The Indian Premier League Final is one of the grandest stages in franchise T20 cricket. With so much at stake, the pressure on players to perform is enormous. It is not just another game, as much as the players like to keep it that way.
Over the years, we have witnessed some iconic performances in the IPL finals, dating back to 2008. Yusuf Pathan’s all-around performance for Rajasthan Royals in 2008 will be etched in our memories forever.
Keiron Pollard’s one-man show to give Mumbai Indians (MI) their first-ever trophy in 2013 was historic. Shane Watson’s century battling through pain to script CSK’s comeback in 2018, will forever be among the most heroic stories in sport.
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Man Of The Match Performances in an IPL Final
It is not of much surprise that the list is dominated by Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) players. The two sides share nine trophies between them.
Keiron Pollard, Rohit Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Trent Boult contributed to securing five trophies for the Mumbai Indians.
Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay, Shane Watson, and Faf Du Plessis won it for the Chennai Super Kings.
The only Man of the Match award given to a player from the losing side was in 2009. Anil Kumble’s heroic spell of 4/16 in overseas conditions (Johannesburg) was recognized on the night of the final. Kumble and RCB faced defeat against the Deccan Chargers (DC).
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Ben Cutting's feisty knock of 39 runs in just 15 deliveries to crush the hopes of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), is a fond memory to most people.
Manvinder Bisla and Manish Pandey’s heroics with the bat are well-remembered among the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) faithful.
Captain Hardik made sure he wrote a fairytale beginning to the journey of his new franchise, Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL in 2022.
MAN OF THE MATCH PERFORMANCES IN AN IPL FINAL
| Year | Final | Man of the Match |
| 2008 | Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings | Yusuf Pathan (RR) - 56 (39), 3/22 |
| 2009 | Deccan Chargers vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | Anil Kumble (RCB) - 4/16 |
| 2010 | Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians | Suresh Raina (CSK) - 57* (35), 1/21 |
| 2011 | Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | Murali Vijay (CSK) - 95 (52) |
| 2012 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings | Manvinder Bisla (KKR) - 89 (48) |
| 2013 | Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings | Kieron Pollard (MI) - 60* (32) |
| 2014 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings | Manish Pandey (KKR) - 94 (50) |
| 2015 | Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings | Rohit Sharma (MI) - 50 (26) |
| 2016 | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | Ben Cutting (SRH) - 39* (15) |
| 2017 | Mumbai Indians vs Rising Pune Supergiant | Krunal Pandya (MI) - 47 (38) |
| 2018 | Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Shane Watson (CSK) - 117* (57) |
| 2019 | Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings | Jasprit Bumrah (MI) - 2/14 |
| 2020 | Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals | Trent Boult (MI) - 3/30 |
| 2021 | Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Faf du Plessis (CSK) - 86 (59) |
| 2022 | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals | Hardik Pandya (GT) - 34 (30), 3/17 |
| 2023* | Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans | Devon Conway 47 (25) |
