Dubai, UAE

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday (Jan 4) announced the nominations for the Cricketer of the Year 2023. Former India captain Virat Kohli and current Australia skipper Pat Cummins have made it to the list. The duo had a productive 2023 with Virat winning the Player of the Tournament at the ODI World Cup, while Cummins helped Australia win the tournament. Ravindra Jadeja and Travis Head have also been shortlisted after a magnificent year.

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The award is named after former West Indies great player Sir Garfield Sobers.

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Virat’s excellent 2023

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With 2048 runs in 35 matches, the 34-year-old is one of the prime candidates to receive the prize for his excellent 2024. He scored a record-breaking 773 runs in the ODI World Cup and helped India reach the finals. Virat scored nine fifty-plus scores in the tournament while also leapfrogging Sachin Tendulkar for most ODI hundreds.

In Test cricket, he scored an important 44 against Australia in the second Test of the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Series in trying circumstances in Delhi, which helped India post a solid total in the first innings of a game they went on to win. In the final game of the series, Kohli hit a majestic 186 at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

A member of the ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year 2022, Travis Head performed even better in 2023. Though, it wasn’t a year without challenges, for the Southpaw had to contend with a fractured hand that threatened to rule him out of the World Cup.

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Not only did the player stage a comeback during the tournament but also rendered crucial performances at the final stages of the World Cup. Both his ODI tons in 2023 came in the global event, and he was the Player of the Match for his inimitable performances in the semi-final and the final.

Pat Cummins had a truly remarkable 2023, excelling as a player and winning several accolades as captain.

After an early low of losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Cummins’ Australia lifted themselves and garnered important milestones. It began with a vehement win over India in the WTC final at The Oval, followed by a successful Ashes defence in England. The Aussies ended with a splendid comeback in the World Cup. After losing the first two games, Australia won nine on a trot to lift the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup for a record sixth time.