Virat Kohli awarded ICC ODI Player of the Year

Indian cricket star Virat Kohli has been honored with the ICC ODI Player of the Year award. Additionally, the International Cricket Council (ICC) included him in the ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year 2023 during a ceremony in New York.

Kohli’s recognition comes as his team gears up for their T20 World Cup opener against Ireland on June 5.

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The ICC celebrated Kohli’s accolade by sharing a video on social media, showing him receiving the award and a cap.

The 35-year-old batter experienced a career resurgence in 2023 after a period of inconsistent performance. He accumulated 1,377 runs in 27 ODIs, with six centuries and eight half-centuries, at an average of 72.47 and a strike rate of 99.13. His highest score was 166.

Kohli was instrumental in India’s Asia Cup 2023 victory, scoring an unbeaten 122 runs off 94 balls against Pakistan in a crucial Super Four match.

In the ODI World Cup held in India last year, Kohli scored 765 runs in 11 matches at an average of 95.62, including three centuries and six half-centuries, with a top score of 117. He was the tournament’s top scorer, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 673 runs in the 2003 World Cup.

Kohli also notched his 50th ODI century in the semi-final against New Zealand, breaking Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI centuries.

Virat Kohli will now join the Indian team for the ICC T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA.