3 players who won the Player of the Match award in their final ODI

In cricket, being named Player of the Match is a significant achievement for any player. The organizers present the trophy to the top performer in the game, a player who helped his team win the game. 

However, it is uncommon for a player to complete his career as Player of the Match. If a player decides to retire or if the team decides to release him, it signifies that his playing days are numbered. But some of the players have signed off in great style by giving performances that earned them the Player of the Match award.

This kept the fans wondering whether the player bid goodbye at the right time, or whether the decision to drop them for good was the right one. Today, we take a look at some players who finished their career on high with a Player of the Match award.

Here are the Top 3 Players who won the Player of the Match in their final ODI:

3. Desmond Haynes

One of the best openers West Indies produced in their prime during the 1980s, Desmond Haynes had a fulfilling career that began in 1978 and ended in 1994. He played 116 Tests, scoring 7487 runs with 18 centuries and in 238 ODIs, made 8648 runs with a the-then record 17 centuries. 

Haynes was a prolific century-maker in the initial years of ODI cricket and was the first to 8,000 runs in the format. He scored a century on his ODI debut in 1978, making 148 against Australia with 16 fours and 2 sixes. He continued this form throughout his career and was part of West Indies’ 1979 World Cup winning squad.

Haynes played his final ODI game in 1994 against England in Trinidad and signed off with 115 runs with 14 fours to his name, becoming the first batter to score hundreds in both his debut and final ODI matches. He also won the Player of the Match in both instances.