Virat Kohli has been named captain of the Test and One-Day International (ODI) teams of the year, as adjudicated by the International Cricket Council. The Indian captain possesses 2023 runs at an average of 77.80, with eight centuries and three half-centuries in 18 matches during ICC’s qualification period.
Kohli surprisingly pipped Australian skipper Steve Smith for the ICC’s Test team captaincy. Smith had led his team to a dominating 4-0 win over England in the Ashes, besides having had scored a bucketful of runs for his country.
The Test team also comprises Cheteshwar Pujara and R. Ashwin, both of whom have been in good form last year. Pujara scored 1,914 runs at 63.80 including seven centuries and nine half-centuries in 19 matches, while Ashwin picked 111 wickets at 25.87, including eight five-wicket hauls and three 10-wicket hauls.
Read: Kohli hits out at South African journalist after series loss
The Indian off-spinner also scored 616 runs at 25.66, including five half-centuries.
The team includes three Australians - Smith, opener David Warner and fast bowler Mitchell Starc - and three South Africans - opener Dean Elgar, wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock and pacer Kagiso Rabada. English fast bowler James Anderson and all-rounder Ben Stokes also found a place in the Test team.
Rohit, Bumrah in ODI team
Kohli, the winner of the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy and ODI Cricketer of the Year awards, was chosen to lead the ICC ODI team, which includes Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah as the other two Indians. Kohli dominated the shorter versions of the game as well, amassing 1818 runs at 82.63 including seven centuries and nine half-centuries in 31 matches.
Read: Kohli named ICC Cricketer of the Year
Rohit, too, had a phenomenal season. He slammed six centuries and as many half-centuries for a total of 1416 runs at 61.56 in 26 matches during the period. He also became the first batsman in the history of ODI cricket to score three double-centuries last December. Bumrah emerged as one of the best death bowlers in 2017; he scalped 45 wickets at 25.68, including a five-wicket haul in 27 matches.
Australia’s Warner, England’s Stokes and South Africa’s de Kock found a place in the ODI team as well.
Among others, the ODI team included South Africa’s AB de Villiers, Afghanistan’s teenage leg-spinner Rashid Khan and two Pakistani cricketer in Hasan Ali and Babar Azam. New Zealand pacer Trent Boult, who took 45 wickets at 26.86 including two five-wicket hauls in 25 matches, also found a place.
Comments
SHARE