ICC Awards 2017: Virat Kohli named ICC Cricketer of the Year

Virat Kohli was named ICC’s ODI player of the year in the recent ICC Awards 2017. The Indian captain has been in sublime throughout the year and produced scintillating performances with the bat. Kohli managed to win the trophy way back in 2012 but since taking over the captaincy, he has become run-machine in all three formats of the game. He smashed seven centuries at a mind-boggling average of 78.8 and scored 1,460 runs in the year 2017 followed by Rohit Sharma who managed to score 1,293 runs.

Virat Kohli was nominated alongside Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, Pakistan’s Hasan Ali and England’s Joe Root. He has been stupendous and has an average of 55.7 in limited-overs cricket for India. He has scored 9,030 runs with 32 centuries to his name in one-day cricket. The 29-year old was named the captain of the ICC ODI side for the year 2017 that included team-mates Jaspreet Bumrah and Rohit Sharma.

The year 2017 proved to be a special one as Virat Kohli as bagged Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy. He was named ICC Cricketer of the year in the ICC Awards 2017. He became the fourth Indian player to win the trophy beside Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and Ravichandran Ashwin. Kohli managed to win the prize as nominated alongside Kane Williamson, James Anderson, and Steven Smith. Kohli’s numbers have been staggering in Test cricket, scoring 2,203 runs with seven hundred to his name during this time. The Indian captain has been in sublime form across all three formats for his side and will be keen to do the same in the coming season. Kohli will be keen to do well with the bat in overseas Test series in South Africa, England, and Australia.

Virat Kohli has now won ICC ODI Player of the year on two occasions and is just one behind AB De Villiers, who has won the award for a record three times since its inception in 2004.