India’s Virat Kohli was awarded the ‘Player of the Tournament’ for his extraordinary display in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, where he breached the 700-mark, breaking the record for the most runs by a batter in a single World Cup edition.
Kohli scored 765 runs in 11 innings in this tournament, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s previous record of 673 runs in the 2003 edition.
He was presented with the ‘Player of the Tournament’ medal by BCCI President Roger Binny.
The 35-year-old legend concluded the World Cup with an astounding average of 95.62 and a strike rate of 90.31. He amassed three centuries in matches against Bangladesh, South Africa in the league stage, and New Zealand in the semi-finals.
Kohli’s third century of the 2023 World Cup and his 50th ODI ton came in the semi-final against the Kiwis, at Tendulkar’s home ground, the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Reflecting on his achievement after his crucial 117 runs in the semi-final, Kohli remarked, ‘This all feels like a dream.’
In the final, Kohli contributed with a stabilizing knock of 54 runs off 63 balls. However, Australia proved to be a bit too good for the hosts, clinching their 6th World Cup title after stunning India by 6 wickets.
This ‘Player of the Tournament’ accolade marked Kohli’s third ICC award. He previously won the best player title in the 2014 and 2016 T20 World Cups.
With the next ODI World Cup scheduled for 2027, it will be interesting to see if Virat Kohli is able to hang around till then or not.