The one player in the match who has outperformed everyone else who played on that given day is declared the man of the match. He can be from either the winning team or the losing team. Usually the batsman who scored the most runs or the bowler who got the most wickets would be an obvious choice for the man of the match awared

Typically the commentators for that match would decide who the man of the match is.

If you observe lot of times it is said that the commentators had a tough time picking the man of the match, in tight matches, but we have chosen XXXX as the man of the match.

In a few other cases, the match referee and the umpires also are in the man of the match voting panel.

Sachin Tendulkar was the man of the match in India Pakistan semi final match 2011.

20 Man of the match awards.

afridi

Geoff Hurst was man of the match for a hat-rick