs in One-Day Internationals and 629 runs in Twenty20 Internationals. On the other hand, he has bagged 98 wickets in Tests, 323 wickets in ODIs and 19 wickets in T20Is.
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2. Tillakaratne Dilshan
Tillakaratne Dilshan played a substantial role in scoring crucial runs for the Sri Lankan cricket team. He is considered the most highly-rated Sri Lankan player in run-chases in ODI history. Dilshan has bagged 14 Man of the Match awards after the age of 36 years. Dilshan scored 5492 runs in Tests, 10,290 runs in ODIs and 1889 runs in T20Is. On the other hand, he took 39 wickets in Tests, 106 wickets in ODIs and 9 wickets in T20Is.
3. Kumar Sangakkara
Kumar Sangakkara is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time. The former Sri Lankan captain is the second-leading run-scorer in ODIs and Tests. He has bagged a total of 10 Man of the Match awards after the age of 36. Sangakkara scored 14,234 runs in ODIs, 12,400 runs in Tests and 1382 runs in T20Is.
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