- The Throne: 2017 ICC Cricketer of the Year
At the ICC Awards ceremony held on 18 January 2018, Virat Kohli was crowned with the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy—signifying not just dominance in one format, but sheer excellence across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is during the voting window (21 September 2016–31 December 2017)
India Today
+12
Wikipedia
+12
icc
+12
.
Simultaneously, he earned the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year title—becoming the first ever player to scoop both in the same year
Business Standard
.
In addition, Kohli was appointed captain of both the ICC Test and ODI Teams of the Year—a dual honour reflecting not just individual numbers but leadership stature
Business Standard
+2
icc
+2
India Today
+2
.
- Numbers That Roared: Virat’s 2017 Batting Masterclass
🏏 Test Cricket
2,203 runs in Tests, at an average of 77.80, including eight centuries—five of which were double‑tons (between September 2016 and end‑2017)
Wikipedia
+15
icc
+15
myKhel
+15
.
Some sources record 2,023 runs in 18 Tests (with eight hundreds and three fifties), depending on cut‑off definitions—nonetheless, a staggering tally
icc
⏸ ODI Cricket
1,818 runs across 31 ODIs at a jaw‑dropping average of 82.63, with seven centuries and nine fifties, making him ODI Player of the Year
icc
+6
icc
+6
icc
+6
.
He posted 1,460 runs in calendar 2017 alone at average ~76.8 across 26 matches, per some outlets
The Indian Express
+1
icc
+1
.🔥 T20Is
299 runs at a strike‑rate around 152–153, showcasing his adaptability even in the shortest format
The Indian Express
+3
icc
+3
Business Standard
+3
Combined, that tallied approximately 2,818 international runs in the period—spread across formats—underlining an unrelenting grind and consistency
India Today
Reddit
.
- The Stories Behind the Stats
✅ Test Cricket: A Legion of Double Hundreds
Kohli’s run‑fest in Tests wasn’t just about volume. He smashed three double centuries in the calendar year: one against Bangladesh and a pair against Sri Lanka (243 at Feroz Shah Kotla was his highest)
The Indian Express
+1
India Today
+1
. That run of big knocks helped steer India to nine consecutive Test‑series victories in this span
The Indian Express
Business Standard
.
✅ ODI Cricket: Chase Master & Century Machine
In early 2017, chasing 350 against England, Kohli produced a rapid-fire 122 off 105 balls, anchoring India’s successful chase under pressure
The Indian Express
. Later, in the New Zealand series (October), he crafted another masterful hundred (113 off 106) to steer India to a tight win and series victory
icc
+15
The Indian Express
+15
Reddit
+15
.
🎯 ICC Champions Trophy (June 2017)
While Pakistan lifter the Trophy dramatical, Virat kohli stills ranker among top run scorers: 258 runs in five matches at 129.00 average (not able unbeaten 96). He featured in ICC Team of the Tournament
icc
+3
Wikipedia
+3
NDTV Sports
+3
.
- The Awards & Teams: Recognition Honed by Performance
🏆 ICC Awards 2017 Winners:
Cricketer of the Year: Virat Kohli
ODI Player of the Year: Virat Kohli
Test Player of the Year: Steve Smith (his Test exploits were peerless)
Emerging: Hasan Ali; Associate: Rashid Khan; T20I Performance: Yuzvendra Chahal (6/25 vs England)
India Today
+2
NDTV Sports
+2
The Indian Express
+2
icc
+2
Wikipedia
+2
icc
+2
Reddit
+3
icc
+3
Wikipedia
+3
.
🧢 ICC Teams of the Year (Men’s):
Virat Kohli captaincy both the Test and ODI Teams, featuring Dhawan/Pujara/Ashwin in Tests, and Warner, Rohit Sharma, Babar Azam, AB de Villiers, Ben Stokes, de Kock, and others in ODIs
icc matches
.
- Context: Why 2017 Feels Legendary
Peak Form Across Formats: Few elites players delivers at such high volume and consistence in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is simultaneously.
Clutch Contributor: Kohli’s match-winning innings in pressure chases and crunch series — especially against top teams — reinforced his status as a modern-day finisher and anchor.
Leadership Edge: Under his captaincy, India thrived—nine straight Test‑series wins and top positions in ICC rankings
icc
The Indian Express
.
Statistical Dominance: Leading scorer in Tests (over 2,200 runs), top among ODI scorers (1,818), massacre of average (>80), and strike‑rate impact in T20Is.
- The Broader Tier: Other Batsmen in the Spotlight
David Warner (Australia)
Opener in ODI Team of Year
1,424 runs in 22 matches at 67.80 avg, including six centuries and strike‑rate ~108
icc
.
Rohit sharma (India 🇮🇳)
Opener in ODI Team
1,416 runs in 26 matches at 61.56 avg, six hundreds, first ever to record three double centuries in ODIs. Also hit 51 sixes—the most by any player in 2017
icc
.
Babar Azam (pakistan🇵🇰)
Number 4 in ODI Team
1,232 runs in 21 matches at 77 avg, including seven centuries; scored 26% of Pakistan’s total ODI runs in 2017—the highest proportion by any player-for-country
myKhel
+7
icc
+7
Wikipedia
+7
.
AB de Villiers (SA)
Five‑down in ODI XI
773 runs at 59.46 avg; one big century (176 off 104 balls vs Bangladesh) with 72% attacking strokes
icc
.
Others:
Quinton de Kock, Ben Stokes, and Test star Steve Smith (Test Cricketer of the Year) also made the ICC Teams, but none matched Kohli’s cross-format cumulative tally.
- Behind the Scenes: The Path to Recognition
Voting Panel: Journalists, former players and commentators from all Test-playing nations assessed performances during the period “21 September 2016 to 31 December 2017”
icc
+4
icc
+4
icc
+4
.
Consistency & Impact: The awards factored numbers, match‑winning impact, and leadership roles—a composite where Kohli ticked all boxes.
- Closing Narrative: The 2017 Legacy
For cricket fans, 2017 bore witness to Virat Kohli’s transformation from run‑machine to cricketing legend. The sheer weight of runs—across all formats—combined with match‑winning centuries and an aura of captaincy made his claim to ICC Cricketer of the Year undeniable.
He didn’t just score runs—he carried innings under pressure, delivered in chases, smashed records (double tons), and elevated India’s standing globally. In ODI alone, average over 82 with seven tone is rarefieds territories.
And so, while colleague’s like Warner, Rohit, Babar, and Steve Smith had their moments, Kohli 2017 was peerless a season of dominating that remain etched in cricket modern annals.
📊 At a glance summary
Format Runs Average Hundreds (incl. doubles) Highlights
Test ~2,200 ~77.8 8 (incl. 5 doubles) Multiple double tons, led series wins
ODI ~1,818 ~82.6 7 Chase innings (122 vs Eng), big year’s volume
T20I ~299 SR ~153 – High-impact strike rate, valuable cameo roles
Total Int. ~2,800 – Multiple formats Cross-format dominance under captaincy