Virat Kohli To Lead ICC's ODI Team Of 2019
Updated - 15 Jan 2020, 01:29 PM
Virat Kohli has been named the captain of ICC’s ODI team of the year for 2019. Kohli, who led India to the semi-final of World Cup 2019 and a 2-1 ODI series victory over Australia Down Under, had ended 2019 with 1377 runs, second highest in the year. He scored five centuries and seven half-centuries during that period.
Also Read: Virat Kohli Wins 2019 ICC Spirit of Cricket Award
India’s Rohit Sharma and West Indies’ Shai Hope have been picked as openers. With 1490 runs, Rohit was the highest run-scorer in 2019. He struck record five centuries in World Cup 2019. Hope, 2019’s third-highest run-scorer, had scored 1345 runs in 26 innings. The right-handed batsman had scored four centuries and eight half-centuries.
Pakistan’s T20I captain Babar Azam has also made to the ICC’s ODI squad. He had finished the year with 1092 runs at 60.66. The 25-year-old is also in line to take over as Pakistan’s ODI captain later this year.
New Zealand’s captain Kane Williamson has also made it to the squad. He led the Blackcaps to the final of World Cup 2019, where they lost to hosts England on boundary count. Williamson played a pivotal role in his team’s success during the year by scoring 948 runs at 59.25.
Ben Stokes was an automatic choice in the squad. The England all-rounder had scored unbeaten 84 of 98 balls in the final of World Cup. He also had great run in the longest format.
Also Read: Rohit Sharma Denies Virat Kohli A Hat-trick, Named ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year
His teammate Jos Buttler pipped the likes of MS Dhoni, Quinton de Kock, Mushfiqur Rahim and others to get selected as the wicketkeeper-batsman of ICC’s team.
The apex board selected three frontline pacers in the squad in form of Mitchell Starc (27 wickets), Trent Boult (38 wickets) and 2019’s highest wicket-taker, Mohammed Shami (42 wickets). Kuldeep Yadav, one of the two spinners in top 10 highest wicket-takers of the year, was the sole spinner In the ICC’s squad. He had finished 2019 with 32 scalps in 23 matches.
Here is ICC’s ODI squad of 2019 –
Rohit Sharma, Shai Hope, Virat Kohli (Captain), Babar Azam, Kane Williamson, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Mitchell Starc, Trent Boult, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav
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Rohit Sharma Virat Kohli
