Upul Tharanga leads the way in ICC Champions Trophy Man of the Tournament competition

With nine matches remaining in the ICC Champions Trophy 2006, Sri Lankan opening batsman Upul Tharanga sits on top of the player of the tournament table. With his two centuries in the preliminary round games against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, coupled with 56 against Pakistan in Jaipur last week, Tharanga has been enjoying rich form in India. In five innings so far, he has scored 309 runs at an average of 61.80 and a strike-rate above 80.

After each game the ICC Match Referee selects his top three players in order. The man of the tournament is selected by an aggregate of points accrued during the various stages of the tournament. Accordingly, the man of the match receives three points, second best player receives two points and third best man gets one.

Tharanga currently leads the field with seven points and he can add to that tally with a good performance against South Africa in Ahmedabad tomorrow. He is closely pursued by West Indian all-rounder Chris Gayle who has so far received six points. Gayle has been in form with both bat and ball, not least when he scored an unbeaten 104 against Bangladesh in Jaipur.

Next on the table is Gayle's young West Indian team-mate, fast bowler Jerome Taylor, whose stellar performances have included a hat-trick against Australia in Mumbai last Wednesday, the first by a West Indian in an ODI. The 22-year-old is on four points, level with Bangladesh's Sakib al Hasan, whose side did not progress through the preliminary round.

With a long way to go in the tournament, there is still plenty of time for other players to catch up. The chasing bunch, currently on three points, includes such proven performers as Damien Martyn, Stephen Fleming, Abdul Razzaq, Muttiah Muralidaran and Munaf Patel.

At the end of the ICC Champions Trophy 2006, if there is a tie for the man of the tournament award, a count-back system will apply. The player who has won the most man of the match awards throughout the tournament will be adjudged the winner. If it is still tied then it will go to the man who has received the most second places during the tournament.

7
Upul Tharanga (SL)

6
Chris Gayle (WI)

4
Jerome Taylor (WI), Sakibul Hasan (Bang).

3
Damien Martyn (Aus), Muttiah Muralidaran (SL), Runako Morton (WI), Abdul Razzaq (Pak), Stephen Fleming (NZ), Munaf Patel (Ind), Kumar Sangakkara (SL), Shahriar Nafees (Bang), Farveez Maharoof (SL).

2
Daniel Vettori (NZ), Shoaib Malik (Pak), Kyle Mills (NZ), Irfan Pathan (Ind), Dwayne Bravo (WI), Sanath Jayasuriya (SI), Mitchell Johnson (Aus).

1
Adam Gilchrist (Aus), Imran Farhat (Pak), Jacob Oram (NZ), Ramesh Powar (Ind), Dwayne Smith (WI), Lasith Malinga (SL), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI), Brendon Taylor (Zim), Mahela Jayawardene (SL), Shane Watson (Aus).

7 Oct - Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 37 runs in Mohali
8 Oct - West Indies beat Zimbabwe by nine wickets in Ahmedabad
10 Oct - Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe by 144 runs in Ahmedabad
11 Oct - West Indies beat Bangladesh by 10 wickets in Jaipur
13 Oct - Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by 101 runs in Jaipur
14 Oct - Sri Lanka beat West Indies by nine wickets in Mumbai

15 Oct - India beat England by 4 wickets in Jaipur
16 Oct - New Zealand beat South Africa by 87 runs in Mumbai
17 Oct - Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 4 wickets in Jaipur
18 Oct - West Indies beat Australia by 10 runs in Mumbai
20 Oct - Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by 7 wickets in Mumbai
21 Oct - Australia beat England by 6 wickets in Jaipur