Rohit Sharma wins ODI Cricketer of the Year award

Batsman grateful for accolade

Rohit Sharma in action for India

Indian batsman Rohit Sharma was named ODI Cricketer of the Year at the International Cricket Council awards on Wednesday.

Sharma was also included in the ICC ODI Team of the Year alongside fellow batsman Virat Kohli and seamer Mohammed Shami.

“I would like to thank the ICC for giving me this award and the Board of Control for Cricket in India for giving me the opportunity to represent the country. It is great to be recognised in this fashion. We are very happy with the way we performed as a team in 2019. We could have done better but we have a lot of positives and a lot to look forward to in 2020,” said Sharma.

The hard-hitting Sharma was rested for the recent T20I series against Sri Lanka. He returned for the ongoing ODI series against Australia.

The 32-year-old is the only batsman who has struck three double-centuries in ODI cricket.

The first came in 2013, when 209 from 158 deliveries against Australia thrilled the crowd in Bengaluru.

In 2014, Sharma welcomed the highest individual score in the history of ODI cricket. He hit 264 against Sri Lanka in Kolkata.

In 2017, Sri Lanka were the opposition again. This time he gathered 208 not out in Mohali.

Sharma in the IPL

Sharma has retained the Mumbai Indians captaincy for the 2020 Indian Premier League. Mumbai are the only franchise to have won the IPL four times. They are the reigning champions, after beating the Chennai Super Kings in 2019's final. Mumbai also won the title in 2013, 2015 and 2017.

Mumbai will have seamer Dhawal Kulkarni for the 2020 season. He has been traded by Rajasthan Royals.

“Dhawal Kulkarni now play for the Mumbai Indians in the upcoming Indian Premier League after being traded by Rajasthan Royals,” said Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Jay Shah.

“The Mumbai fast bowler began his IPL journey with the Mumbai Indians and represented them from 2008 to 2013. He played 33 matches for the Mumbai Indians and is ninth on the list of MI's leading wicket-takers with 36 wickets. Overall, he is 10 short of completing 100 Indian Premier League matches and is 14 short from capturing 100 IPL wickets.”

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