It often happens that during a cricket match or as soon as it ends, we guess which player will get the 'Man of the Match', mostly this guess is also correct. Only the player who scores the most runs or takes wickets from the winning team gets this award. In some cases, the player of the losing team also gets the 'Man of the Match'. But do you know who and how decides to give 'Man of the Match'?
Performance plays an important role in deciding the Man of the Match award. The player with the highest runs, wickets, or best fielding effort is entitled to the Man of the Match award. Apart from this, a player who plays a match-winning inning also paves the way for the Man of the Match award. The team's victory favored a player to receive that award. A player who makes a significant impact on the game is awarded the man of the match award.
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Umpires and referees have a limited role in deciding the man of the match. They ensure that the match should be played following all the rules and regulations. They have less authority to decide which players should get the man of the match award. In some cases, in case of a tie between two panels, the match referee is asked to decide the man of the match. This is a rare occurrence as his responsibility is to ensure that the game is played fairly without any rules being violated.
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Media and fan voting can play an important role in deciding the Man of the Match award. Media can present their opinion and analyze on the basis of performance. The fans are also allowed to actively participate in deciding the Man of the Match by voting through various mediums like polls and SMS. However, the final decision is made by match officials, a panel of experts or commentators who have a better understanding of the game. The panel has to include various factors like runs, wickets and impact on the players' game. Hence, these factors play an integral role in deciding the Man of the Match award.
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Sometimes, apart from the commentators, the match referee and other senior players are also part of the panel to select the man of the match. In series such as the Champions Trophy or the World Cup, a larger panel is formed to decide the man of the match, in which senior players are included in the decision-making along with the match referee. Getting this title in any match is a big achievement for the player.
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