India captain Virat Kohli has been named as the ICC’s ODI Men’s Player of the Decade. The ICC announced this on their social media handles on Monday, 28 December. The Indian captain also won the Sir Garfield Sobers Award for Male Cricketer of the Decade.
Kohli, who finished 2020 without a century, has played 251 games and scored 12040 runs with 43 centuries and 60 fifties to his name.
He made his ODI debut in 2008 and was part of the Indian team that won the World Cup in 2011 in Mumbai.
Former India captain MS Dhoni won the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade. The former India captain was chosen by fans unanimously for his gesture of calling back England batsman Ian Bell after a bizarre run out in the Nottingham Test in 2011.
Kohli had been nominated for the Player of the Decade award across all the three formats, while MS Dhoni was among the nominees for only ODI Men’s Player of the Decade.
Kohli’s last ODI’s in the decade were against Australia where he scored 21, 89 and 63 in a 2-1 series defeat.
"My only intention was to make winning contributions for the team and I just strive to do that in every game. Stats just become the byproduct of what you want to do on the field." Kohli told ICC after winning the award.
Kohli scored the most runs in the decade in international cricket with 20, 396 to his name. He also scored 66 tons and 94 half centuries and has the highest average among players with 70+ innings at 56.97.
Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan was named the Men’s T20 Player of the Decade while Australian Steve Smith walked away with the honours for Tests.
In the women’s awards, Australia’s Ellyse Perry made a clean sweep as she won the ODI and T20I Cricketer of the Decade awards and the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award for ICC Female Cricketer of the Decade.
The Full List of Awardees:
Sir Garfield Sobers Award for ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade: Virat Kohli
Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award for ICC Female Cricketer of the Decade: Ellyse Perry
ICC Men's Test Cricketer of the Decade: Steve Smith
ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Decade: Virat Kohli
ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Decade: Ellyse Perry
ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Decade: Rashid Khan
ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of the Decade: Ellyse Perry
ICC Men's Associate Cricketer of the Decade: Kyle Coetzer
ICC Women's Associate Cricketer of the Decade: Kathryn Bryce
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