The Player of the Series award holds significant value in cricket. It is awarded in a bilateral series to the top-performing player across the matches in the series. Over the years, the game has seen several standout players who have left their mark across all three formats of the game.
Among them, there have been plenty of Indian cricketers as well, who currently lead the charts for the most Player of the Series awards. Recently, Shubman Gill won the Player of the Series award against West Indies for his outstanding performance in the series, equalling Indian legend MS Dhoni.
In this article, we will explore the list of players with the most Player of the Series awards across formats and look at the top Indian players who have earned the prestigious honour during their international careers.
Top Players With Most Player of the Series Awards
Indian legend Virat Kohli tops the chart with 22 Player of the Series awards, including three in Tests, 12 in ODIs and seven in T20Is. The stats clearly show that Kohli has been one of the most consistent batters the world has ever seen across all three formats of the game.
He is followed by the God of Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, who has 20 Player of the Series awards, including 5 in Tests and 15 in ODIs.
Below is the complete list of players with the most Player of the Series awards across formats.
|
Player
|
Span
|
Mat
|
Series
|
Awards
|
Tests
|
ODIs
|
T20Is
|
|
Virat Kohli (India)
|
2008–2026
|
564
|
171
|
22
|
3
|
12
|
7
|
|
Sachin Tendulkar (India)
|
1989–2013
|
664
|
183
|
20
|
5
|
15
|
0
|
|
Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)
|
2006–2024
|
447
|
162
|
17
|
5
|
7
|
5
|
|
Jacques Kallis (South Africa)
|
1995–2014
|
519
|
148
|
15
|
9
|
6
|
0
|
|
Joe Root (England)
|
2012–2026
|
396
|
123
|
13
|
6
|
7
|
0
|
|
David Warner (Australia)
|
2009–2024
|
383
|
126
|
13
|
5
|
3
|
5
|
|
Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka)
|
1989–2011
|
586
|
176
|
13
|
2
|
11
|
0
|
|
Ravichandran Ashwin (India)
|
2010–2024
|
287
|
105
|
12
|
11
|
0
|
1
|
|
Quinton de Kock (South Africa)
|
2012–2026
|
328
|
110
|
12
|
1
|
7
|
4
|
|
Chris Gayle (West Indies)
|
1999–2021
|
483
|
141
|
12
|
2
|
8
|
2
|
|
Shaun Pollock (South Africa)
|
1995–2008
|
423
|
107
|
11
|
2
|
9
|
0
|
|
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies)
|
1994–2015
|
454
|
136
|
11
|
7
|
4
|
0
|
|
Ricky Ponting (Australia)
|
1995–2012
|
560
|
147
|
11
|
4
|
7
|
0
|
|
Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka)
|
1992–2011
|
495
|
155
|
11
|
11
|
0
|
0
|
|
Imran Khan (Pakistan)
|
1971–1992
|
263
|
74
|
10
|
8
|
2
|
0
|
|
Hashim Amla (South Africa)
|
2004–2019
|
349
|
117
|
10
|
3
|
7
|
0
|
|
Babar Azam (Pakistan)
|
2015–2026
|
354
|
117
|
10
|
1
|
4
|
5
|
|
Sourav Ganguly (India)
|
1992–2008
|
424
|
120
|
10
|
3
|
7
|
0
|
|
Steve Smith (Australia)
|
2010–2026
|
362
|
122
|
10
|
5
|
4
|
1
|
|
AB de Villiers (South Africa)
|
2004–2018
|
420
|
136
|
10
|
4
|
6
|
0
|
|
Wasim Akram (Pakistan)
|
1984–2003
|
460
|
136
|
10
|
7
|
3
|
0
|
|
Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka)
|
1999–2016
|
497
|
148
|
10
|
2
|
6
|
2
|
|
Rohit Sharma (India)
|
2007–2026
|
516
|
166
|
10
|
2
|
6
|
2
|
|
Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)
|
2000–2015
|
594
|
167
|
10
|
4
|
5
|
1
|
|
Vivian Richards (West Indies)
|
1974–1991
|
308
|
69
|
9
|
2
|
7
|
0
|
|
Graham Gooch (England)
|
1975–1995
|
243
|
71
|
9
|
5
|
4
|
0
|
|
Shane Warne (Australia)
|
1992–2007
|
339
|
82
|
9
|
8
|
1
|
0
|
|
Waqar Younis (Pakistan)
|
1989–2003
|
349
|
104
|
9
|
5
|
4
|
0
|
|
Mitchell Starc (Australia)
|
2010–2026
|
304
|
111
|
9
|
4
|
5
|
0
|
|
Steve Waugh (Australia)
|
1985–2004
|
493
|
113
|
9
|
6
|
3
|
0
|
|
Jos Buttler (England)
|
2011–2026
|
424
|
131
|
9
|
1
|
4
|
4
|
|
Mohammad Hafeez (Pakistan)
|
2003–2021
|
392
|
131
|
9
|
1
|
4
|
4
|
|
Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pakistan)
|
1991–2007
|
499
|
145
|
9
|
3
|
6
|
0
|
|
Kane Williamson (New Zealand)
|
2010–2026
|
378
|
145
|
9
|
4
|
5
|
0
|
|
Harry Brook (England)
|
2022–2026
|
156
|
48
|
8
|
4
|
0
|
4
|
Top Indian Players With Most Player of the Series Awards
1. Virat Kohli (22)
Virat Kohli has represented India in 464 matches and 171 series across formats, grabbing 22 Player of the Series awards. Kohli has already scored more than 27,000 international runs and is regarded as one of the modern greats of the game.
Kohli has also been part of some of the most iconic series in Indian cricket, which are still remembered today. One of them was India's 2018 tour of South Africa, where Kohli fetched the Player of the Series award for his outstanding performances.
2. Sachin Tendulkar (20)
Often regarded as the God of Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar has 20 Player of the Series awards despite never featuring in T20Is. He has five awards in Tests and 15 in ODIs.
Tendulkar carried the Indian batting lineup for decades and is undoubtedly regarded as one of the greatest batsmen the world has ever seen. His consistency and longevity across international cricket made him one of the most influential players of his generation.
3. Ravichandran Ashwin (13)
Third on the list is Ravichandran Ashwin, who has played a relatively lower number of matches for India across formats but has still made a significant impact.
Ashwin has 13 Player of the Series awards, including 11 in Tests and two in T20Is. He is regarded as one of the greatest Test all-rounders the world has ever seen and has taken more than 530 wickets in international cricket.
4. Sourav Ganguly (10)
Another legendary name on the list is Sourav Ganguly, who has 10 Player of the Series awards to his name, including three in Tests and seven in ODIs.
Ganguly made his Indian debut in 1992 and played a key role in the team's progress during his international career. He established himself as one of India's finest batters and captains and remains one of the most influential figures in Indian cricket.
5. Rohit Sharma (10)
Rohit Sharma, a white-ball legend for India, has 10 Player of the Series awards to his name, including two in Tests, six in ODIs and two in T20Is.
Rohit has already crossed 12,000 runs in ODI cricket, and his hunger for the game has remained unmatchable. He has also scored three double centuries in ODIs, an iconic achievement that further highlights his dominance in the format.