Former Indian Skipper Virat Kohli has been named the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year 2023. The Indian batsman had a fantastic 2023 with the bat. He scripted to his name several records and displayed a splendid performance at the World Cup in which he played a major role in taking India to the final.
Virat Kohli in ODI in 2023
Playing in 27 matches in 2023, Kohli made a total of 1377 runs. He also took 1 wicket and held 12 catches in 2023. He capped it off with the Player of the Tournament title at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
Virat scored at least a half-century in nine of his 11 innings in the World Cup and scored 765 runs during the entire World Cup, which is the highest score ever by an individual batsman in the Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Kohli finished the tournament with an average of 95.62 and a strike rate of 90.31, which included three centuries. He completed the record of 50 ODI centuries with his innings in the semi-final, making him the player with the highest number of centuries in ODI history.
Although he finished the tournament with another half-century in the final, it did not lead to a victory for India and the silence of the crowd after his dismissal in Ahmedabad in the final was proof of how important Kohli was to India’s chances of winning the title.
He finished the year with 1377 runs at an average of 72.47, registering six centuries and eight half-centuries in 24 innings.
Kohli gave his best performance in the World Cup in the semi-final knockout match against New Zealand. After the fall of Rohit Sharma’s wicket, Kohli came on the field and completed his record 50th century in the ODI format, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record.
Virat Kohli was among the four players shortlisted for the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year 2023 Award. Besides him, pacer Mohammed Shami, opener Shubman Gill and New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell were earlier running for the ICC award.