In Cricket, every team needs a match-winner to win the games. Match winners play a crucial role in winning the matches for their teams. Many players win some matches for their teams. But only a few players can do that consistently. These players can perform in big games and intense situations and are known as the clutch players. So, here's a list of the ten most prominent clutch players in Cricket.
1. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is one of the best batsmen in the history of Cricket. No batter in modern Cricket is near him, as he scores runs in every format with equal consistency. But Virat Kohli loves to score runs in very tough situations. In every knockout game, he has scored crucial runs. No one can forget his unbelievable innings of 183 and 82 against Pakistan. In a semi-final against New Zealand, Virat Kohli recently broke the record for the most centuries in ODI cricket. Undoubtedly, he is one of the most prominent clutch players in Cricket.
2. Ben Stokes
In modern-day Cricket, Ben Stokes is one of the biggest all-rounders in England. After the 2016 final, he appeared to be the biggest match-winner for England. Ben Stokes has performed in every format of the game. In the 2019 finals, he played an unimaginable match-winning inning against New Zealand. In 2019 ashes, Ben Stokes fought alone and won the match for his team. Even in the 2022 finals, he scored crucial runs against Pakistan. Ben Stokes is one of the rare players who can perform in challenging situations.
3. Shane Watson
Shane Watson is one of the best all-rounders in the history of Australian Cricket. He was a 3D player who could perform with BatBat, bowl, and fielding. Shane Watson could perform in knockout matches and has done it many times. In the 2005 Champions trophy finals, Shane Watson was the man of the game as he helped his team to win the trophy. After losing three wickets in a 2015 quarter-final, Shane Watson built a partnership with Steve Smith and won the knockout match for Australia.
4. Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir is one of the most underrated cricket players in the Indian cricket history. He is one of the players who did not get his due credit, as he is one of the most prominent clutch players in Cricket. Gautam Gambhir has performed and scored match-winning runs for India at every big stage. In the 2007 finals, he scored 75 against Pakistan, and in the 2011 finals, Gautam played a match-winning inning of 97 runs. Significantly, only some players can perform in big matches, and he has always performed in challenging situations.
5. Javed Miandad
Javed Miandad is one of the greatest batsmen that Pakistan has ever produced. He was one of the most formidable batsmen with strong mental strength. There are many unbelievable matches that Javed Miandad won for Pakistan. In the 1986 Austral-Asia Cup final against India, he played one of the most significant clutch innings in Cricket and hit the last ball-winning six. In the 1992 World Cup, Javed Miandad scored crucial runs in knockouts. He even scored half-centuries in both knockout games of the 1992 World Cup.
6. Trent Boult
New Zealand has always been an underrated team. But this team has always managed to be one of the most consistent teams in ICC tournaments. One of the main reasons for their success is New Zealand's bowling, and Trent Boult is the backbone of their bowling lineup. In every big tournament, he has performed. In the 2015 World Cup, Trent Boult had 22 wickets, significantly taking his team to the finals. In the 2021 World Test Championship, Trent Boult played a crucial part for his team.
7. MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni is one of the biggest brands in Cricket. He is the only captain to win all three ICC trophies and one of the best finishers in cricket history. Undoubtedly, MS Dhoni is one of the most prominent clutch players in Cricket, as he knows how to perform in intense situations and under pressure. There are many matches which MS Dhoni has finished in the last overs. Whenever the Indian top order used to collapse, MS Dhoni used to build a crucial partnership with bowlers. He has won many intense matches for India.
8. Shane Warne
There was a time when Australia used to be an impeccable team that was unbeaten, and Shane Warne was part of that team. No batter wanted to face him then, as he could turn the ball from every zone. Shane Warne had also performed in big and intense matches. In the 1999 World Cup finals, Shane Warne was the man of the game for Australia. Till now, he has the most wickets in the Ashes series. Undoubtedly, Shane Warne is one of the most prominent clutch players in Cricket.
9. Marlon Samuels
Marlon Samuels is a former right-handed batsman from the West Indies. Even though West Indies cricket is famous for giving many strong batters, Marlon Samuels has been the most significant clutch player for West Indies. At every big stage, he has played match-winning innings for his team. Marlon Samuels was the man of the match in both T20 finals for West Indies. In 2012 and 2016, he played crucial match innings, which helped West Indies to win the T20I World Cup.
10. Hardik Pandya
Indian current all-rounder Hardik Pandya is one of the most important players for team India as he can perform under intense pressure. In the 2017 Champions trophy finals, Hardik Pandya fought alone for the victory. In the 2022 World Cup, Hardik Pandya built a crucial partnership with Virat against Pakistan. He stayed in the crease in every pressure match and scored runs for India.
