Kuldeep Yadav Named Player of the Match as Virat Kohli’s Century Goes Unrewarded in IND vs WI 1st ODI
Virat Kohli Scores 139* but Kuldeep Yadav Claims Player of the Match
Virat Kohli delivered a brilliant unbeaten 139 off 88 balls, hitting 10 fours and nine sixes, guiding India to chase down a 296-run target against West Indies at Greenfield International Cricket Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. India secured the win by eight wickets with 50 balls remaining, boosted by centuries from both Kohli and Shubman Gill.
Despite his outstanding performance with the bat, Kohli was overlooked for the Player of the Match award, which was given to Kuldeep Yadav. The left-arm spinner took 4 wickets for 40 runs in his 10 overs, helping to stem the West Indies innings after their strong start.
Kuldeep Yadav’s Impact Bowling Figures
Kuldeep’s four-wicket haul proved pivotal as he ended the dangerous 135-run opening partnership between Justin Greaves, who scored his maiden ODI century, and John Campbell, who contributed 62 runs. After breaking that partnership by dismissing Campbell, Kuldeep removed key batsmen including Shai Hope, Greaves, and Jewel Andrew, restricting the visitors to 295 for 7.
Who Decides the Player of the Match?
The Player of the Match is typically chosen by the commentary team, sometimes consulting on-field umpires and officials. There is no strict rule governing this decision, making it largely subjective. Batters often receive these awards, but in this match, the accolade went to a bowler despite Kohli’s match-winning hundred.
Reasons Behind Kuldeep's Selection
No official explanation was provided for selecting Kuldeep over Kohli. Yet, Kuldeep’s ability to halt the West Indies’ momentum after a flying start played a crucial role. His bowling disrupted a promising innings and helped keep the total under 300, which set the stage for India’s successful chase.
“I actually loved the batting from Shubman and Virat bhai; it was a special innings from them. It feels awkward to receive the Man of the Match award seeing the way Virat batted, it was an outstanding innings,” Kuldeep said during the post-match presentation.“I think personally I like my rhythm, to be very honest. I was very calm in my rhythm and just trying to bowl whatever I felt like bowling, just varying the pace, variations were superb, just reading the batters, where they’re going to hit me, and yeah, I bowled very, very, very good in rhythm.”
Fan and Expert Reactions
Kohli’s unbeaten 139 was a standout innings and one might have expected him to receive the award given his match-winning contribution. Some voices, including former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, have expressed dissatisfaction with how Player of the Match awards are allocated, especially when impactful bowlers get passed over despite game-changing spells.
Match Highlights Summary
- Virat Kohli: 139* runs off 88 balls, 10 fours, 9 sixes
- Shubman Gill: Scored a century
- Kuldeep Yadav: 4 wickets for 40 runs in 10 overs
- West Indies Total: 295/7
- Result: India won by 8 wickets
