Ahmedabad: India's run-scoring machine Virat Kohli has been named the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 Player of the Tournament.
Kohli’s brilliance with the bat was a defining feature of the tournament, with India’s number three scoring at least a half-century in nine of his 11 innings.
His 765 runs in the tournament is the most ever scored by an individual batsman at a men’s Cricket World Cup, surpassing the previous record set by Sachin Tendulkar, who hit 673 in the 2003 tournament.
Kohli finished with an average of 95.62 and a strike rate of 90.31 in the tournament, hitting three centuries along the way – against Bangladesh and South Africa in the league stage and then once more against New Zealand in the semifinals.
That third century took Kohli’s career tally to 50 One Day International hundreds, making him the leading century-maker in the history of the format.
Kohli broke Tendulkar’s long-standing record at the ‘Little Master’s’ home ground, the Wankhede Stadium, and said that it was the perfect moment.
"This all feels like a dream," Kohli said after his 117 steered India to the final.
"If I could paint the perfect picture, I would want this to be the picture. My life partner, the person I love the most, she is sitting there. My hero Sachin is sitting there. I was able to get the 50th in front of them and these fans in such a historic venue. It’s amazing."
Kohli finished his tournament with yet another half-century, hitting 54 from 63 balls against Australia in the final. But his efforts proved in vain as India missed out on victory, falling at the final hurdle. (UNI)
