From Yusuf Pathan’s barnstorming cameo in the very first Indian Premier League final to Krunal Pandya’s ice-cool spell that sealed Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s long-awaited crown in 2025, the Player of the Match (POTM) award has become a time-capsule of the league’s biggest nights. Every season’s finale has produced its own solitary hero, a cricketer who rose above the fireworks and fanfare to tilt the contest. Here is a look at how that honour has unfolded across 18 championship evenings.

RCB finally lift the trophy in 2025

The 2025 finale at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium delivered a watershed moment: RCB shook off 18 seasons of near-misses by toppling Punjab Kings. All-rounder Krunal, drafted for his big-match temperament, justified the call with figures of 4-0-17-2, throttling PBKS in the middle overs and earning a second career POTM in an IPL final—the first man to achieve that repeat feat.

What makes the award special

Unlike season-long prizes decided by aggregating numbers, the POTM for the final rewards a single burst of brilliance under maximum pressure. It encapsulates the essence of T20 cricket: one spell, one innings, or even one over can rewrite the record books and, in many cases, a franchise’s history. For fans, the roll of honour is a memory lane; for players, it is a stamp of legacy.

Also READ: Irfan Pathan reveals his best XII of IPL 2025; Shreyas Iyer to lead the elite team

Season-by-season list of POTM winners

• 2008 – Yusuf Pathan (Rajasthan Royals)
• 2009 – Anil Kumble (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)
• 2010 – Suresh Raina (Chennai Super Kings)
• 2011 – Murali Vijay (Chennai Super Kings)
• 2012 – Manvinder Bisla (Kolkata Knight Riders)
• 2013 – Kieron Pollard (Mumbai Indians)
• 2014 – Manish Pandey (Kolkata Knight Riders)
• 2015 – Rohit Sharma (Mumbai Indians)
• 2016 – Ben Cutting (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
• 2017 – Krunal Pandya (Mumbai Indians)
• 2018 – Shane Watson (Chennai Super Kings)
• 2019 – Jasprit Bumrah (Mumbai Indians)
• 2020 – Trent Boult (Mumbai Indians)
• 2021 – Faf du Plessis (Chennai Super Kings)
• 2022 – Hardik Pandya (Gujarat Titans)
• 2023 – Devon Conway (Chennai Super Kings)
• 2024 – Mitchell Starc (Kolkata Knight Riders)
• 2025 – Krunal Pandya (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)

Also READ: From Virat Kohli to Shreyas Iyer: Team of the tournament for IPL 2025

For latest cricket news & updates, visit CricketTimes.com.