Every T20 World Cup Final's Man Of The Match: From Pathan To Curran

In the inaugural T20 World Cup final, former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan was awarded the first-ever Player of the Match for his outstanding bowling against Pakistan.

Pathan's left-arm pace-bowling yielded figures of 3 for 16 in 4 overs, taking crucial wickets including those of Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi.

• 2007: Irfan Pathan (India) - 3 for 16 in 4 overs vs Pakistan
• 2009: Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) - 1 for 20 in 4 overs & 54* off 40 balls vs Sri Lanka
• 2010: Craig Kieswetter (England) - 63 off 49 balls vs Australia
• 2012: Marlon Samuels (West Indies) - 78 off 56 balls vs Sri Lanka
• 2014: Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) - 52* off 35 balls vs India
• 2016: Marlon Samuels (West Indies) - 85* off 66 balls vs England
• 2021: Mitchell Marsh (Australia) - 77* off 50 balls vs New Zealand
• 2022: Sam Curran (England) - 3 for 12 in 4 overs vs Pakistan

The second edition saw former all-rounder Shahid Afridi lead Pakistan to victory with a stellar performance. He bowled economically, conceding just 20 runs in his four overs and taking a wicket. Afridi then scored an unbeaten 54 off just 40 balls to secure the win against Sri Lanka.

Lesser-known England batter Craig Kieswetter claimed the Player of the Match award in the third edition's final. West Indies' Marlon Samuels is notable for winning this accolade twice, in both the 2012 and 2016 finals.

Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara earned the award during their title-winning year in 2014. More recently, Australia's Mitchell Marsh and England's Sam Curran were honoured with this award in the finals of the tournaments held in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

The Man of the Match award has always gone to a player from the winning team across all eight editions. The awards have been given primarily for batting performances, with five editions recognising batsmen, one recognising a bowler, and another acknowledging an all-round performance.

This pattern highlights how impactful individual performances can be in crucial matches, often tipping the scales towards victory. The recognition of these players underscores their significant contributions to their teams' successes on cricket's grandest stage.