Indian skipper Virat Kohli has been declared as the ‘Leading Cricketer in the World’ in the 2017 edition of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.
The 28-year-old became the third Indian cricketer to win the award, which has been running since 2003 and covers all the three formats of the game in the preceding calendar year.
Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag earned the honour twice by Wisden, while legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar won it once.
While announcing the winner, editor Lawrence Booth said that Kohli produced the year of his dreams, averaging more with the bat in each of the three formats than anyone else –“75 in Tests, 92 in one-day internationals and 106 in Twenty20 internationals”.
Under Kohli’s charge, India had completed a series clean sweep in the Test, ODI and T20 series against England in 2016-17. His scorching 235-run knock against England in the fourth Test in Mumbai confirmed him, in Booth’s words, as the spiritual successor to Tendulkar.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq and veteran batsman Younis Khan, were both named as one of Wisden’s prestigious Five Cricketers of the Year, following their contribution in a memorable 2-2 draw against England last summer.
England pacer Chris Woakes, who bagged 26 wickets at an average of 16 in the four Tests he played against Pakistan, also received Wisden’s oldest honour, ESPNcricinfo reported.
Toby Roland-Jones, who struck a hat-trick against Yorkshire at Lord’s to help Middlesex seal their first County Championship triumph in 23 years, and Ben Duckett, who notched up a total of 2,706 runs in all formats of the game this summer, complete the full list.
On the other hand, the women’s award went to Ellyse Perry of Australia.
