No surprise that Indian cricket team has had a great year and some remarkable achievements in 2016. Cricket fans and cricketers are going to cherish for long. Though 2016 began with a humiliating in 4-1 ODI series loss against Australia in Australia… in the very next T20I series as Men In Blue whitewashed the Kangaroos. Under the leadership of skipper MS Dhoni coupled by Virat Kohli's batting exploits and some impressive some performances, Indian team cleared their intentions ahead of World T20 2016.
Here is the list of ‘Top 10 Indian Cricketers of 2016’ with some obvious and least expected positions..!
1. Virat Kohli
Kohli, the phenomena, dominated the game like no one with his back to back breathtaking performances across all formats. Kohli accumulated 1,215 runs in the 12 Tests and went on slamming three triple centuries (4 centuries) by the end of 2016. His Test average is 75.93 in 2016. With 739 runs, Kohli averages 92.37 in 10 ODIs in 2016. The Delhi dasher smashed 4 ODI tons. Of 15 T20I games Kohli scored 641 runs, with 90* being highest. He averages 106.83 in the shortest format of the game and still remains a force to reckon with.
2. R Ashwin
72 wickets in 12 Tests are more than enough to prove how lethal this 30-year-old off-spinner was this year. Some even called Ashwin the Don Bradman in bowling and stats support Ashwin for that. Ashwin deserved to win the ICC Cricketer and Test Cricketer of the Year 2016 awards for his all-round performances against West Indies, New Zealand and England. The Tamil Nadu spinner was not only unplayable with ball but was effective with the bat too. Ashwin is only the fifth player in history of Test cricket to grab over 25 wickets and score over 300 runs in a series, during five-Test rubber against England. He has already won 7 man of the series awards in just 44 Tests. Only 6 players have won more such awards than him. Considering his form and penchant for wickets, there is a possibility that he'll top this table at the end of his career. In 17 T20I matches he played in 2016, Ashwin grabbed 23 wickets.
3. KL Rahul
The young Karnataka batsman has emerged as a future star for India. Playing under Virat Kohli in Indian Premier League did wonders to the 24-year-old opening batsman, who just like Kohli can play dominate any side in all three formats of cricket. On India's tour of Zimbabwe, Rahul became the first Indian cricketer to slam a century on his ODI debut. He has amassed 196 runs in 3 ODIs so far (all played this year) and remained unbeaten on all three occasions. The right-handed batsman also became only the third Indian batsman to have slammed a ton in a T20I game. Rahul did that in USA against West Indies which was only his fourth T20I match. He has scored 179 runs from 5 T20I games. But, it is his knack to play big knocks in Tests and ability to convert 50s into hundreds that has made him India's first choice opener. The second half of his calendar year 2016 was marred by injuries but the youngster had made it count on the occasions he has been given. He has hit two Test centuries, though less from his standards, in 7 Tests but scored 539 runs in 2016. His highest individual Test score 199 came against England at Chennai Test. But the youngster averaged 59.88 in the outgoing year.
4. Ravindra Jadeja
The left-arm spinner from Saurashtra has been in a perfect deputy to R Ashwin and has been another match winner for the side, especially in Tests. His performance against England at Chennai helped the hosts clinch series 4-0 and end the 2016 campaign with a win. Jadeja's contribution from bat has also been vital for the side, and his presence alongside Ashwin in the lower oder has given depth to India's batting order. Of 9 Tests he played in 2016 Jadeja has grabbed 43 wickets. In the 17 T20I games he played, the southpaw grabbed 17 wickets. As far as his batting his concerned, he's only behind Ashwin in the all-rounders' ranking table. Credit for this goes to his batting exploits. Of 9 Tests he batted in 14 innings and scored 375 runs, 90 being his highest.
5. Cheteshwar Pujara
There was a tremendous amount pressure upon this middle-order batsman before the start of the long Test season. Despite making his debut in 2010, the Rajkot batsman has been struggling to consolidate his position into the Test squad. He had a forgettable tour of Caribbean as the 28-year-old failed to make it big and was eventually dropped out of the side. But, Pujara came back strongly in the home series against New Zealand and England. He scored 3 Test centuries (101*, 124 and 119) and 4 fifties during Test series against NZ and England. Pujara, thus, accumulated 836 runs in 11 Tests and averaged 55.73. His partnerships with Murali Vijay and Virat Kohli in home Tests helped India seal series against England and New Zealand.
6. Karun Nair
The 25-year-old Karnataka batsman became only the second Indian batsman in India's Test history to score a triple hundred. He played a mammoth 303-run-knock against England at Chennai in the 5th and final Test. In the third and final session of 4th day's play of the 5th Test at Chennai, Karun brought up a historic triple hundred to join Virender Sehwag, who had done it twice with scores of 309 and 319. In doing so, he became highest individual score by an Indian at number 5 or lower, beating the previous best of 224 by Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Karun became only the 3rd batsman in Test history to convert maiden ton into triple. West Indies' Garry Sobers (365 not out Vs Pakistan in Kingston, 1958) and Bob Simpson (311 Vs England in Old Trafford, 1964) of Australia were the others.
Written by k Ravikumar kurnool
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