Captains With POTM Award In Men's ICC Tournament Finals

Aakash Saini

Captains with POTM award in men’s ICC tournament finals [Source: AP Photos]Captains with POTM award in men’s ICC tournament finals [Source: AP Photos]

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Winning an ICC final as a captain is one thing; delivering a performance so commanding that it earns a Player of the Match honour is another. Few skippers have managed to pull off both, stepping up when the stakes were at their highest.

Whether with the bat, ball, or sheer tactical brilliance, these captains did not just lead, they defined the moment. Their performances turned finals into personal masterclasses, sealing their names in cricket history. Celebrating the match-winning artistry of captains worldwide, here is a look at four skippers in cricket history who took charge of their teams and delivered a ‘Player of the Match’ winning performance in an ICC tournament final.

4. Rohit Sharma, India, 2025 ICC Champions Trophy

Indian captain Rohit Sharma ransacked New Zealand bowlers with a scintillating 76 from 83 balls in the final of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. Opening the innings in a stiff chase of 252 at the Dubai International Stadium, the legendary Indian opener shared 105 runs with Shubman Gill before a lapse in concentration accounted for his downfall to Rachin Ravindra.

Nonetheless, Sharma belted seven boundaries and three huge sixes as Team India aced the chase with four wickets and an over to spare to lift the coveted title. The cricketer also fittingly bagged the ‘Player of the Match’ award, becoming the first captain in history to do so in a Champions Trophy final.

3. MS Dhoni, India, 2011 ICC ODI World Cup

MS Dhoni helmed Team India’s run-chase against Sri Lanka in the final of the 2011 ICC ODI World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Batting at number five and arriving to the crease at a precarious 114-3 in a chase of 275, Dhoni unfurled 91 unbeaten runs from just 79 balls with eight boundaries and two huge sixes, including one to seal off the chase in the penultimate over.

The legendary wicketkeeper-batter pipped fellow half-centurion Gautam Gambhir to win the ‘Player of the Match’ award, thus becoming the first Indian captain to do so in an ICC tournament final. MS Dhoni’s run-chase masterclass also ended India’s 28-year-long World Cup drought as the ‘Men in Blue’ proudly lifted the trophy in front of a near-capacity crowd.

2. Ricky Ponting, Australia, 2003 ICC ODI World Cup

In the final of the 2003 ICC ODI World Cup at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, then Australian captain Ricky Ponting cut, pulled and sprinted his way to a regal 140* from just 121 balls against a strong Indian bowling attack. Taking on the likes of Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Harbhajan Singh; the champion Australian flogged eight towering sixes and four scorching boundaries as Australia mounted 359-2 from 50 overs.

Gorging himself with a thunderous century, Ponting’s batting conquest was ably backed by Australian bowlers as his superstar unit scythed through Team India to clinch its second successive World Cup title (third overall). The legendary cricketer also capped his remarkable World Cup campaign with a ‘Player of the Match’ award in the final.

1. Clive Lloyd, West Indies, 1975 ICC ODI World Cup

Former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd plundered 102 runs from just 85 balls against Australian bowlers in the final of the inaugural ODI World Cup back in 1975 at the iconic Lord’s. Earmarking himself as a recipient of one of the greatest World Cup knocks of all time, Lloyd’s batting exhibition fueled West Indies to script a 17-run victory in the title clash.

Batting first, West Indies racked up 291-8 from 60 overs, with Rohan Kanhai also chipping in with a cautious 55. Even though West Indies fast bowler Keith Boyce picked up four Australian wickets in the second half of the game, captain Lloyd won the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his World Cup-winning century.