Amidst all the praise and accolades being heaped upon Indian Test skipper Virat Kholi for his team’s incredible victory against England, the swashbuckling batsman has now been named Cricket Australia’s ‘ODI Captain of the Year’.
Australia’s very own Steve Smith, who was picked for the ‘All Star Team’, was bypassed by Kohil who clinched the position due to his impeccable Test captaincy and all-round performance.
"India's skipper played only 10 ODI matches in 2016, but he again underlined his status as one of the best in the 50-over format," CA said in a statement.
"The right-hander scored 45 or more in eight of his 10 innings for the year, notching back-to-back centuries in a run feast against Australia in January and then a magnificent 154 (not out) in a successful pursuit of 289 against New Zealand, more than half of his team's total.
The CA was also impressed by the fact that Virat has been out on the crease for the winning run on 20 occasions.
The only other Indian named to the squad, Jasprit Bumrah, was chosen for his consistency, CA stated.
He may not be known for his wicket-taking abilities but Bumrah has conceded more than 40 runs in an innings just once all year. His extraordinary economy rate is one of the best in the world.
Cricket Australia's ODI Team of Year: Virat Kohli (India, captain), David Warner(Australia), Quinton de Kock (wk) (South Africa), Steve Smith (Australia), Babar Azam (Pakistan), Mitchell Marsh (Australia), Jos Buttler (England), Jasprit Bumrah (India), Imran Tahir (South Africa).
