Shakib Al Hasan has joined the elite group of players with the most Player of the Match awards in T20 cricket. He once again showed his familiar all-round brilliance in the ILT20, delivering a standout performance for MI Emirates against the Desert Vipers at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
With the ball, Shakib was highly effective, conceding just 14 runs in his four overs while picking up two crucial wickets. He also contributed with the bat when the team needed him most, scoring an unbeaten 17 off 25 balls with a calm and responsible approach at the end of the innings. His all-round effort earned him the Player of the Match award.
Batting first, the Desert Vipers managed 124 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Chasing a relatively modest target, MI Emirates secured victory with six wickets down and 15 balls to spare.
In terms of Player of the Match awards in T20 cricket, Shakib Al Hasan has now earned a place among the format’s all-time greats. Having played 465 T20 matches so far, he has won the award 45 times, placing him joint third on the list of players with the most Player of the Match honors in T20s.
He shares this position with Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan and England’s Alex Hales. Rashid has achieved the milestone in 504 matches, while Hales reached the same number after playing 524 games.
Just ahead of Shakib on the list are two power-hitting all-rounders, Glenn Maxwell and Kieron Pollard, who are jointly second with 48 Player of the Match awards each. The record for the most Player of the Match awards in T20 cricket is held outright by West Indies legend Chris Gayle, who won the honor 60 times during his career.
