A debut match is the biggest day in a youth’s career who has just got an international breakthrough. After playing all those years when it’s time to give up his shoes every player wants to play a farewell match to of adieu to the cricket community he has been entertaining throughout his cricketing tenure. What better way to end a career than to do it with a memorable performance in the last match owing to which you get the Man of the Match. So today in this article we are gonna talk about Indian players who received Man of the Match awards in their last matches for the side.
The first player up here is former Indian spinner Pragyan Ojha. Ojha who had represented India in Test, ODIs, and T20 was an attacking slow left-arm orthodox bowler and left-hand tail-ender batsman. He has achieved a ranking of number five as the best ICC bowlers ranking and is the first player in the history of the Indian Premier League to win a purple cap. He had quite a unique bowling action with a cross run up from round to over the wicket and he used to generate an amazing amount of spin from the pitch and was once the frontline spinner in the Indian team along with likes of Ravi Ashwin and Ravi Jadeja.
In a 2013 test against the West Indies at the Wankhede stadium, Mumbai ran riots through the Windies middle order and picked up ten wickets in the test. Owing to this amazing performance in the test be was undoubtedly given the Man of the Match award in the post-match presentation. This was the last time he represented India in a test match since posting the test, Jadeja was brought in the team as his replacement owing to his better fielding and bowling skills combined giving balance to the team. Seven gears post the 2013 test Ojha couldn’t find a spot in the Indian team once again and he thought it was time to hand up to his boots thus entering the elite list of players winning a Man of the Match in their farewell match.
The second player up here is the 37-year-old leg spinner Amit Mishra who is an attacking right-arm leg-break bowler and right-handed tail-ender batsman. He plays for Haryana in the domestic Ranji Trophy and currently appears for the T20 franchise Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League. Also, he has represented India in Test, ODIs, and T20s. He has over 150 wickets in the 70 odd matches he has played for the international side. He is quite a popular name in the Indian premier league where he played for the Delhi Daredevils. He has a sharp googly in addition to the orthodox leg-spin which makes him an even brutal bowler.
In 2016 during the India vs New Zealand ODI series Mishra picked up 15 wickets in the series at a mind-blowing average of 14.33. In the last ODI of the series, he ended with figures of 5/18 owing to which India clinched the five-match series. Such amazing bowling performances ensured he bagged both the Man of the Match as well as the Man of the series awards. Despite his heroics he never got a spot in the ODI team post the match and that this resulted in his farewell match. He still plays IPL and is a pretty successful leg spinner in the shortest format of the game.
Next up is former Indian batsman Subramaniam Badrinath who was a right-handed middle-order batsman. Badrinath has represented India in One Day International and test matches. He was in the 30 men provisional squad for the 2007 cricket World cup too but didn’t make it into the final 15. He had a very short international cricket stint and played 7 One day internationals and 2 tests and a single T20 only. He did not manage to cement his place in the team and so he focused more on playing in the domestic league, Ranji trophy as well as in the Indian Premier League.
He played only one international T20 but made sure to inscribe his name in the record books with that. He made his T20 debut against the Windies in 2011 at Trinidad and played a mature inning of 43 off 37 deliveries coming into bat at number four saving the day for his side. Owing to his batting prowess India tipped off Windies by 16 runs and he was awarded the Man of the Match award for his stellar show with the bat. Unfortunately for him, post the match he never got to play a T20 in national colors ever again a d that proved to be his final game in the shortest format for the national side.
The last name in this elite list is of yet another Indian bowling veteran Irfan Pathan.
Beginning his career as a fast-medium swing and seam bowler, Pathan broke into the national team soon after turning 19 and evoked comparisons with Pakistan’s Wasim Akram with his promising performances and prodigious swing. The 35-year-old all-rounder represented India in 29 Tests, 120 ODIs, and 24 T20 internationals. He was a vital part of the Indian team which won the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007. He was a brilliant asset for the team in all formats of the game.
In the India vs Sri Lanka 2012 ODI series Irfan was in the top of his form and the match he played he scored a quickfire 27not out staying unbeaten till the very end and ensuring India reach a respectful total to defend. When Lanka came on to bat Irfan switched roles and bowled one of the most amazing spells of his bowling career to take a brilliant five-wicket haul dismissing players like Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Jeevan Mendis among others. Owing to this stellar all-round show with the bat and the bowl he was awarded the Man of the match but unfortunately enough he never actually got to play an ODI in national colors again post the match and that proved to be the last ODI for a talent which deserved much more.
