Player of the Match Award: POTM Meaning and Records

POTM means Player of the Match: the player judged to have made the most decisive contribution in one cricket match. It is also called Man of the Match, and the selector is appointed by that competition rather than by one universal cricket rule. In the IPL, the television commentary team chooses it; ICC tournaments can use a named panel.

What does POTM mean in cricket?

If you have searched “potm award kya hota hai” or “potm full form”, the short answer is simple: POTM is the abbreviation for Player of the Match. The older phrase is Man of the Match, and scorecards or broadcasters may use either label. The award belongs to a single match, not to an entire season.

The winner is usually the player whose performance had the largest match impact. That might be a batter who changes a chase, a bowler who breaks the opposition's middle order, or an all-rounder who contributes in both innings. It is not an automatic prize for the highest score or the most wickets. A match-winning catch, a late burst with the ball or a calm chase can also shape the decision.

There is no rule in the Laws of Cricket that names one worldwide POTM judge. The playing teams, host board, league or tournament organiser set the process. That is why the answer to “who decides Player of the Match?” depends on where the game is being played.

Who decides Player of the Match?

The clearest published example comes from the official VIVO IPL 2017 awards document. It says the Man of the Match in league games was chosen by members of the television commentary team covering the match. The same commentary-team process applied in the playoffs, although the document listed a different prize for those matches.

This is separate from the role of a match referee. In that IPL document, IPL match referees and umpires judged the pitch and ground award over the season, while the commentary team chose the match award. So a referee may be involved in other competition-specific processes, but fans should not assume that the match referee always selects POTM.

International tournaments can use a panel. For the 2016 ICC World Twenty20, the ICC said Virat Kohli was the unanimous choice of a group of former stars and commentators. It named Ian Bishop, Nasser Hussain, Mel Jones, Sanjay Manjrekar and Lisa Sthalekar on the selection panel. The example shows why the organiser's published rules or announcement are the safest guide: the decision-maker can change from one event to another.

For Indian fans following a close game, the practical check is the post-match presentation or the official scorecard. You can also keep an eye on FairPlay's live cricket scores and match results pages for the winner and the performance that led to the award.

Player of the Match, Series and Tournament: what is the difference?

A Player of the Match recognises one game. A Player of the Series looks across a multi-match bilateral or multi-team series. A Player of the Tournament covers a complete competition such as a World Cup, where performances over several stages matter.

The awards can overlap, but they are not interchangeable. A player may win several POTM awards and still miss the series prize if another player has been more consistent. Equally, a tournament winner does not need to win the final's POTM award. The final is one match; the tournament award considers the whole event.

ICC's 2016 World Twenty20 announcement is a useful example. The panel considered several candidates and noted that Joe Root and Tamim Iqbal had scored more runs than Kohli, but decided Kohli's crucial contributions to India's run through the tournament deserved the award. That is a reminder that a tournament honour can reflect context and influence, not just one aggregate column.

Some events publish a shortlist or a panel, while others set out a points system or a vote. Do not transfer one event's method to another without checking its official announcement. For a wider cricket reference, FairPlay's cricket players hub is a useful place to follow player profiles and roles.

Which IPL awards sit alongside POTM?

The IPL's match award is only one part of its awards structure. In the official 2017 document, the season awards included:

These are season-long honours, so they answer different questions from POTM. Orange Cap is about runs, Purple Cap about wickets and MVP about the published points system. The Fair Play Award is for a team, not the individual who turned around one match. FairPlay has also explained the separate Fair Play Award in cricket for readers who want that distinction.

The IPL also lists other match-day awards in its 2017 document, such as Perfect Catch of the Match, Maximum Sixes and Stylish Player of the Day. The official IPL site continues to label match videos “Player of the Match”, showing that the match award remains distinct from the season caps and MVP title.

Is there prize money for Player of the Match?

Sometimes, but the amount is competition- and season-specific. The official IPL 2017 awards document published Rs 1 lakh per league match and Rs 5 lakh per playoff match, each with a trophy. It also said the league-match cheque was presented by a franchise owner or sponsor representative, while the BCCI awarded the playoff prize.

Those amounts should not be treated as a permanent IPL rule. The document is explicitly for VIVO IPL 2017 and notes that the arrangements were subject to change at BCCI discretion. For another tournament or season, use that event's official announcement rather than repeating an old figure. If no primary source names an amount, the accurate answer is simply that a trophy, cheque or other recognition may exist, but the amount is not officially established in the material being used here.

Verified records: who has won the most POTM awards?

Records depend on the format and the database's cutoff. The following figures were checked on ESPNcricinfo records pages and should be read as of 11 October 2026, not as timeless totals.

The ODI figure is not the same as a combined international total, and the T20I figure is not the same as all professional T20 cricket. That distinction matters: a record page covering every T20 match includes franchise and domestic competitions, while a T20I page covers internationals only. Before quoting a record, check the heading, format and “records include” date on the page.

POTM is therefore best understood as a match-level judgement, not a universal formula. Check who the organiser appointed, separate the one-match award from series and tournament honours, and treat prize money and records as season- or database-specific facts. For more scorecard reading help, use FairPlay's cricket hub alongside the live results pages.

Sources: IPL: IPL Awards - 2017 · ICC: Kohli named as ICC World Twenty20 men’s player of the tournament · ESPNcricinfo: Most player-of-the-match awards in ODIs · ESPNcricinfo: Most player-of-the-match awards in T20Is · ESPNcricinfo: IPL match awards query

This piece was written by the FairPlay Editorial Desk with AI assistance, using the published sources above. It was reviewed by Ajit Mohan Yadav and Mohini Yadav of the FairPlay editorial team before publication. To report an error, see our Editorial Policy.