A lot of cricketers have shown consistency in their performances and stand a chance to win the prestigious award of the ODI Cricketer of the Year. Virat Kohli has bagged the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year three times along with the ICC Men’s Player of the Decade (2010-2020).
The 34-year-old remains the only cricketer to have won the prestigious award of the ICC Player of the Year award. The Indian batting maestro was at his best during the 2017 and 2018 years in International Cricket scoring runs across the world.
Virat Kohli is a brilliant batter across the three formats of the game, his domination in ODI Cricket has been of a different level altogether and he would walk into any team in world cricket. Kohli has smashed three ODI hundreds in 2023 and would continue his form in ODI Cricket going forward.
Here are the five players who can break Virat Kohli’s record of most ODI Cricketer of the year.
1. Babar Azam
Babar Azam is one greatest modern-day batters in International Cricket and the stylish batter is already one of the dominant batters in the world, with age on his side he would improve his game just like Virat Kohli. The 28-year-old has been an exceptional performer for men in green in all three formats since his debut for Pakistan.
The right-hander had a prolific 2022 across formats, bagging the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year Award and being named the ODI team’s captain. He also won the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year award and the Pakistan skipper has been exceptional in the ODI format over the years. He will look to continue his consistent performance for the Men in Green in all three formats of the game. He has a good chance of breaking the record of Virat Kohli’s record of most ODI Cricketer of the year.
2. Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer has been a vital member of the Indian team in all three formats of the game in the last year, though injuries have curtailed his career and the KKR Skipper has shown tremendous capability across formats of the game. The middle order has got the tremendous skillset to play in all three formats of the game, but his biggest strength lies in the 50-over format of the game, as he has taken the spot of the crucial number 4 spot in the Indian team.
The 28-year-old could well be a long-term prospect for the Indian team in the upcoming years. His composure and ability to read the situation can certainly come in handy for the team in difficult situations and the prolific batter has been the highest run-scorer in 2022. In the 42 games so far, he amassed 1631 runs at an average of 46.6 providing stability in the Indian middle order. He has struck two centuries and 14 half-centuries in 38 innings and the right-handed batter has a chance of breaking the record of Virat Kohli in the future.
3. Imam Ul Haq
Imam-ul-Haq has proven himself to be a match-winner for the Men in Green in ODI matches and the stylish left-hander has. The Left-handed opener had a prolific season in 2022 with the bat in ODIs, scoring 505 runs in eight matches at an average of 72.14, and had a decent outing with the bat against New Zealand in the recent ODI series.
The left-hander’s rise is good news for Pakistan as he can be a dangerous man at the top of the order alongside Fakhar Zaman. A lot will be expected from the opening pair of Fakhar and Imam. in the forthcoming Asia Cup 2023 and ODI World Cup later this year and the Pakistan opener has the potential to do well in the ODI format of the cricket. He has scored 2719 runs in the 59 matches he has played so far, Imam boasts of an average of 51.3.
4. Mohammed Siraj
Mohammed Siraj has been India’s most consistent bowler in recent times. The pacer rise in International Cricket has been on the rise since 2022 in all three formats of the game. The 29-year-old is one of the mainstays in the Indian team especially in the absence of the Jasprit Bumrah. Siraj has impressed one and all with his ability to make a difference irrespective of the conditions.
Mohammed Siraj was not a regular member of the team in any format. However, things have changed completely in recent months thanks to his stunning and consistent performances. Even on Indian pitches, he has shown that he can do damage with the new ball in any format of the game. He can swing and seam the new ball against high-quality opponents. He can be a valuable asset for the Indian side going forward in the ODI Cricket as he can do the damage in International Cricket.
5. Mehidy Hasan
Mehidy Hasan has emerged as the match-winner for his team over the last few years, as he brought in some X-factor into the team. With Age on his side, he would grow from strength to strength in all three formats of the future. He can be vital to the team with both bat and ball for Bangladesh in the marquee events in the future.
At the age of 25, the Bangladesh all-rounder has already played 74 ODI games for his team in International Cricket 852 runs in 48 innings, and picked up 85 wickets at 72 games at an outstanding economy rate of 4.69, with the age on his side, the youngster would get better with years in the future and the youngster can be lethal with both bat and ball. He has shown a potential to perform against high-quality opponents like India in home conditions.