This year has been nothing short of remarkable for India’s extraordinary captain Virat Kohli. He defied odds, smashed records and oversaw India’s greatest year in Test cricket. Regarded as one of the best batsman in modern day cricket, 2016 belonged to India’s run-machine.
The 28-year-old underlined his status as one of the best ODI players scoring 739 runs in only 10 matches at a mind-boggling average of 92.37. The right-hander scored more than 45 in eight of his 10 innings during the year, including back-to-back centuries against Australia.
Furthermore, he was instrumental in the 3-2 series win against New Zealand, amassing 358 runs in five matches. This included an outstanding 154 not out, more than half the team’s total as India chased down 289 in the third ODI.
For his outstanding contributions, he was named captain of the ICC ODI team of the year, while being designated an identical role in Cricket Australia’s team of the year, ahead of Steven Smith!
In Twenty 20 Internationals, he achieved a level of consistency that may never be matched with 641 runs at jaw-dropping average of 106.83. India’s run-machine carried his striking form into the Indian Premier League with 973 runs at an average of 81, comprising four hundreds — the best performance ever in a T20 series.
On the back of his eccentric performances in the shorter formats, Kohli piled up 1215 runs at an average of 75.93, including three double hundreds, a record for an Indian batsman in Test cricket. He guided India to three consecutive series wins against West Indies, New Zealand and England, resulting in India moving to the top of the rankings. A record nine victories from a possible 12 saw the Blue Army finish the calendar year without a solitary loss in the longest form of the game.
He is currently ranked as the best T20I batsman in the world and second in both the ICC Test and ODI rankings, with 2017 promising to be another great year for India’s King.
Adrian Abraham is an intern at Gulf News
