“This year has been a learning curve” - When Virat Kohli won ICC Cricketer of the Year award for the very first time
Since his debut in 2008, Virat Kohli has received numerous ICC Cricketer of the Year awards, starting with his first in 2012 when he was named the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year. He has since won this accolade three more times. Other players shortlisted that year included MS Dhoni, Lasith Malinga and Kumar Sangakkara.
In 2012, Kohli delivered an outstanding performance, amassing 1,733 runs at an average of 66.65, which included eight centuries and six half-centuries in 31 ODIs. He was honored with the award at the ICC ceremony in Colombo.
Commenting on this achievement, Kohli said:
"I think I have tried to keep things as simple as possible and it's worked for me on the field. This year has been a learning curve along the way from the seniors in the team. It's been an all-round effort and I'm very happy to have won this award."
"It's always nice to be recognized by the ICC, it's a great feeling, and it's the first time I've won one of these awards," he added (as quoted by ESPNCricinfo).
In 2012, Kohli delivered several memorable performances, including a standout innings against Sri Lanka in the Commonwealth Bank Series.
Faced with a daunting target of 321 runs in 40 overs to stay in the competition, Kohli played one of the finest innings of his career. He scored an unbeaten 133 off 86 balls, including 16 boundaries and two sixes, leading India to victory by seven wickets in just 36.4 overs.
Three weeks later, Kohli played another remarkable innings against arch-rivals Pakistan in the Asia Cup. Chasing 330 runs, India lost Gautam Gambhir for a duck, but Kohli stepped in at number three and single-handedly secured the win for India. He scored 183 off 148 balls, featuring 22 boundaries and one six, as India triumphed by six wickets with 13 balls to spare.
Virat Kohli won his 4th ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year in 2023
Virat Kohli earned the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year Award consecutively in 2017 and 2018, with his most recent win in 2023. That year, the Indian No. 3 amassed 1,377 runs at an average of 72.47, including six centuries and eight half-centuries across 24 innings.
The 35-year-old also set a record for the most runs in a single ODI World Cup. During the 2023 tournament, where India finished as runners-up, he scored 765 runs in 11 innings, including six fifties and three centuries.
Additionally, Kohli became the first player in ODI history to reach 50 centuries, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49.