Tuesday, the International Cricket Council today announced the men’s Test and ODI teams of the year. Indian skipper Virat Kohli has been chosen by every voting member of the Academy for both the formats and also named captain of both sides following a remarkable 2018 as batsman and skipper.
Virat Kohli has also been named as Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year, Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year and also won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer 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
Kohli also ended 2018 as the top-ranked Test and ODI batsman in the ICC Player Rankings while team India finished at the top of the table in Test and in ODI team rankings India ended on the second spot as the first position was seized by England.
Every voting member of the Academy selected Indian skipper to both formats of the game with the majority of them also opting to name him as the captain for both Test and ODI team of the year. In 2018, Virat Kohli played 13 Tests in which he scored 1,322 runs at an average of 55.08 with five centuries and in 14 ODIs he scored 1,202 runs at an astounding average of 133.55 with six hundreds.
“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 to be helping 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,” said Virat Kohli as quoted by ICC.
Indian bowling sensation Jasprit Bumrah has also been selected for both ODI and Test team and he is the only player apart from Kohli to feature in both sides.
Rishabh Pant has been named the Emerging Player of the Year by the ICC for 2018. The ICC Men’s Test team of the Year also features Virat and Bumrah’s compatriot, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. Pant made his international debut in August 2018 during the third Test between India and England which includes his maiden Test century during the final Indian innings in the fifth Test.
New Zealand also has three players in the Test squad with captain Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls and opener Tom Latham selected. Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka), Jason Holder (Windies), top-ranked Kagiso Rabada (South Africa), Nathan Lyon (Australia) and Mohammad Abbas (Pakistan), make up the remainder of the Test team.
The ODI team has opener Rohit Sharma, spinner Kuldeep Yadav and Bumrah from India along with captain Kohli, while England also has four players in the ODI squad, they are – Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes. Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh), top-ranked Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) and Ross Taylor (New Zealand) complete the ICC ODI XI.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson said: “This looks like an individual piece of recognition but it is much more about the team. Both of the other two who have been fortunate enough to be named in the eleven, I am sure, would agree that as a group we have been growing for a period of time – as a Test unit”, as quoted by ICC.
He continued, “It is great that the guys have been looking to play their roles as best as they can. The Test team has been tracking nicely.”
Joe Root said: “It feels really great to be named in the ICC ODI squad and the fact that three of my team-mates are there along with me, makes it extra special.”
He concluded by saying, “We had a fine year and expectations are on the rise as we look forward to playing the ICC Cricket World Cup at home this year. I thank the ICC for the honour and to the jury for taking the effort to go through the elaborate process.”
ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year (in batting order):
- Tom Latham (New Zealand)
- Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka)
- Kane Williamson (New Zealand)
- Virat Kohli (India) (capt)
- Henry Nicholls (New Zealand)
- Rishabh Pant (India) (wk)
- Jason Holder (Windies)
- Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)
- Nathan Lyon (Australia)
- Jasprit Bumrah (India)
- Mohammad Abbas (Pakistan)
ICC Men’s ODI team of the year (in batting order):
- Rohit Sharma (India)
- Jonny Bairstow (England)
- Virat Kohli (India) (capt)
- Joe Root (England)
- Ross Taylor (New Zealand)
- Jos Buttler (England) (wk)
- Ben Stokes (England)
- Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh)
- Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)
- Kuldeep Yadav (India)
- Jasprit Bumrah (India)
