Indian captain Virat Kohli swept the top honours at the ICC Awards 2017, clinching the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy after being adjudged the ICC Cricketer of the Year and ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year. Kohli was also named captain of both the Test as well as the ODI team of the year. Australian Test captain Steve Smith has been awarded ICC Test Cricketer of the Year as the world governing body announced the annual awards on Thursday (January 18).
Kohli racked up some serious numbers across formats in the qualifying period – from September 2016 to September 2017. He had scored 2203 Test runs at an average of 77.80, with eight centuries to his credit; 1818 ODI runs at 82.63, inclusive of seven hundreds; and 299 T20I runs at a stunning strike rate of 153.
“It means a lot to win to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for becoming the ICC Cricketer of the Year 2017 and also the ICC ODI Player of the Year,” Kohli said. “I won that back in 2012 also but it’s the first time winning the Garfield Sobers Trophy, and it’s a huge honour for me. It’s probably the biggest of all in world cricket and two Indians getting it back-to-back makes it more special.
“Last time it was Ash [Ravichandran Ashwin] and this time I’m getting it, so I’m really really honoured and I’d like to thank the ICC for recognising all the hard work that we all put in for our respective sides and I want to congratulate all the other winners also.”
Smith scored an astonishing 1875 runs at an average of 78.12 in the 16 Tests he played in that duration, including eight centuries and another five half-centuries. “It’s a great honour to win the Test Player of the Year award,” he said, “It’s called Test cricket for a reason and I’m very humbled to win that award. I’ve had a really good year – I think I’ve scored six hundreds in the year and more importantly led the team to an Ashes victory, which is something that is really important to me. I am incredibly humbled and I love playing Test cricket – it’s the game that challenges your skills and your mind the most.”
