The Asia Cup in cricket has seen many outstanding performances. Some players have consistently stood out by winning the Player of the Match award more than others. These players have made crucial contributions with their batting, bowling, and all-round skills, helping their teams achieve victories in key matches. Let us take a look at who have claimed the most Player of the Match awards in the history of the Women’s Asia Cup.
1. Mithali Raj (8 awards):
Mithali Raj, the former India skipper, throughout her reign in the Women’s Asia Cup from 2004 to 2018, claimed a total of 8 Player of the Match awards. Her talent shone in both formats, with 5 accolades coming in the T20 format of the Asia Cup and 3 in ODI tournaments.
In the Women’s Asia Cup (ODIs), Mithali secured 2 Player of the Match awards during the league stage against Sri Lanka. In 2006, for her 68 runs off 108 balls, and in 2008, scoring 54 runs off 63 balls. Her third Player of the Match award in Women’s Asia Cup, ODIs, came in the 2006 final against Sri Lanka, where she scored an unbeaten 108 runs off 121 balls, helping set a target of 269 runs with support from Jaya Sharma.
In the Women’s Asia Cup (T20Is), Mithali earned 5 Player of the Match awards. Four of these awards came during the league stage matches: against Pakistan in 2012, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in 2016, and Malaysia in 2018, where she scored 36* (38 balls), 49* (59 balls), and 97* (69 balls) respectively. The fifth award came in the 2016 final against Pakistan, where her unbeaten innings of 73 runs off 65 balls ensured victory, setting a target of 121 runs.
2. Nida Dar (4 awards):
Nida Dar, the current skipper of the Pakistan women’s cricket team, has demonstrated outstanding performance throughout her Asia Cup career, especially in T20 matches. Over the span of 2012 to 2022, she has earned the Player of the Match award on four occasions.
In 2018, Nida Dar received three of these awards during the group stage matches. She took a fifer (5 wickets) against Sri Lanka and also achieved a notable performance against Malaysia, where she secured 4 wickets and scored 41 runs off 27 balls.
In 2022, Nida Dar’s exceptional all-round performance earned her another Player of the Match award, scoring 56 runs from 37 balls and claiming 2 wickets.
Her fourth award dates back to 2012, to the 2nd semifinal against Bangladesh, where she contributed with 2 wickets and scored 25 runs off 24 balls, playing a pivotal role alongside Bismah Maroof in leading Pakistan to victory.
3. Salma Khatun (2 awards):
Salma Khatun, known for her skills as a right-handed batter and right-arm off-break bowler, held the captaincy of the Bangladesh women’s team from 2008 until 2020. Her tenure included significant contributions to the T20 Asia Cup from 2008 to 2022, where she gained recognition with two Player of the Match awards, both achieved during the tournament’s group stage matches.
In 2012, she received her first award against Sri Lanka for taking 4 wickets. Her second accolade came in 2018 against Thailand, where she contributed with 2 wickets.
4. Harmanpreet Kaur (2 awards):
Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the Indian cricket team, has earned the Player of the Match award twice in her career in the Asia Cup T20I, spanning from 2012 to 2022. Her first accolade came during the 2016 edition of the Asia Cup against Pakistan. In a crucial group stage match, Harmanpreet demonstrated her all-round skills, claiming 2 wickets, including that of Nida Dar, while also contributing with the bat by scoring 26 runs off 22 balls. Her performance played an important role in India’s victory.
Two years later, in the 2018 Asia Cup T20I, Harmanpreet once again rose to the occasion to earn another Player of the Match award, this time against Thailand in the group stage. In that match, she scored 27 runs off just 17 balls, helping India set a target of 132 runs. Her contribution was not limited to batting alone, as she also made a significant impact with the ball, taking 3 crucial wickets to restrict Thailand from reaching the target.
5. Shashikala Siriwardene (2 awards):
Shashikala Siriwardene had a striking career in the Women’s Asia Cup ODI tournaments, spanning from 2004 to 2018.
Her standout moments in the Asia Cup include earning two Player of the Match awards, both of which came against Pakistan during the group stages. In 2005, she showcased her bowling ability by taking a four-wicket haul, which played a crucial role in limiting Pakistan and preventing them from securing a victory. The following year, in 2006, she displayed her all-round capabilities by scoring 44 runs off 84 balls to help set a target of 147 runs. Additionally, she contributed with the ball again, claiming 4 wickets to restrict Pakistan from achieving the target.
6. Inoka Ranaweera (2 awards)
Inoka Ranaweera, a prominent Sri Lankan cricketer, made a significant impact during her Asia Cup T20I career spanning from 2012 to 2022. Her standout performances in the 2022 edition earned her two Player of the Match awards, showcasing her ability with the ball in crucial matches. The first award came against Bangladesh in the group stage, where she demonstrated her bowling spell by taking 4 wickets. Her superb bowling effort restricted Bangladesh to a total of 82, effectively defending the target for her team.
Just two days later, Ranaweera delivered another standout performance in the second semi-final against Pakistan. In this match, she claimed 2 important wickets, dismissing Sidra Amin and Ayesha Naseem. Her bowling spell played a key role in restricting Pakistan to a total of 121, thereby contributing significantly to Sri Lanka’s success in advancing to the final stages of the tournament.
7. Dedunu Silva (2 awards):
Dedunu Silva, a distinguished former cricketer from Sri Lanka, left a lasting impact during her Asia Cup ODI career spanning from 2004 to 2008. Known for her contributions with both bat and in the field, she earned two Player of the Match awards, both against Pakistan in the group stage encounters.
In 2005, Silva played an important role with the bat, scoring 52 runs that proved instrumental in Sri Lanka achieving a competitive target of 178 runs. She also showcased her ability in the field by taking 3 catches, including a crucial dismissal of Pakistan’s opening-batter Tasqeen Qadeer. This catch was particularly significant as it helped restrain Pakistan’s chase.
Three years later, in 2008, Silva once again rose to importance with a batting display. She scored 76 runs off 101 balls, playing a key role in setting a formidable target of 225 runs against Pakistan.