Star Indian cricketers Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, along with two other nominees, are in the running for the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year 2023. Pat Cummins, who led Australia to two ICC titles in the year, is also nominated for the award alongside his teammate Travis Head.
VIRAT KOHLI
Making a remarkable return to form in the second half of 2022, Virat Kohli continued to amass runs in both Test and ODI formats. In Test cricket, he played a crucial inning of 44 against Australia in the second Test of the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Series in challenging circumstances in Delhi, contributing to India's solid first-innings total in a match they eventually won. In the final game of the same series, Kohli played a majestic knock of 186 at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
This century marked his first in Test cricket since 2019. Shortly after, he added another century, scoring 121 against the West Indies. However, it was in the ODI format that Kohli truly excelled, setting several records. With six ODI hundreds, he reached a total of 50 tons in the format, surpassing India legend Sachin Tendulkar.
His outstanding performance in the World Cup played a crucial role in India reaching the finals. The 35-year-old scored 765 runs, the highest by any player in a single edition of the World Cup. If successful, this would be Kohli's third Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, the most for any player.
RAVINDRA JADEJA
A knee injury during the 2022 Asia Cup sidelined Ravindra Jadeja, causing him to miss India's early cricketing commitments in 2023. However, the left-arm spinner made a stylish comeback, claiming 22 wickets in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and playing a crucial role in India's series victory.
Jadeja had an outstanding year in red-ball cricket, contributing significantly with the bat. Notable performances included a resilient 70 in the first Test against Australia in Nagpur, where he played a crucial role in India securing a substantial lead. He also played an attacking innings of 48 under challenging circumstances in the WTC Final at The Oval and delivered a couple of spirited knocks in the West Indies. In partnership with Ravichandran Ashwin, he excelled with the ball across various conditions, taking four wickets in the WTC Final, particularly effective in the second innings.
In white-ball cricket, the 35-year-old continued to shine with 31 ODI wickets. His standout performance came in the World Cup, where he picked up 16 wickets at an average of 24.87, including a career-best performance of 5/33 against South Africa at the Eden Gardens.
TRAVIS HEAD
Travis Head, a member of the ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year 2022, reached new heights in 2023 despite facing challenges, including a fractured hand that posed a threat to his participation in the World Cup.
Not only did Head make a comeback during the tournament, but he also delivered crucial performances in the World Cup. Both of his ODI centuries in 2023 were achieved on the biggest stage, earning him the ‘Player of the Match’ accolade for his remarkable displays in the semi-final and final. Out of his 570 ODI runs in the year, 329 were scored in the World Cup. His strike rate during the tournament was an impressive 127.51, just slightly below his overall run rate for the year (133.17).
The 30-year-old's success extended to other formats of the game, including a prolific Test run that played a crucial role in Australia lifting the ICC World Test Championship 2023 trophy. In the WTC final against India, he emerged as the top-scorer with a score of 163 in the first innings, contributing to Australia's commanding total and eventual 209-run victory.
PAT CUMMINS
In 2023, Cummins had an exceptional year, excelling both as a player and captain, earning several accolades. Despite the early setback of losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Cummins led Australia to significant achievements.
The journey commenced with a resounding victory over India in the WTC final at The Oval, followed by a successful defence of the Ashes in England. The year concluded with a remarkable comeback in the World Cup, where Australia, after losing the first two games, won nine consecutive matches to clinch the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup for a record sixth time.
As a player, the 30-year-old displayed all-round prowess in the Test arena. He continued to play a crucial role in Australia's pace attack, contributing with the bat as needed. This was evident in the opening Ashes Test in Birmingham, where, despite being wicketless in the first innings, he made a solid contribution with a resilient 38, narrowing the English lead to just 10 runs.
Cummins then picked up four crucial wickets, ensuring that Australia's target was below 300. When the team found themselves in trouble at 192/6 and later at 229/8, Cummins played a gritty innings, securing a thrilling Test victory for Australia.
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