3 Indians who won consecutive Player of the Match awards in T20 World Cup history ft. Jasprit Bumrah

Team India scripted a spectacular comeback win in their second game of the 2024 T20 World Cup against Pakistan in New York on June 9. After scoring a sub-par 119 in their batting essay, the bowlers stepped up to the party and delivered the goods to restrict Pakistan to 113/7 in 20 overs.

The six-run win took India to the top of the Group A points table with four points in two games. While several players contributed to their cause in the two wins, ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah stood the tallest.

In India's tournament opener against Ireland, the 30-year-old produced incredible figures of 2/6 in 3 overs. It left the Men in Blue with a run-chase of only 97, a target easily achieved by eight wickets.

Fast forward to the Pakistan clash and Bumrah rose to the occasion again with figures of 3/14 in 4 overs. His stellar bowling display included the massive wickets of Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam as India fought back in the closing stages to pull off a nail-biting victory.

Bumrah was adjudged the Player of the Match in both the Ireland and Pakistan games, a sensational achievement in itself. Winning the Player of the Match award in consecutive T20 World Cup games is no mean feat, yet, it has been achieved by three other Indian players before.

Let us take a look at who the other three Indian cricketers are to be awarded the Player of the Match award in consecutive T20 World Cup encounters.

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#1 Amit Mishra - 2014 T20 World Cup

Mishra enjoyed a terrific run in the 2014 T20 World Cup.

Not sure how many would have skipped names like Yuvraj Singh and Virat Kohli and guessed Amit Mishra to be the first name on this list. Yet, the now 41-year-old was India's star in their opening two wins of the 2014 T20 World Cup.

In the first game against Pakistan at Dhaka, Mishra bowled a miserly spell of 2/22 in four overs. His wickets of Ahmed Shehzad and Shoaib Malik when they were well-set on 22 and 18 helped restrict Pakistan to a below-par 130/7 in 20 overs.

India completed the chase in the 19th over with seven wickets in hand as Mishra won the Player of the Match honors.

Following the Pakistan clash, the 2007 champions took on the West Indies in their next encounter at the same venue. Riding high on his heroics from the previous game, Mishra enjoyed another terrific spell of 2/18 in 4 overs to restrict the then-defending champions to 129/7 in 20 overs.

The Indians completed the run-chase once again without much trouble by seven wickets, helping Mishra win back-to-back Player of the Match awards.

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#2 Ravichandran Ashwin - 2014 T20 World Cup

Ashwin wrecked the Bangladesh innings with his skill and guile.

If the leg-spin of Amit Mishra took centerstage in India's opening two wins of the 2014 T20 World Cup, Ravichandran Ashwin's off-spin took the baton in the following two encounters.

After the Pakistan and West Indies victories, Team India faced off against hosts Bangladesh in a highly-anticipated clash at Dhaka. However, Ashwin immediately set the Tigers back with the massive wicket of Tamim Iqbal in the 4th over.

The wily spinner then removed Shamsur Rahman off the very next delivery to reduce Bangladesh to 20/2. The early wickets proved pivotal as Bangladesh finished with a paltry 138/7 in 20 overs.

India brushed aside another straightforward run-chase in the 19th over with eight wickets in hand. Ashwin won the Player of the Match award and took his form to India's next match against the mighty Australians.

On this occasion, MS Dhoni's side finally batted first and posted a competitive 159/7 in their 20 overs.

However, it was the Ashwin show again as the off-spinner displayed his versatility by running through the Aussies with the new and old ball. The now-37-year-old dismissed the dangerous opening pair of Aaron Finch and David Warner for his first two wickets.

Ashwin then effectively ended the Aussie hopes by outfoxing Glenn Maxwell and cleaning him up for 23 off 12. The champion spinner finished with sensational figures of 4/11 in 3.2 overs as India finished the group stage unbeaten.

Ashwin won a second straight Player of the Match award after Mishra's similar heroics in the opening two games of India's campaign.

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#3 Ravindra Jadeja - 2021 T20 World Cup

Jadeja provided Indian fans something to cheer about in an otherwise dismal 2021 campaign.

Make it three out of three for the Indian spinners, with Ravindra Jadeja joining Amit Mishra and Ravichandran Ashwin to win back-to-back Player of the Match awards in a T20 World Cup.

In what was an otherwise disappointing campaign, Jadeja helped India finish the 2021 T20 World Cup in style. His figures of 3/15 in their penultimate league stage outing against Scotland meant the batters had to only chase 86 for victory.

They achieved that in a mere 6.3 overs, earning Jadeja the Player of the Match award.

The left-arm spinner produced almost identical figures in the final game of the tournament against Namibia. Jadeja finished 3/16 in 4 overs as India restricted their opposition to 132 and raced through to a nine-wicket win.

A second three-wicket haul meant Jadeja was the Player of the Match in consecutive outings, the last time the feat had been achieved by an Indian before Bumrah.