5 Weird player of the match awards you aren't aware of

Presentations on cricket frequently prove to be a major source of amusement. Cricket hands out trophies and cheques every day, but sometimes the post-match ceremony veers into the absurd. A variety of awards are given to the players. Many of these awards are given out in large part by sponsors. However, there aren't many awards that make everyone laugh. They are either huge, weird, or outright bizarre. Check Out the Top 5 Strangest Match Awards.

1) Jhye Richardson - Shoelaces & Bat grip

It is not mandatory for players who have performed well to receive awards. However, it seems that some consideration and worth should be included if they are to be granted. When India toured Australia in 2018–19, such was definitely not the case.

After returning with a spell of 4 for 26 in the opening ODI of the series, Richardson was named man of the match and given a bat grip and a pair of shoelaces. It almost seems as though the organisers gave away anything they could find in the trunk of the car since they forgot to set up prizes.

2) Eoin Morgan - Rice Cooker

The Dhaka Premier League enjoys giving its players domestic equipment as a reward. During his time in the Dhaka Premier League, Eoin Morgan, the skipper who won the ODI World Cup, also had his moment when he was given a rice cooker. It's safe to claim that nobody can avoid these situations on the pitch.

When Morgan won man-of-the-match and was given a rice cooker, he was completely shocked. Sponsored by a local brand, the prize was perceived as a light-hearted tribute to his ability to execute under pressure, equating managing high-stress circumstances on the pitch with making rice in a pressure cooker.

3) Makhaya Ntini - lawnmower over a cheque

Tour matches and smaller tournaments sometimes hand out sponsor-driven, very physical prizes. In 2003, Makhaya Ntini,  after a tidy 3/21 for South Africa against Ireland at Clontarf, walked away with a lawnmower as his Man of the Match award. The image of a fast bowler smiling next to garden equipment captured how quirky local sponsorships could be in the pre-IPL era. To date, it is cited as an example of how odd these gifts can get. 

4) James Vince - a hairdryer for a PSL century

Modern franchise cricket has its share of sponsor stunts. In a PSL game, James Vince’s match-winning century for Karachi Kings earned him the formal Player-of-the-Match trophy and, in the dressing-room giveaway, a hairdryer labelled the “Most Reliable Player” prize. 

The clip and social-media posts went viral because the gesture was so unintentionally funny in a genuine performance paired with an appliance prize. It’s not unique as cricket presentations have handed out blenders, rice-cookers and other household goods before, but it’s a recent one. 

5) Sikandar Raza - Plots of land and iPhones as prizes

Franchise deep pockets have pushed prizes into the surreal. There are documented cases where players have won iPhones and even plots of land as part of Player-of-the-Match or Player-of-the-Series. Sikandar Raza’s high-profile awards from franchise owners are a headline example. The logic is simple: big sponsors in some leagues turn MoM into marketing moments, and sometimes that marketing is literally real estate. The optics are strange, but the players usually take them in good humour.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at BetBarter and download the BetBarter app to start betting today!