Kohli to get cricketer of the year award at BCCI annual gala

Kohli to get cricketer of the year award at BCCI annual gala

INDIA captain Virat Kohli’s phenomenal batting form fetched him the BCCI’s best cricketer award for two seasons, while World Cup stars Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana were chosen for the women’s equivalent of the honour, the Board announced on Thursday.

“Following his phenomenal show in the past two seasons, Team India captain Virat Kohli will be presented with the prestigious Polly Umrigar Award for the best international cricketer (2016-17 and 2017-18) at the BCCI Awards to be held in Bengaluru on June 12,” the BCCI stated.In the 2016-17 season. Kohli amassed 1332 runs in 13 Tests at a phenomenal average of 74, while he averaged 84.22 for his 1516 runs in 27 ODIs during the period. In the six Tests played in the 2017-18 seasons, Kohli scored 896 runs at an average of 89.6, while ODI average stands at 75.50.

Kohli will walk away with a prize money of Rs 15 lakh for each season in the men’s category, while Harmanpreet and Mandhana, both of whom played a crucial role in India’s impressive runners-up finish at the World last year, will become maiden recipients of the awards for best international cricketer (women) for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons respectively. 

To honour former President Jagmohan Dalmiya, the BCCI has rechristened four awards in remembrance of the late administrator. The Board also raised prize money for nine categories by Rs One lakh and it now stands at Rs 1.5 lakh. Also, in a first, the Board has decided to bestow the lifetime achievement award (2016-17) on late Pankaj Roy after some confusion on whether it can be given to the former batsman posthumously. The Cricket Association of Bengal was adjudged the best State Association (2016-17) while the Delhi and District Cricket Association got the prize for the 2017-18 season.