Cricket is not just about winning matches, but the trophies they represent, which the players thrive to win, show the dedication of players on the pitch, with some iconic trophies like the World Cup or the ashes. Still, there were times when the trophies were very unusual, so that we can have a look at the top 10 most unusual cricket trophies and awards.
1. The 2018 Tuc Cup
This was a T-20i series between Australia and Pakistan in the UAE, led by Aaron Finch and Sarfaraz Ahmed, respectively. The trophy had a biscuit on it, as the series was sponsored by a TUC. Pakistan won the series by whitewashing Australia, with Babar Azam winning the player of the series.
2. Coca-Cola Cup 1998
This was a tri-series involving India, Australia, and New Zealand, with India winning the finals. This is the same series where the legendary Sharjah sandstorm innings by Sachin Tendulkar arrived, and with the help of Tendulkar’s 134, India beat Australia by six wickets. This trophy was not appreciated by Mohammed Azharuddin, as seen in the picture.
3. DLF Cup 2006
This was a two match ODI series between India and Pakistan, conducted in the UAE. The main motive behind this was to support the victims of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, as the revenue from this series was donated. DLF was the main sponsor of this series, with the trophy being huge. The figures at the bottom showcased different cricketing poses, with the top showing the country flags surrounded by three stumps and a globe.
4. Oye Hoye Cup 2018
This was a three-match test series between Pakistan and New Zealand, conducted in the UAE. This trophy came months after the biscuit trophy for which PCB was trolled, and this trophy was named the Oye Hoye Cup after the sponsor, a Pakistani snack manufacturer of the same name. New Zealand won the series 2-1, with Yasir Shah becoming the man of the series.
5. Moose Cup 2021
This was a two-match test series with England touring Sri Lanka in 2021. Moose Clothing Company was the title sponsor and was a fashion brand from Sri Lanka, and Moose used their logo on the trophy. This series was won by England as they whitewashed Sri Lanka, with Joe Root becoming the man of the series and thus creating this iconic picture.
6. The Compaq Cup 2009
This was a tri-series involving India, New Zealand, and the host country, Sri Lanka; it was sponsored by Compaq, to highlight their company's digital achievement, since it was the first digital trophy, complete with 3-D television sets and Zune. With the help of Tendulkar’s 138, India won the final by 46 runs, with Tendulkar being named the man of the series.
7. Half-acre Land
This was awarded to a player after winning man of the series in the GT20 Canada League. This is the Canadian T20 League, and for the last edition’s man of the series, Sherfane Rutherford, received half an acre of land as his team, the Montreal Tigers, won their maiden title. Rutherford scored 220 runs in 8 innings with an average of 44.
8. A Lawnmower
This was handed to Makhaya Ntini as South Africa toured Ireland in 2003, where Ntini played exceptionally returning with figures of 3/21, and the wickets included Jeremey Bray, Peter Gillespie, and Andre Botha. The match was sponsored by Vikings, which is a lawnmower manufacturing company, and for the man of the match award, they gave a lawnmower to Nitni, which he exchanged for some cash after the match.
9. Sunshine Snacks
This was a hamper of snacks that featured snacks from the sponsor Sunshine, and it was awarded to the player of the match in the Caribbean Premier League in the 2017 edition. This received a lot of backlash, as in the modern world, the fitness of players is very important if they want to be on top, and awards like this make it very ironic.
10. Mini Truck
India toured Sri Lanka in 2017 for 3 test matches, 5 ODIs, and 1 T20i. India did not lose any match in the series as they whitewashed Sri Lanka in every format, and during the ODI series, the player of the series got a mini truck, which was Jasprit Burmrah, as he took 15 wickets with an average of 11.27 during the series. After winning the award, MS Dhoni took every player for a ride on the ground.
