Virat Kohli Named Board of Control for Cricket in India Cricketer of the Year

Virat Kohli, India Test captain, was on Thursday named 'Cricketer of the Year', while Mithali Raj was picked for the top women's award in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) annual honours to be given on January 5 in Mumbai. (Virat Kohli's Aggressive Approach a Breath of Fresh Air, But Bigger Challenges Await Team India)

The 27-year-old batsman, who took over as captain in the middle of the Australia tour after Mahendra Singh Dhoni's sudden retirement, delivered some good results under his leadership.

Under Kohli, India ended a 22-year wait for a series win on Sri Lankan soil before battering world No.1 South Africa to give them their first overseas loss in nine years.

The right-hander has done well with the bat too, scoring 640 runs in 15 Test innings at an average of 42.67. In his 20 ODI outings this year, Kohli managed 623 runs at an average of 36.65.

Mithali, on the other hand, became the first Indian woman and second overall to complete 5,000 runs in ODI format this year. Mithali will be presented with the MA Chidambaram Trophy for the best women's cricketer. (Mithali Raj to Receive Padma Shri Award)

Former wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani will be presented the Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award.

Karnataka State Cricket Association has been chosen the state association of the year for achieving the treble of winning the Ranji Trophy, Irani Cup and Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Karnataka all-rounder Robin Uthappa has been picked for the Madhavrao Scindia Award for being the highest run-scorer in Ranji Trophy. Uthappa scored 912 runs in 11 matches, averaging 50.66.

The top wicket-taker's award is being shared this year by Karnataka's R Vinay Kumar and Mumbai's Shardul Thakur, both of whom scalped 48 in the previous season.