Winning the ICC awards is the dream of every cricketer who starts playing international cricket. Every year, the International Cricket Council honors the top performers of various formats of the game with the awards. In the past, there used to be a special award function, but now, the board announces the winners digitally and the winners send messages via videos and online tweets only.
Still, winning ICC awards remains one of the top aims of every cricketer because it signifies excellence. Big names of world cricket like Mitchell Johnson, Babar Azam, AB de Villiers and Ricky Ponting won three awards each, but there have been only three cricketers in history who have won more than three awards. Here’s a list of those three names:
(Stats Credit: Shebas)
3. Kumar Sangakkara – 4 ICC awards
Former Sri Lankan cricket team captain Kumar Sangakkara won four awards during his legendary career. Sangakkara won the 2012 Test Cricketer of the Year, 2011 and 2013 ODI Cricketer of the Year and also the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for Cricketer of the Year in 2012.
2. Steve Smith – 4 awards
Australian batter Steve Smith is one of the two active cricketers present in the list. Many fans consider Steve as the best all-format player from Australia right now. He started his career as a leg-spinner, but Smith has become a very successful batter in recent years.
Speaking of the four awards which Smith won, the Australian star won the 2017 Test Cricketer of the Year, 2015 Cricketer of the Year, 2015 Test Cricketer of the Year and Men’s Test Cricketer of the Decade.
1. Virat Kohli – 8 ICC awards
Current Indian batter Virat Kohli is the king of awards as well. He has won Male Cricketer of the Decade, Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade, 2012, 2017 and 2018 ODI Cricketer of the Year, 2018 Test Cricketer of the Year and the awards for 2017 and 2018 Cricketer of the Year.
