New Delhi, June 29: Australian all-rounder Mitchell Owen is on the brink of equalling a remarkable T20 world record. With just one more ‘Player of the Match’ (POTM) award in the ongoing Major League Cricket (MLC) tournament, Owen will match Bangladesh legend Shakib Al Hasan’s feat of winning the most consecutive POTM awards in T20 cricket — five in a row.Currently representing Washington Freedom, Owen has already claimed four straight POTM titles, the latest coming against San Francisco Unicorns. Although he was dismissed for a golden duck, Owen made a massive impact with the ball, delivering a sensational spell of 5 for 17 to restrict the Unicorns to 157/9 in their chase of 170.
According to Wisden, one more standout performance will place Owen alongside Shakib in the T20 record books — both with five consecutive POTM honours, the joint-most in the format’s history.Owen’s golden run began against MI New York, where he scored a blistering 60 off just 26 deliveries (5 fours, 5 sixes) and claimed 1/29, helping his side chase down 189. He followed it up with a career-defining performance versus Texas Super Kings — taking 3/33 and then smashing 89 off 52 balls (8 fours, 5 sixes) in a 221-run chase. (Agencies)