7 weirdest awards given to Man of the Match and winning teams in cricket
The Man of the Match award is the most significant award for any individual playing a team sport. While the goal of every player is to make sure that his team wins, there is also a desire somewhere in his heart to win the coveted Man of the Match trophy.
Usually, there is a monetary reward and a trophy offered to the player who makes the biggest difference in the match. However, since cricket is played at different levels now, there has also been some unique Man of the Match awards in cricket history.
Here’s a look at the seven weirdest awards given to teams and players in a cricket game.
1.Coca Cola Cup 1997-98
Coca Cola sponsored a tri-series between India, Australia, and New Zealand in the year 1997-98. The Men in Blue won that series.
However, what caught everyone’s attention was the massive trophy given to the Indian team. The trophy's design was the same as a giant Coca Cola bottle cap.
2.Man of the Match 2.5 Kg Fish
Recently, in a cricket match at Tekipora Kupwara, a 2.5 Kg fish was given as Man of the Match award. #CricketDhamaka#ESPN #IPL2020 #kashmircricket pic.twitter.com/fQ7VAJ7Gvb
— Firdous Hassan (@FirdousHassan) September 21, 2020
The most recent entry to feature on this list is from a cricket event in Kashmir. Because the organizers wanted to popularize the league, they gave a unique Man of the Match award to a player.
The turf was not playable and players had to contribute funds to better the surface. Hence, to draw the authorities attention they gave 2.5 kg fish to the Man of the Match award-winning player.
3.TUC Biscuit Cup
Brighto presents TUC Cup 2018 #PAKvAUS T20I series trophy unveiling ceremony. pic.twitter.com/9i0uPmtSoW
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 23, 2018
TUC Biscuit drew everyone’s attention to its brand with a unique trophy for the series between Australia and Pakistan. TUC Biscuit was the title sponsor of the T20I series between Australia and Pakistan in 2018.
Before the series, both captains posed with the TUC Cup. Those photos went viral on social media because of the weird design having a biscuit at the top.
4.DLF Cup 2006
India and Pakistan have not participated in a bilateral series since 2012. However, there was a time when the arch-rivals regularly faced each other in cricket.
DLF sponsored the 2006 series between India and Pakistan. To live up to its name, DLF gave a giant trophy to the series winner.
5.Blender in Dhaka Premier League
Pleased we won my first match 4 Abahani today. Have 2 say I have never been given a blender 4 getting MOM before! pic.twitter.com/BkiycrpJgu
— Luke Wright (@lukewright204) October 31, 2013
Luke Wright was one of the international stars who played in the Dhaka Premier League of Bangladesh. Since there were not enough sponsors for the tournament, the organizers had to think out of the box for Man of the Match awards.
Wright pulled off a match-winning performance for his team in the competition. In return, he got a blender as the Man of the Match award.
6.Rice Cooker in Dhaka Premier League
Another entry from the Dhaka Premier League on this list is Rice Cooker that was given to Eoin Morgan. The English skipper would not have imagined in the wildest of his dreams that he would get such an honor for his cricketing skills.
Nevertheless, this cooker would have been useful to his cook. Morgan is playing for KKR in IPL 2020.
7.Bat grip and shoe laces
While Dhaka Premier League was not played at a big level, in an international match between India and Australia, the organizers gave bat grip and shoe laces as Man of the Match award. Jhye Richardson took this honor.
However, the organizers faced a backlash from the fans for this move. Still, Richardson had to return home with those two awards despite performing well against India.