Published: Jan 22, 2019, 11:17 AM (IST)
Edited: Jan 22, 2019, 11:17 AM (IST)
India skipper and the top-ranked batsman in Tests and ODIs, Virat Kohli has been named captain of the ICC’s Test and ODI teams of 2018.
The ICC awards honour performances during a calendar year, and with 1,322 runs at 55.08 from 13 Tests last year, backed by 1,202 in 14 ODIs, saw the ICC Voting Academy pick him to lead their two respective XIs of 2018. (ALSO READ: CricketCountry’s Test XI of 2018)
Under Kohli, India maintained their title of the No 1 Test team in the ICC rankings and finished the year at second place in ODIs. During the voting period of January 1 to December 31, India under Kohli won six Tests and lost seven while in ODIs the 30-year-old oversaw nine wines and four losses and a tied game. The jury comprising former players, members of the media and broadcasters unanimously chose Kohli as the skipper.
“It has been an amazing year,” said Kohli in a media release Tuesday. “I was able to play in a manner that I would not have imagined. If the intention is right and you keep working hard, the results are there in front of your own eyes. The intent has always to be helping your team at any cost, that is when these performances come by and you are pushing yourself to the limit, which you otherwise will not be able to. That is something I experienced in 2018 a lot.” (ALSO READ: CricketCountry’s ODI XI of 2018)
Also named in the ICC’s Test team of 2018 are Kohli’s team-mates Rishabh Pant as wicketkeeper and Jasprit Bumrah. Pant, 21, made his Test debut in England last year and ended 2018 as the third most successful wicketkeeper, in terms of dismissals, while Bumrah capped his first full year as a Test cricketer with a record 48 wickets.
Three New Zealand Test cricketers also feature: the captain Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls and opener Tom Latham. The remainder of the ICC Test XI comprises Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka), Jason Holder (West Indies), Kagiso Rabada (South Africa), Nathan Lyon (Australia) and Mohammad Abbas (Pakistan). (ALSO READ: From Boult to Bumrah, the top ten Test spells of 2018)
“This looks like an individual piece of recognition but it is much more about the team,” said Williamson. “Both of the other two who have been fortunate enough to be named in the eleven, I am sure, would agree that as a group we have been growing for a period of time – as a Test unit. It is great that the guys have been looking to play their roles as best as they can. The Test team has been tracking nicely.” (ALSO READ: New Zealand team review: In whites, Blackcaps surge)
The ODI team has Rohit Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav and Bumrah from India along with Kohli, while England are represented by Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes. Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh), Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) and Ross Taylor (New Zealand) complete the ICC’s ODI XI.
ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year: 1 Tom Latham (New Zealand), 2 Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka), 3 Kane Williamson (New Zealand) 4 Virat Kohli (India) (capt), 5 Henry Nicholls (New Zealand), 6 Rishabh Pant (India) (wk), 7 Jason Holder (Windies), 8 Kagiso Rabada (South Africa), 9 Nathan Lyon (Australia), 10 Jasprit Bumrah (India), 11 Mohammad Abbas (Pakistan)
ICC Men’s ODI team of the year: 1 Rohit Sharma (India), 2 Jonny Bairstow (England), 3 Virat Kohli (India) (capt), 4 Joe Root (England), 5 Ross Taylor (New Zealand), 6 Jos Buttler (England) (wk), 7Ben Stokes (England), 8 Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh), 9 Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), 10 Kuldeep Yadav (India), 11 Jasprit Bumrah (India)
