Virat Kohli bagged all top three ICC Awards – the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year, the ICC Men’s Test Player of the Year and the ICC ODI Player of the Year – for his performances in 2018, it was announced on Tuesday (January 22). In addition, the India captain was also named the captain of the ICC Test Team and the ODI Team of 2018.
Kohli became the first player to win all three awards together after accumulating 1322 runs from 13 Tests, 1202 from 14 ODIs and 211 from T20Is. “It feels amazing. 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,” he said.
“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.”
Kohli had won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year last year as well but went on to better his performances. He had also bagged the ODI player of the year award in 2012 and 2017. Kagiso Rabada came close to challenging Kohli’s award for ICC Player of the Year and the Test player of the year while Rashid Khan threatened to take away the ICC ODI player of the year award from the India captain before falling short.
Rishabh Pant was named the ICC Emerging Player of the Year while Calum MacLeod won the ICC Associate Player of the Year. Aaron Finch, who smashed 172 against Zimbabwe in Harare in July last year, won the T20I Performance of the Year. Williamson was also awarded the ICC Spirit of Cricket award while Kumar Dharmasena was named the Umpire of the Year.
MacLeod’s century against Afghanistan in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier and then his 140 in Scotland’s win over England tilted the jury in his favour. ” It is a huge honour to win the ICC Associate Player of the Year award. It has been a really special year for me personally. I thank the ICC, Cricket Scotland, my team-mates and all the fans to making it a year I won’t forget,” he said.
