The Canadian Parvasi - Issue 29

Sports The International News Weekly January 19, 2018 | Toronto
13
Kohli grabs top ICC awards
Indo-Asian News Service
Dubai: India skipper Virat Kohli
on Thursday swept the International
Cricket Council (ICC) annual
awards winning the prestigious Sir
Garfield Sobers Trophy for being
the World Cricketer of the Year 2017
as also being named ICC ODI Cricketer
of the Year 2017 and the captain
of both ICC Test and ODI teams.
On the other hand, Kohli's Australian
counterpart Steve Smith
bagged the honour of being the Test
Cricketer of the Year. The 28-yearold
Smith posted six centuries in
just 11 Tests in 2017; three on Australia's
tour of India and three in
the recently-completed 4-0 Ashes
triumph over England.
Moments after the awards were
announced, an elated Kohli said
winning the Sir Garfield Sobers
Trophy felt more special after his
teammate Ravichandran Ashwin
bagged it last year.
It is the second time Kohli has
been named as the ODI Cricketer
of the Year after bagging the same
honour in 2012 when he was 24 years
old. "It means a lot to win the Sir
Garfield Sobers Trophy for becoming
the ICC Cricketer of the Year
2017 and also the ICC ODI Player of
the Year," the Delhi batsman told
ICC's website.
"I won that back in 2012 also but
it's the first time winning the Garfield
Sobers Trophy, and it's a huge
honour for me. It's probably the
biggest of all in world cricket and
two Indians getting it back-to-back
makes it more special.
"Last time it was Ash (Ravichandran
Ashwin) and this time I'm
getting it, so I'm really really honoured
and I'd like to thank the ICC
for recognising all the hard work
that we all put in for our respective
sides and I want to congratulate all
the other winners also," he added.
The award, which was decided
for performance based on the period
between September 21, 2016 to December
31, 2017, the Indian skipper
scored 2,203 Test runs at an average
of 77.80. Kohli also scored eight centuries
in the time period in the longest
format, including five double
hundreds.
In ODIs, Kohli hammered 1,818
ODI runs at an average of 82.63 including
seven centuries, and 299
T20I runs at a strike rate of 153. With
Kohli as skipper, India went on to
register nine consecutive series win
in the longest format.
Apart from Kohli, who was
named as the captain for the ODI
Team of the year, Rohit Sharma,
who smashed a double ton against
Sri Lanka in December, becoming
the only batsman in the world to
have three double-centuries in the
format, was also included in the
squad. The only other Indian apart
from the two, who made it to the
team was seamer Jasprit Bumrah,
who took 56 wickets in 31 matches
at an average of 22.73 during 2017.
Three Indians made it to the
2017 Test team of the year -- Ravichandran
Ashwin, Cheteshwar Pujara
and Kohli, who was also named
as the captain for the side.
Rising leg-spinner Yuzvendra
Chahal was also recognised
for his tremendous perfomance in
T20 cricket and his 6-wicket haul
against England in Bengaluru was
recognised as the ICC T20I Performance
of the Year.
Among others, Pakistan quick
Hasan Ali was named the Emerging
Cricketer of the Year after he helped
Pakistan win the ICC Champions
Trophy in June, while Afghanistan
spinner Rashid Khan was named
Associate Cricketer of the Year.
English women cricketer Anya
Shrubsole bagged the ICC Spirit of
Cricket award while South African
umpire Marais Erasmus was
awarded the David Shepherd Trophy
for ICC Umpire of the Year.
Pakistan's ICC Champions Trophy
2017 win over arch-rivals India
in June was adjudged the ICC Fans
Moment of the Year. The Sarfraz
Ahmed-led Men-in-Green thrashed
India by 180 runs to bag the title at
The Oval in London.
India in Blind
Cricket World
Cup final
Indo-Asian News Service
Dubai: Dominant India continued their winning
streak as they defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets
to enter the final of the Blind Cricket World Cup at the
MCC Ground in here on Wednesday.
Defending champions India will take on Pakistan
on January 20 at Sharjah.
Winning the toss and electing to bat, Bangladesh
were bowled out for 256 in 38.5 overs. India's strong
bowling department restricted them to a modest score
as Durga Rao took three wickets in three overs by giving
away only 20 runs. Deepak Mallik and Prakash
bagged two wickets each.
It was a poor start for Bangladesh as they lost two
early wickets but a resilient unbeaten 108 by Abdul
Mallik helped Bangladesh to reach a respectable total.
Chasing the target, Man of the Match Ganeshbhai
Muhudkar's century steered India home comfortably.
His breezy knock of 112 came in just 69 balls. Another
star player Deepak Mallik was retired out for 53
of 43 balls. While Naresh made a handy 40 runs in 18
balls.
India have remained unbeaten throughout this
tournament and are considered the favourites to retain
their title.
Modi, Sushma mislead nation
on Doklam: Congress
Indo-Asian News Service
Tauranga (NZ) : India
got off to a winning start
in the double-leg Four Nations
Invitational Hockey
Tournament, notching a
comfortable 6-0 win against
Japan at the Blake Park
here on Wednesday.
Rupinder Pal Singh
(7th minute), Vivek Sagar
Prasad (12th, 28th), Dilpreet
Singh (35th, 45th) and
Harmanpreet Singh (41st)
scored in India's win.
The team got off to a
dominant start, controlling
the ball rather swiftly,
passing around neatly and
quickly to penetrate the
Japanese circle.
India won their first
penalty corner of the game
in the seventh minute and
it was young gun Harmanpreet
Singh who stepped up
to drag flick.
His attempt though was
blocked by the Japanese defender
on the line, but since
the obstruction came off his
body, India were awarded a
penalty stroke.
Experienced drag
flicker Rupinder Pal Singh
broke no sweat in converting
a stunning goal to fetch
India a 1-0 early lead. India's
second goal came in
the 12th minute when debutant
Vivek Sagar Prasad
was quick to pick up a rebound
and fiercely strike
the ball past the Japanese
goal keeper earning India
a 2-0 lead. The second quarter
saw India defend their
lead as they were unrelenting
in creating pressure on
Japan, pressing them high
up constantly, rarely giving
them an opportunity to
enter India's defence.
Meanwhile, Vivek
Prasad found another excellent
opportunity in the
28th minute to score, as the
Indian attackers broke into
the Japanese defence.
Vivek was swift to receive
an assist in the circle
and put the ball in the goal
within no time. The teams
went into the half time
break with India having a
comfortable 3-0 lead.
In the 35th minute, a
brilliant run-in from Mandeep
Singh, who found Dilpreet
in the circle, created
a goal scoring opportunity
for India.
Though Dilpreet's first
attempt was padded away
by the Japan keeper, he
was quick to pick it up
again and put into the nets
fetching India's fourth goal.
Though Japan earned
their first penalty corner of
the match in the 40th minute,
they couldn't find success
however, in the following
minute a foot foul by a
Japanese defender won India
their second PC which
was brilliantly executed by
Harmanpreet Singh as India
led 5-0.
India were in complete
control and were playing
hockey that had Japan constantly
on the back foot.
An outstanding bit of
play in the circle, opened
up a chance for Dilpreet
Singh to shoot from the top
of the circle.
His attempt was right
on spot taking India's lead
to a formidable 6-0 in the
45th minute. The final
quarter saw India giving
no room for Japan to score
a consolation goal.
India will take on Belgium
in their second match
on Thursday.