Dubai: Indian skipper and batting mainstay Virat Kohli dominated the ICC annual awards Thursday clinching both the cricketer and captain of the year honours – a much expected windfall of accolades for his phenomenal run across all formats.
Kohli, who is currently leading India in an away Test series against South Africa, was named recipient of the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ‘Cricketer of the Year’ and also the ‘ODI Cricketer of the Year’. Besides he was picked the captain of both the ICC’s Test and ODI teams of 2017.
In the qualification period from September 21, 2016 to the end of 2017, Kohli scored 2,203 Test runs at an average of 77.80 including eight centuries, 1,818 ODI runs including seven centuries at 82.63, and 299 T20I runs at a strike rate of 153. He also captained India to the top of the ICC Test rankings.
“It means a lot to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for becoming the ICC Cricketer of the Year 2017 and also the ICC ODI Player of the Year,” Kohli was quoted as saying in an ICC statement.
“I won that back in 2012 also but it’s the first time winning the Garfield Sobers Trophy, and it’s a huge honour for me. It’s probably the biggest prize of all in world cricket and two Indians getting it back-to-back makes it more special,” he added. Last year Ravi Ashwin had won the award.
Apart from Kohli, there were four other Indians who were picked in the ICC’s Test and ODI teams of the Year. The Test team featured Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravichandran Ashwin while Jasprit Bumrah and Rohit Sharma found a place in the ODI side.
Australian skipper Steve Smith claimed the ‘Test Player of the Year’ award after scoring 1,875 runs in 16 matches at an average of 78.12, with eight hundreds and five 50s.
Kohli became the first non-South African since 2013 to win the ‘ODI Cricketer of the Year’ award since 2013. Quinton de Kock received the accolade for 2016 and AB de Villiers won it in 2014 and 2015.
Among other awards, Yuzvendra Chahal’s incredible haul of 6/25 against England in Bangalore last year, was named as Twenty20 International performance of the year.
Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan was adjudged ICC Associate Cricketer of the Year after taking 60 wickets in 2017 – a record for an associate player in a calendar year.
Awards Winners
Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year Virat Kohli
Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year Steve Smith
Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year Virat Kohli
Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year Hasan Ali
Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Year Rashid Khan
Men’s T20I Performance of the Year Yuzvendra Chahal
Press Trust of India