Top 5 oldest players to win a POTM Award in the IPL ft. MS Dhoni

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni stole the show against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL 2025 clash on Monday, April 14. MS Dhoni led CSK to a five-wicket win to end their five-match losing streak.

The CSK skipper won the Player of the Match (POTM) award for his match-winning knock during the chase, his 18th such award in IPL history.

Dhoni also became the oldest recipient of the honor in IPL history. Here's a look at the five oldest players to have won the POTM award in the cash-rich league:

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#5 Chris Gayle

Kings XI Punjab And Rajasthan Royals Practice Session In Jaipur - Source: Getty

One of the best T20 batters ever, Chris Gayle won the POTM award 22 times in IPL history, the second most by any player. His last POTM award came during the 2020 season, at the age of 41 years and 35 days, playing for Punjab Kings against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Punjab were chasing 150 to win the game after bowling first. Chris Gayle, batting at number three, smashed a 29-ball 51, which included two fours and five sixes at a strike-rate of 175.86. His knock helped Punjab win the contest by eight wickets.

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#4 Adam Gilchrist

Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings - IPL 2012 - Source: Getty

Former Australian wicket-keeper batter Adam Gilchrist is the fourth oldest player to have won a POTM award in the IPL. In his 80-match IPL career, Gilchrist won the award seven times. His last award came in the 2013 season, when he was playing for Punjab Kings at the age of 41 years and 181 days.

Gilchrist scored an unbeaten 85 off 41 balls at a strike-rate of 157.41 against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, helping his team chase a target of 175 with seven wickets to spare.

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#3 Shane Warne

Rajasthan Royals team - Source: Getty

Shane Warne was the first captain to win the IPL trophy when he led Rajasthan Royals to the title in the 2008 season. He was the POTM award four times in the IPL. He last won the award in 2011 at the age of 41 years and 223 days.

Playing for the Royals against Kochi Tuskers Kerala in the 2011 season, Warne led from the front with the ball. He bagged three wickets and gave away just 16 runs from his four overs, restricting Kochi to 109 runs. RR comfortably chased the target in 14.1 overs with eight wickets in hand.

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#2 Pravin Tambe

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots v Trinbago Knight Riders - 2020 Hero Caribbean Premier League - Source: Getty

Leg-spinner Pravin Tambe had a short yet memorable IPL career. In his 33 games, he won the POTM award twice. His best performances came while playing for the Rajasthan Royals.

In a clash against the Kolkata Knight Riders during the 2014 season, Tambe, playing for Rajasthan, picked up three wickets from his four overs and conceded just 26 runs. It was a match-winning spell as Rajasthan successfully defend a total of 170 against Kolkata. Aged 43 years and 60 days, he was awarded the POTM for this display.

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#1 MS Dhoni

2025 IPL - Lucknow Super Giants v Chennai Super Kings - Source: Getty

Aged 43 years and 281 days, MS Dhoni broke Tambe's record to become the oldest player to win the POTM in IPL history. This was MS Dhoni's 18th POTM in the IPL, which put him on par with Virat Kohli, who has also won the award 18 times.

CSK were chasing 167 for a win against LSG. It was a crucial game as they had suffered five consecutive defeats heading into this encounter. MS Dhoni played a short yet important cameo at the end of their chase, smashing an unbeaten 26 off just 11 balls, hitting four boundaries and a six at a strike-rate of 236.36. CSK won the game by five wickets in the end.