The ICC Men’s Cricketer Of The Year Award is one of the most prestigious awards in cricket. This award was introduced in 2004; it recognizes and honors the best international men’s cricketer of the year. The winner of this award gets the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy.
India’s Rahul Dravid was the first recipient of the ICC Men’s Cricketer Of The Year Award in 2004. Ricky Ponting and Virat Kohli are the only players who have won this particular award twice. Sachin Tendulkar and R Ashwin are other Indian players who have awarded with the ICC Men’s Cricketer Of The Year Award.
The ICC Men’s Cricketer Of The Year Awards in 2021 and 2022 went to Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi and Babar Azam respectively.
In this article, we will look at the top 5 candidates for the ICC Men’s Cricketer Of The Year Award 2023.
Top 5 contenders for ICC Men’s Cricketer Of The Year Award 2023:
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli could create history by becoming the first-ever player to win the ICC Men’s Cricketer Of The Year Award thrice if he wins it this year.
In 2023, Kohli is the second-highest run-scorer with 1934 runs at an average of 66. He has hit 8 centuries and 9 fifties. No one has scored more international centuries in 2023 so far than Kohli’s 8. Kohli shattered many records in the World Cup. The two biggest of them were – he broke Sachin Tendulkar’s records of 673 runs from the 2003 World Cup and his 49 ODI centuries record.
Virat Kohli is looking prime to win the ICC Men’s Cricketer Of The Year Award 2023.
Shubman Gill
Young India opener Shubman Gill is the leading run-scorer in international cricket in 2023. Gill has scored 2118 runs at an average of 50 with 7 centuries and 10 fifties to his name. Gill has had a breakthrough year, at the end of which he was named the captain of the Gujarat Titans IPL franchise.
Travis Head
Travis Head has stood up in the three-most important matches for Australia in 2023. The left-hander bagged Man of the Match awards in the WTC Final against India, the World Cup 2023 semi-final against South Africa, and the final against India.
Overall. he averaged 47 in international cricket this year, cracking 3 centuries and 9 fifties. Australia’s success in 2023, which also included retaining the Ashes in England, was heavily pinned on Travis Head’s contributions.
Ravindra Jadeja
Nobody has taken more international wickets in 2023 than Ravindra Jadeja. Often going under the radar, Jadeja has snapped 64 wickets across formats this year, at an impressive average of 23 and a superbly tidy economy of 3.31 with 3 five-wicket hauls and 1 10-wicket match haul.
Rohit Sharma
The India skipper Rohit Sharma was dangerous with the bat during the World Cup 2023. In the World Cup, Rohit smashed 597 runs at a strike rate of 125, no top-order batter had a strike rate close to Rohit’s. Overall in 2023, Rohit scored 1795 runs at an average of 51 with 4 centuries and 11 half-centuries.
