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Virat wins ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year award,Kumar Sangakkara sweeps big ones

Virat Kohli was named the ODI Cricketer of the Year at the ICC annual awards function that were held ahead of the World T20. Kohli won the award for his consistent performance over the last 12 months during which he amassed runs all over the world and against almost all the countries India played.

During the year under consideration,Kohli played 31 ODIs and scored 1733 runs at an average of 66.65,including eight hundreds and six half-centuries. His highest score was 183,against Pakistan in the Asia Cup.

I think I have tried to keep things as simple as possible and its worked for me on the field, Kohli said.

This year has been a learning curve along the way from the seniors in the team. Its been an all-round effort and Im very happy to have won this award. Its always nice to be recognised by the ICC and its a great feeling and its the first time Ive won one of these awards and it feels great, he added.

In the 50-over format,Kohli has so far scored 3886 runs from 90 matches at an average of 51.81. Kohli beat his captain MS Dhoni and Sri Lankan cricketers Kumar Sangakkara and Lasith Malinga for the award.

Super Sanga

The Sri Lankan southpaw,who was the winner of the ODI cricketer of the year last year,was however not to be denied on the night,as he picked up three gongs himself,including the prestigious Cricketer of the Year and Test Cricketer of the Year awards. Sangakkara also won the Peoples Choice prize,an award he had picked up last year too.

For Cricketer and Test Cricketer of the Year,Sangakkara had to beat competition from this years prolific batsman Hashim Amla and paceman Vernon Philander and Australias Michael Clarke.

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During the period under consideration for the awards,Sangakkara had made 1,444 Test runs at an average of 60.16,including five centuries and five half-centuries while also smashing 1457 runs with three hundreds in ODIs.

This is an amazing honour and Ive seen the people who have won it before me and the nominees too,to be named alongside them is wonderful, Sangakkara said after receiving the Sir Garfield Sobers trophy for Cricketer of the Year from ICC president Alan Isaac. I admire them greatly and even more so when I looked up at their records on the screen this evening. Its great to be amongst them but now to receive this honour this evening,is simply fantastic.

South Africas Richard Levi,who hit the fastest T20 century in international cricket,picked the ICCs T20I Performance of the Year award. The knock came against the Kiwis in February,when he took just 45 balls to get to three figures. Irelands left arm spinner George Dockrell was also presented with the ICC Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year.

West Indies mystery spinner Sunil Narine unsurprisingly picked up the ICC Emerging Player of the Year Award after bursting onto the season with his variations and trickery. Narine,24,in the assessment period picked up 12 wickets at 25.66 in two Tests against the Kiwis. Fifteen ODIs produced 28 wickets 8.82,to go with 7 T20I wickets from 5 games.

Other awards

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Spirit of Cricket award: Daniel Vettori (New Zealand); Umpire of the year: Kumar Dharmasena (Sri Lanka); Womens Cricketer of the Year: Stafanie Talyor (West Indies); Womens T20 cricketer of the Year: Sarah Taylor (England)