Virat Kohli becomes the first player to bag top three ICC awards in single year

On Tuesday, January 22, 2019, it was announced that Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli claimed all three ICC Top Awards - the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year, the ICC Men's Test Player of the Year and the ICC ODI Player of the Year - for his performances in 2018. In addition, the India captain was also named the captain of the ICC Test Team and the ODI Team of 2018.

Kohli became the first player to win all three awards together after accumulating 1322 runs from 13 Tests, 1202 from 14 ODIs and 211 from T20Is.

ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year ✅
ICC Men's Test Cricketer of the Year ✅
ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year ✅
Captain of ICC Test Team of the Year ✅
Captain of ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year ✅

Let's hear from the man himself, @imvKohli! #ICCAwards 🏆 pic.twitter.com/3M2pxyC44n

— ICC (@ICC) January 22, 2019

It feels amazing. It's a reward for all the hard work that you do throughout the calendar year. I feel really grateful and very, very happy with the team doing well at the same time myself performing. Having recognition at the global level from the ICC is something you feel proud of as a cricketer because you understand that there are many players playing the game. To be rewarded in this manner from amongst all of them is obviously a very proud moment for me and something that gives you more motivation to keep repeating the same things because you have to keep the standard of cricket up and keep bringing in consistent performances. From that point of view, these awards give you that extra motivation." Virat Kohli.

Kohli had won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year last year as well but went on to better his performances. He had also bagged the ODI player of the year award in 2012 and 2017. Kagiso Rabada came close to challenging Kohli's award for ICC Player of the Year and the Test player of the year while Rashid Khan threatened to take away the ICC ODI player of the year award from the India captain before falling short.

The other big Indian winner was wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who was named the Emerging Player of the Year. The 21-year-old was picked by the ICC's voting academy for a stellar show in his breakthrough Test year in 2018.

Pant became the first Indian wicketkeeper-batsman to score a Test century in England, and equalled the record for the most catches taken in a Test, with 11 against Australia in Adelaide in December. He then also became the first wicketkeeper from his country to score a Test hundred in Australia.