Indian batting sensation Virat Kohli secured the ICC ODI Player of the Year award for the fourth time, following his outstanding performance in the 2023 World Cup. Kohli, previously honored in 2012, 2017, and 2018, stands among the four nominees for the ICC Cricketer of the Year 2023 award, marking a historic achievement by surpassing AB de Villiers' three awards.
Building on his comeback in 2022, Kohli exhibited peak form in 2023, culminating in a Player of the Tournament performance at the ICC Menโs Cricket World Cup 2023. The No.3 batsman smashed at least a half-century in nine out of 11 innings during the World Cup, concluding with a remarkable 765 runs. This set a new record for the highest individual run-scorer in a menโs Cricket World Cup, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's 2003 milestone. Kohli finished the tournament with an average of 95.62 and a strike rate of 90.31, including three centuries, notably one in the semi-final against New Zealand, contributing significantly to India's journey to the finals.
In a remarkable turn of form in 2023, Kohli accumulated 2,048 runs in 36 international innings, emerging as the leading run-scorer in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. Despite India's unfortunate loss in the final, Kohli secured the Player of the Tournament title. The 35-year-old cricket stalwart notched up eight centuries across formats in 2023, surpassing leading run-getter Shubman Gill by one century. Both Kohli and Gill were the exclusive cricketers to breach the 2,000-run mark in international cricket, with Gill excelling in ODIs, amassing an impressive 1584 runs.
An iconic moment unfolded as Kohli surpassed Sachin Tendulkar's record for the most ODI hundreds during the World Cup, achieving the milestone of becoming the first cricketer to secure 50 centuries in 50-over cricket.
