ICC announces nominees for ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year award; Indian cricketers dominate the list
Three Indian cricketers, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, and Mohammed Shami, headlined the nominees for the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year award for 2023.
In a World Cup year, the trio had several impressive performances in the tournament alongside an outstanding overall season. New Zealand all-rounder Daryll Mitchell is the other member who rounds off the competition for the prestigious prize.
Kohli and Shami hold the distinction of finishing as leading run-scorer and wicket-taker in the World Cup with 765 runs and 42 wickets, respectively. The former Indian captain also broke numerous records, including the most runs in a single ODI World Cup edition and becoming the first batter to record 50 ODI centuries.
Kohli was the second leading run-scorer in ODIs last year, with 1,377 runs at an average of 72.47, including six centuries.
Meanwhile, Shami became India's all-time leading wicket-taker in ODI World Cups. His 24 scalps in the 2023 edition came at a sensational average of 10.70 with three five-wicket hauls.
As for Gill, 2023 was his emergence to stardom in the ODI format, with the stylish batter finishing as the leading run-scorer for the year. The 24-year-old scored 1,584 runs at an average of 63.36 with five centuries and became the youngest Indian batter to score a double century in ODIs.
However, the troika of Indian stars will face stiff competition from Mitchell, who had a magical World Cup, scoring 552 runs at an average of 69 and a strike rate of 111.06.
The nominations highlight Team India's domination in the 50-over format last year, including a streak of ten consecutive wins in the World Cup before losing in the final.
ICC announces nominations for Women's ODI cricketer of the year award
The nominations for the ODI cricketer of the year among the Women were more diverse, with Australian Ashleigh Gardner, Sri Lankan Chamari Athapaththu, England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt, and New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr competing for the ultimate prize.
Gardner stamped herself as the World's premier all-rounder in 2023, scoring 188 runs and picking up 24 wickets in 13 ODIs.
Her competition as an all-rounder came from Trans-Tasmanian rival Amelia Kerr, with the 23-year-old scoring an incredible 541 runs and bagging eight wickets in only eight games. With a batting average of over 67, Kerr has earned her second consecutive nomination for the ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year award.
England's most dependable batter and big-match player, Nat Sciver-Brunt, barges into the nominees list despite playing only six ODIs in 2023. The 31-year-old scored 393 runs at a Bradman-esque average of 131 and a strike rate of 107.37 with three centuries.
Finally, Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu shone in the ODI format with 415 runs in eight games at an average of 69.16 and a remarkable strike rate of 125.37.