Indian cricket team skipper Virat Kohli ran riot in the ICC Awards for 2017 where he bagged numerous awards including The Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, for the overall World Cricketer of the Year.
Kohli has been in tremendous form off late and 2017 helped him achieve enormous success both individually and team work where he led India to new heights. The mesmerising player dominated world cricket with a lot of character and grit and stomped his authority against every opposition he faced.
Besides the Cricketer Of The Year Award, he also bagged the ODI Player of the Year and the best captain in both Tests and ODIs. Interestingly he took over the Player of the Year Award from Ravichandran Ashwin, who bagged the same for his performances in 2016. The 29-year-old also helped his team reach atop of the ICC Test Team Rankings to cap a benchmark in the sport.
Here is a look at the statistics of Virat Kohli in the qualification period from September 21, 2016 to the end of 2017.
Tests: Runs – 2,203, Average – 77.80, Tons – 8, Highest Score – 243
ODIs: Runs – 1818, Average – 82.63, Tons – 7, Highest Score – 131
T20Is: Runs 229, Strike Rate – 153, Half centuries – 2, Highest Score – 82
ICC Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy
🏆🇮🇳 Virat KohliWith India flying high at the top of the rankings, @imVkohli scored 2203 Test runs at 77.80 (eight 💯s), 1818 ODI runs at 82.63 (seven 💯s), and 299 T20I runs at a strike rate of 153.
More ➡️ https://t.co/6ITiEAJEVn#ICCAwards pic.twitter.com/D9qOFCodIk
— ICC (@ICC) January 18, 2018
Kohli went past former Australian captain and legend Ricky Ponting to second place in the all-time ODI centurion list with his 31st hundred that came against New Zealand in Mumbai in October last year. During the course of 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.
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 run-machine regained the No 1 spot on the ICC rankings for ODI batsmen with 889 rating points, the best ever by an Indian cricketer. He also became the fourth player in the history of the game to be named captain of both ODI & Test teams.
2004 – Ricky Ponting, 2007 – Ricky Ponting, 2009 – MS Dhoni, 2017 – Virat Kohli
Kohli’s rise in stature both as a skipper and a batsman was a treat for fans all around the globe. He led the Indian team to Test series victories in series against New Zealand, England, Australia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka during this period. India dominated the Test arena in Asia as Kohli bagged a host of double tons besides hitting a landmark in ODIs too.
Kohli acknowledged the efforts and stated it was an honour to win the Garfield Sobers Trophy for the first time. He said to the ICC’s official site that, “It means a lot to win 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,” he said.
“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 of all in world cricket and two Indians getting it back-to-back makes it more special.”
Honour for Steve Smith
Besides Kohli, another member of the ‘Fab Four’ was presented with a prestigious honour. Australian captain Steve Smith bagged the ICC Test Player of the Year award to show why he is the best in business in the longest format of the game. The Ashes victory was a feather in the cap in what was a stellar campaign for Smith. The best Test batsman had won the award back in 2015 as well.
Tests: Runs – 1875, Average – 78.12, Tons – 8, Highest Score – 239
ICC Test Cricketer of the Year
🏆🇦🇺 Steve SmithThe Ashes were merely the culmination of an incredible year @stevesmith49. In the award qualifying period, he played 16 Tests, scoring 1875 runs at 78.12, with eight 💯s and five 50s!
More ➡️ https://t.co/K3qNCgOlG6#ICCAwards pic.twitter.com/8vcjHyl8CP
— ICC (@ICC) January 18, 2018
It’s the first time since 2011 that the winner of the Test player of the year award was not also crowned cricketer of the year. Smith and Kohli led their teams out with success and batted like champions. Smith’s form in the Ashes was a dream run as he bagged the man-of-the-series for an impressive outing with the bat.
The Aussies have dominated the Test scenario in the ICC Awards with four players winning the prize in the last five years. Smith has held the No. 1 rankings in Tests for two years now and does not seem to lose it at any cost. Smith said, “It’s a great honour to win the Test Player of the Year award. It’s called Test cricket for a reason and I’m very humbled to win that award. I’ve had a really good year – I think I’ve scored six hundreds in the year and more importantly led the team to an Ashes victory.”
ICC AWARD WINNERS FOR 2017
* Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year — Virat Kohli (India)
* Test Cricketer of the Year — Steve Smith (Australia)
* ODI Cricketer of the Year — Virat Kohli (India)
* Emerging Cricketer of the Year — Hasan Ali (Pakistan)
* Associate Cricketer of the Year — Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)
* T20I Performance of the Year — Yuzvendra Chahal (6-25 v England) (India)
* David Shepherd Trophy for ICC Umpire of the Year — Marais Erasmus