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

The Indian skipper Virat Kohli has won the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year award for his astonishing achievements in last 16 months in the format. He has been prolific in the coloured clothing winning the games single-handedly for his country. The likes of Hasan Ali, Rashid Khan and Rohit Sharma were also nominated for the award but it seems that the judges could not overlook Kohli’s with the bat.

While Hasan Ali has been the key to Pakistan’s juggernaut in the limited overs format last year, Rashid Khan also spun the web around the batsmen with his magical leg-spin bowling. Rohit Sharma owned last few months of ODI cricket at home also scoring the third double hundred of his career. However, it was Virat Kohli who reigned supreme over all these players due to his unbelievable records.

Kohli – the master of run-chases

The official Twitter handle of International Cricket Council (ICC) revealed the news of Virat Kohli winning the prestigious award in the limited overs format. All the achievements during the period between 21 September 2016 and 31 December 2017 were taken into consideration. The 29-year-old is already being termed as the greatest ever ODI player as he has smashed 32 centuries and the record of 49 tons created by the master blaster Sachin Tendulkar is well and truly in his sights.

The Indian captain passed the three-figure mark as many as six times last year at an amazing average of 76.84. Even his career average of 55.74 in the format is currently the highest ever among the full-member nations with the strike rate of almost 100. Moreover, he is the master of run-chases and guns down the runs nonchalantly while batting second. He averages 65.29 when India is chasing which goes up to a whopping 93.64 in the successful run-chases.

Virat Kohli has reclaimed this award after winning it for the first time in 2014 at an early age of 24. He would be eager to continue churning runs in the same way as 2018 brings more challenges to him with the team set to be on the road for the major part of the year.

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