ICC Tournaments generally provide the biggest international stage where players have a chance to showcase their ability. Sometimes the pressure gets to the players, and they cannot perform to the levels that they usually do.
However, there are some other players who make the most of such stages and at a very young age show true promise and potential. They dominate the opposition bowling and show exactly what they are made of and show signs of what things are to come as they progress in their career. Here are the five youngest Indian players to win a Man of the Match award in ICC tournaments.
1. Yuvraj Singh – 18 years and 299 days (2000 ICC Knockouts)
India played Australia in the quarter-final of the ICC Knockouts in the year 2000. Batting first, India were losing wickets at regular intervals. Australian bowlers were on top of the Indian batsmen.
However, a young 18-year-old in Yuvraj Singh in his first international innings looked as comfortable as anyone at the crease. With his counter-attacking style of play, Yuvraj Singh attacked the Australian bowlers and scored a quick fire 84 off just 80 balls including 12 fours.
India managed to post 265 runs on the board in their 50 overs. This was too much for Aussies as they were bundled out for 240. Yuvraj Singh thus became the youngest Indian to win a Man of the Match award in an ICC tournament.
2. Sachin Tendulkar – 18 years and 314 days (1992 World Cup)
India played Pakistan in a group game of the 1992 Benson and Hedges World Cup and batted first. Despite losing early wickets, India managed to post a competitive total of 216-7 in their 50 overs, thanks to a half-century down the order from Sachin Tendulkar.
The then 18-year-old scored 54 runs off just 62 balls and gave Team India the momentum towards the end of their innings. Pakistan batsmen were dominated by the Indian bowlers as they were bowled out for just 173 runs. India won the game by 43 runs and Sachin received the Man of the Match award.
3. Sachin Tendulkar – 18 years and 317 days (1992 World Cup)
Sachin Tendulkar repeated his heroics in India’s very next World Cup game against Zimbabwe. Batting first, India put up a competitive score of 203-7 and yet again it was Tendulkar who top-scored with a quickfire 81 down the order.
The target was revised to 159 runs in 19.1 overs which was 55 runs more than what Zimbabwe managed to score. India won the game comfortably and Sachin Tendulkar again won the Man of the Match award for his sparkling effort with the bat down the order.
4. Rohit Sharma – 20 years and 143 days (2007 ICC T20 World Cup)
India faced South Africa in a do-or-die clash in the group stages of the 2007 T20, World Cup. Batting first, India were in deep trouble at 61-4. However, a young 20-year-old in Rohit Sharma burst on to the scene and scored an important half-century off just 40 balls. His effort helped India post a competitive total of 153-5.
This proved to be too much for the hosts as they lost the game by 37 runs. Rohit Sharma’s superb knock under pressure earned him the Man of the Match award, and it was a sign of things to come.
5. Virat Kohli – 20 years and 329 days (2009 ICC Champions Trophy)
India faced West Indies in a group game of the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy. The Men in Blue had to win the game convincingly in order to have a chance of qualifying further. The bowlers did their job by dismissing the West Indies for just 129.
But India were in a spot of bother at 12-2. Just then, a young Virat Kohli walked out to the crease and this was a test of his temperament. He patiently saw off the early burst from the Windies pacers and then consolidated the Indian innings. He scored a fantastic 79 off 104 balls as India comfortably won by 7 wickets. Although India did not qualify for the semifinals, Virat Kohli had proved that he was going to become a special cricketer going ahead and received his first Man of the Match award in ICC Tournaments.
