3 players who have won consecutive ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year awards
The International Cricket Council (ICC) picked Pakistani skipper Babar Azam as the Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year 2022 on Thursday (January 26).
Babar, who was also named the skipper of the ICC Men's ODI XI for 2022 a few days ago, had a stellar year with the Men in Green.
The right-hander delivered in almost all the one-day internationals he played in 2022, smashing a total of 679 runs across nine ODIs at an average of 84.87. He also had five half-centuries and three centuries to his name.
It's interesting to note that Babar has now become the first Pakistani cricketer ever to bag two consecutive ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year awards, having also won it in 2021.
In 2021, the 28-year-old scored 405 runs across six ODIs at an average of 67.5, including two centuries and a half-century.
BREAKING 
🚨 BREAKING 🚨
Babar Azam has won the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year award for a second consecutive year 🏆🇵🇰
#ICCAwards #CricketTwitter https://t.co/TqjIsbeoLr
However, this isn't the first instance where a player has won two consecutive ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year awards. Three more players have achieved the personal milestone in previous years.
On that note, we look at three of those players who have bagged the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year in two back-to-back years.
#3 MS Dhoni - 2008 and 2009
The very first player to bag two back-to-back ODI Cricketer of the Year awards was India's very own MS Dhoni.
The legendary former Men in Blue skipper is considered one of the best finishers in ODI history and is also the only captain to clinch all three of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup (in 2007), ICC Men's ODI World Cup (in 2011), and the ICC Champions Trophy (in 2013).
🏆 2007 ICC Men's T20 World Cup
🏆 2011 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup
🏆 2013 ICC Champions Trophy
Happy birthday to one of India's greatest captains of all time, MS Dhoni 🤩 https://t.co/XWRlV63D36
In 2008, MSD became the first Indian to bag the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year. He finished the year with 1097 runs at an average of just below 58 across 26 innings.
The following year in 2009, Dhoni was once again honored with the prestigious award. On a personal level, it was Dhoni's best-ever year in ODIs, where he smashed a total of 1198 runs at an astonishing average of 70.5, including nine half-centuries and two tons across 24 innings.
#2 AB de Villiers - 2014 and 2015
The only non-Asian player to have won two consecutive ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year awards is AB de Villiers, who won the prize in 2014 as well as in 2015. In fact, he has bagged the coveted award thrice, having also won it in 2010.
In 2014, the South African maestro smashed 892 runs at an average of 74 and a strike rate of 114.4, including six half-centuries and a couple of hundreds too.
162* off 66
17 fours and 8 sixes
An AB de Villiers epic from the 2015 ICC Men's @cricketworldcup 🔥
Relive the brilliant knock as he announces his retirement from all forms of cricket. https://t.co/ArTa88NFwP
In 2015, De Villiers took his game to another level and racked up as many as 1193 runs at a brilliant average of 79.53 and at a breathtaking strike rate of around 138.
The flamboyant batter also constructed five half-centuries and as many centuries in the year, thus winning the ODI Cricketer of the Year award for his heroics.
#1 Virat Kohli - 2017 and 2018
As the player with the most ICC awards to his name, it's unsurprising to find Virat Kohli's name on the list as well.
One of the greatest ODI players of all time, Kohli has bagged the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year thrice along with the ICC Men's Player of the Decade (2010-2020).
Following a spellbinding 2018, Kohli became the second Indian after MS Dhoni to win the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year on two successive occasions.
bit.ly/KohliAwards18
Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 🏆
ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year 🏆
ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year 🏆
India’s superstar @imvKohli wins a hat-trick of prizes in the 2018 #ICCAwards!
➡️ bit.ly/KohliAwards18 https://t.co/MGB84Ct8S9
The former Indian skipper amassed 1460 runs (Kohli's most ODI runs in any year) at an average of 76.8, including seven fifties and six tons in 2017. Expectedly, the Delhi lad won the coveted award that year.
There was no stopping Kohli in 2018 either, where he clobbered 1202 runs at an admirable average of 133.56 and a strike rate of over 100 across only 14 ODI innings.
In 2018, Kohli not only won the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year but also bagged the ICC Men's Test Player of the Year and the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year. The 34-year-old remains the only cricketer to have won the prestigious troika of the ICC Player of the Year award till date.