Kohli crowned ICC male cricketer of the decade

NEW DELHI: India skipper Virat Kohli has been named the ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade and the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade while Australia batsman Steve Smith bagged the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Decade award. Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan was named the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Decade.

Kohli was competing against teammate Rohit Sharma, former India skipper MS Dhoni, Sri Lanka pacer Lasith Malinga, former Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara, Australia pacer Mitchell Starc and South Africa batsman AB de Villiers. “My only intention was to make winning contributions for the team and I just strive to do that in every game. Stats just become the byproduct of what you want to do on the field,” Kohli said after winning the award.

Kohli is the only player to score 10,000-plus ODI runs in this decade. He smashed 39 centuries and 48 fifties during this period with an average of 61.83.

Former Australia skipper Smith scored 7,040 Test runs in this decade with an average of 65.79. He smashed 26 hundred and 28 fifties to accumulate those runs.

Rashid was the highest wicket-taker in the T20Is as he scalped 89 wickets including three four-wicket hauls and two five-fors.

Earlier on Sunday, Kohli was named the skipper of ICC’s Test Team of the Decade. Apart from Kohli, Ashwin was also included in the line-up. In the team, four players are from England, two from India, two from Australia, one from Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and South Africa.

The Test Team of the Decade includes some notable names like Alistair Cook, Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, Ben Stokes, and Kumar Sangakkara. The bowling side is covered by Dale Steyn, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, and R. Ashwin.