Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Tuesday scripted history at the International Cricket Council (ICC) awards by winning all the top honours. He won 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.
ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year ✅
ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year ✅
ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year ✅
Captain of ICC Test Team of the Year ✅
Captain of ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year ✅Let’s hear from the man himself, @imvKohli! #ICCAwards 🏆 pic.twitter.com/3M2pxyC44n
— ICC (@ICC) January 22, 2019
It is the second time when Kohli has been named ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year. He won the award at the end of the calendar year 2017 too.
Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 🏆
ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year 🏆
ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year 🏆India’s superstar @imvKohli wins a hat-trick of prizes in the 2018 #ICCAwards!
➡️ https://t.co/ROBg6RI4aQ pic.twitter.com/MGB84Ct8S9
— ICC (@ICC) January 22, 2019
With the clean sweep at the ICC awards, the Indian captain on Tuesday also became first ever player to win all the awards. It is also the first time when Virat Kohli has been named ICC Test cricketer of the year in his decade long cricket career.
Last year, Kohli’s cricketing rival Steve Smith, who is currently serving one year ban imposed by Cricket Australia (CA) in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal of 2018, was named ICC Test cricketer as well captain of the ICC Test team of the year.
Kohli was also named skipper of both Test and One Day International (ODI) teams.
37 matches, 47 innings.
2,735 runs at an average of 68.37.
11 centuries, 9 fifties.What a year for @imvKohli! He wins the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2018! 🙌
➡️ https://t.co/ROBg6RI4aQ#ICCAwards 🏆 pic.twitter.com/oeSClhcfJQ
— ICC (@ICC) January 22, 2019
🇮🇳 @imvKohli has been named ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year for the first time!
He was the top run-scorer in Tests with 1,322 runs at an average of 55.08, with centuries in each of South Africa, England, India and Australia.
➡️ https://t.co/ROBg6RI4aQ#ICCAwards 🏆 pic.twitter.com/GVBBYndUwg
— ICC (@ICC) January 22, 2019
For the second year running, @imVkohli is the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year! 👏
He scored 1,202 ODI runs in 2018 at a stunning average of 133.55. He also became the fastest to reach the milestone of 10,000 runs in the format.
➡️ https://t.co/ROBg6RI4aQ#ICCAwards 🏆 pic.twitter.com/m2CPb0vIGF
— ICC (@ICC) January 22, 2019
Responding to the news, an elated Kohli said: “It has been an amazing year. I was able to play in a manner that I would not have imagined. If the intention is right and you keep working hard, the results are there in front of your own eyes.”
“The intent has always been to help your team at any cost, that is when these performances come by and you are pushing yourself to the limit, which you otherwise will not be able to. That is something I experienced in 2018 a lot,” Kohli added.