Virat Kohli wins the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year for the fourth time

Virat Kohli. Pic/AFP

India's star Virat Kohli on Thursday was crowned as the "ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year 2023." He was on the contention list with Shubman Gill, Mohammed Shami and Daryl Mitchell.

He brought out his best in the ICC World Cup 2023 held in India last year. With a record tally of 765 runs and a record-breaking century in the semi-final game against New Zealand, he played a vital role in the "Men in Blue" World Cup campaign. He also registered his name by becoming the highest run-scorer in the ODI World Cup which was previously held by legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar.

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Overall, Kohli scored 1,377 runs, claimed 1 wicket and completed 12 catches in 27 matches.

The experienced right-handed batter finished the tournament with an average of 95.62 and a strike rate of 90.31, scoring three centuries, one of which came in the semi-final against New Zealand.

His ton against the Kiwis in the semi-final took his overall ODI centuries to 50, going past the previous record holder (Sachin Tendulkar) for most centuries in the 50-over format.

In the final four stages, Kohli walked out to bat after skipper Rohit Sharma's dismissal to face a star-studded Blackcaps bowling line-up.

Kohli found his grove immediately and was flawless till he completed his 50th ODI ton to surpass one of the legends of the game - Sachin.

"It's stuff of dreams, Anushka was sitting right there, Sachin paaji was there in the stands," Kohli said later while being interviewed during the innings break.

Kohli's picture-perfect knock ensured India didn't suffer another heartbreak at the hands of New Zealand like they did four years back in England.

His 117 combined with Shreyas Iyer's 105 paved the way for India to reach a mammoth total of 397/4.

Mohammed Shami's seven-wicket haul ensured India went unbeaten into the finals to face Australia.

(With ANI Inputs)