Virat Kohli wins ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade Award while MS Dhoni wins Spirit of the Cricket Award.
ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade: Team India’s current skipper and run-machine won the most prestigious awards at the ICC Awards of the Decade. Virat Kohli gets two awards in his bag – ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade and ICC ODI Cricketer of the Decade Award.
Virat Kohli earned the esteemed ICC ODI Cricketer of the Decade award for his supreme contribution in the 50 over format. Kohli left behind India’s former skipper MS Dhoni, Ravichandran Ashwin, Joe Root, and Steve Smith to win the award.
Virat Kohli also got the Sir Garfield Sobers ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade Award for scoring over 20,000 runs in the qualification period. Kohli collected 20,396 runs at a blistering average of 56.97 to win the award. It is highest among the active players with 70 plus games. Kohli also smacked 66 centuries and 94 half-centuries during the period.
International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the winners on its Twitter page on Monday.
“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,” Virat Kohli said after winning the award.
ICC Spirit of the Cricket Award:
Along with current skipper Virat Kohli, the former skipper MS Dhoni won the ICC Spirit of the Cricket award for his calm gesture to call back England’s batsman Ian Bell after an unusual run-out at Nottingham in 2011.
ICC Test Cricketer of the Decade:
The ICC Test Player of the Decade Award is won by Australian Steve Smith who owns some phenomenal numbers in Test Cricket. Smith during the period amassed over 7,000 test runs at an average of 65.79. He has scored 26 Hundred and 28 Half-centuries.
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