ICC Awards: Virat Kohli Reclaims ODI Cricketer of the Year Award

India skipper Virat Kohli has been named the ODI Cricketer of the Year at the ICC awards function. It is the second time; the 29-year old has won the prestigious trophy. He first won the trophy in 2012.

Kohli winning the trophy also ended South Africa’s stronghold over the award. A South African had won the award for the ODI cricketer of the year since 2013. Quinton de Kock had bagged the award in 2016 while AB de Villiers won it in 2014 and 2015.

Kohli was adjudged the best ODI player of 2017 after his sublime performances in the 50-over format. The India batting star scored six tons in ODs last year, averaging an astonishing 76.84. He finished the year as the highest run-scorer in ODIs, scoring a staggering 1460 runs in just 26 matches.

Kohli began the year with a majestic knock of 122 from 105 balls to help India chase down England’s 350 in Pune in what was his first game as an ODI captain. He then finished the Champions Trophy as the fifth highest run-scorer in addition to leading India to the final. A century in West Indies soon followed before he hit back-to-back centuries against Sri Lanka in Colombo.

He was similarly prolific in last October’s ODI series versus New Zealand, hitting two tons in three innings.

ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year
??? Virat Kohli@imVkohli scored six tons in the format last year, averaging an astonishing 76.84.

His ODI career average now stands at 55.74, the highest ever by a batsman from a Full Member nation!

More ➡️ https://t.co/vVhi4ta9SR#ICCAwards pic.twitter.com/5QXA7vVumr

— ICC (@ICC) January 18, 2018

The first century against New Zealand helped Kohli go past former Australian captain Ricky Ponting to the second place in the all-time ODI centurion list with his 31st hundred. During his 32nd ODI century, again against New Zealand in Kanpur, Kohli became the fastest batsman to 9,000 ODI runs and the most successful captain in an ODI year, surpassing Ponting.

He also regained the No 1 spot on the ICC rankings for ODI batsmen with 889 rating points, the best by an Indian.

The India batting star had faced stiff competition from his compatriot Rohit Sharma, Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali and Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan but managed to come out on top.