Former Indian cricket team captain and star batsman Virat Kohli has been named as ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the year 2023. This is the fourth time that Kohli has won the ICC ODI cricketer of the year award. He was conferred the honour in 2012, then in 2017, 2018 in a row and now in 2023. Kohli has become the first cricketer to win ICC’s ODI player of year award four times. With this win, Kohli has become the first player to win 10 ICC awards.
“The Indian batter had a superb year with the bat, culminating in a record tally of runs at the home World Cup, where his contributions played a major part in India’s run to the final,” the ICC said while announcing the award. In ODIs, Kohli smashed 1377 runs, took 1 wicket and 12 catches in 27 matches in 2023.
After his stunning comeback in 2022, Kohli continued his resurgence with an outstanding 2023, showcasing peak performance in ODIs. He concluded the year with a remarkable Player of the Tournament display at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. Batting at No 3, Kohli scored at least a half-century in nine out of his 11 innings during the World Cup, amassing an incredible 765 runs.
This achievement marked the highest individual run total in a men’s Cricket World Cup, surpassing the previous record set by Sachin Tendulkar in 2003. Kohli’s tournament averages included an impressive 95.62, and he maintained a strike rate of 90.31. His exceptional performance featured three centuries, including one in the semi-final against New Zealand.