Virat Kohli’s standing as the world’s best cricket player has been confirmed after the India captain won a clean sweep at the International Cricket Council (ICC) awards.
The 30-year-old became the first player to win the three major ICC awards - Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for Cricketer of the Year, Men’s Test Player of the Year, One-Day International Player of the Year - and was also named captain of the Test and ODI teams of the year.
In 2018 Kohli scored 1,322 runs in 13 Tests, which included five centuries during the calendar year. In 14 one-day internationals (ODIs) he scored 1,202 runs with six hundreds. Kohli is currently the top-ranking Test player in the world and India are the No.1 team.
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“It feels amazing,” he said. “It’s a reward for all the hard work that you do throughout the calendar year. I feel really grateful and very, very happy with the team doing well at the same time myself performing.
“Having recognition at the global level from the ICC is something you feel proud of as a cricketer because you understand that there are many players playing the game.
“To be rewarded in this manner from amongst all of them is obviously a very proud moment for me and something that gives you more motivation to keep repeating the same things because you have to keep the standard of cricket up and keep bringing in consistent performances. From that point of view, these awards give you that extra motivation.”
England captain Joe Root and his team-mates Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes were named in the ODI team of the year.
ICC men’s Test team of the year (in batting order)
- 1. Tom Latham (New Zealand)
- 2. Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka)
- 3. Kane Williamson (New Zealand)
- 4. Virat Kohli (India, captain)
- 5. Henry Nicholls (New Zealand)
- 6. Rishabh Pant (India, wicketkeeper)
- 7. Jason Holder (West Indies)
- 8. Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)
- 9. Nathan Lyon (Australia)
- 10. Jasprit Bumrah (India)
- 11. Mohammad Abbas (Pakistan)
ICC men’s ODI team of the year (in batting order)
- 1. Rohit Sharma (India)
- 2. Jonny Bairstow (England)
- 3. Virat Kohli (India, captain)
- 4. Joe Root (England)
- 5. Ross Taylor (New Zealand)
- 6. Jos Buttler (England, wicketkeeper)
- 7. Ben Stokes (England)
- 8. Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh)
- 9. Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)
- 10. Kuldeep Yadav (India)
- 11. Jasprit Bumrah (India)
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