India captain Virat Kohli had something to cheer on Thursday when he was named ICC World Cricketer of the Year, a day after suffering his first test series defeat as skipper in South Africa.
The 29-year-old was rewarded for his prolific run in the qualification period from September 2016 to the end of 2017 when he amassed 2,203 runs -- including eight centuries -- in Tests, 1,818 in ODIs and 299 in Twenty20 internationals.
Kohli, who also led India to the top of the world's Test rankings during the period, received the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, which team mate Ravichandran Ashwin had won last year.
The top order batsman, who shone with the bat in South Africa even if his team dropped 2-0 behind in the three-test series, was also adjudged the ODI player of the year.
Australia's Ashes-winning captain Steve Smith was named the Test Cricketer of the Year, having scored 1,875 runs in 16 matches at an average of 78.12, with eight hundreds and five half-centuries.
Smith scored 687 runs at an average of 137.40 against England in the Ashes series to go with three centuries in four tests in India in early 2017.
ICC awards
Test team of the year: Dean Elgar, David Warner, Virat Kohli (captain), Steven Smith, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ben Stokes, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mitchell Starc, Kagiso Rabada, James Anderson
ODI team of the year: David Warner, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (captain), Babar Azam, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Ben Stokes, Trent Boult, Hasan Ali, Rashid Khan, Jasprit Bumrah
ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year - Virat Kohli (India)
Men's Test Cricketer of the Year - Steve Smith (Australia)
Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year - Virat Kohli (India)
Men's Emerging Cricketer of the Year - Hasan Ali (Pakistan)
Men's Associate Cricketer of the Year - Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)
Men's T20I Performance of the Year - Yuzvendra Chahal (6-25 v England) (India)
ICC Umpire of the Year - Marais Erasmus
ICC Spirit of Cricket - Anya Shrubsole (England)
Videos: Kind courtesy: ICC/Twitter
PHOTOS: Djokovic survives Melbourne furnace to beat Monfils
If Pandya makes silly mistakes don't compare him with me: Kapil
Aus Open PIX: Djokovic rallies, Sharapova to meet Kerber; Muguruza out
Kohli loses cool, snaps at media after Centurion defeat