Kohli, Mandhana bag Wisden Leading Cricketer of the Year award

Virat Kohli adjudged Wisden Leading Cricketer of the year award

Bengaluru, April 10: Virat Kohli was Wednesday (April 10) named as the Leading Cricketer of the year for the third successive time by the 2019 edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. Indian women opener Smriti Mandhana bagged the women's Leading Cricketer of the Year. The Five Cricketers of the Year are chosen by Lawrence Booth, the editor of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.

1. Virat Kohli

Kohli, who amassed 2735 runs across the three formats in 2018, was picked as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the year. The Indian skipper is only the third cricketer ever to have won the award more than three times after Don Bradman (10 times) and Jack Hobbs (8 times). Kohli had notched up 593 runs in five Tests at an average of 59.3 during India's 1-4 loss to England and ended the year with five centuries to his name.

2. Smriti Mandhana

Mandhana was rewarded for scoring 669 and 662 runs in ODIs and T20Is last year. She also amassed 421 runs at an astounding strike rate of 174.68 in the women's Super League.

3. Rashid Khan

Afghanistan leg spinner Rashid Khan was named the Leading T20 Cricketer of the Year for the second year in a row, following his superb performance last year. He took 22 wickets at an average of 8.68 for Afghanistan in T20Is, besides scalping 21 wickets in the Indian Premier League 2018.

4. The winner's list

Virat Kohli, Tammy Beaumont, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran and Rory Burns. "Despite finishing on the losing side, India captain Virat Kohli shone with the bat, laying to rest his struggles in England in 2014," said Booth. "His Test batting, especially in England, was magnificent, while his 50-over form moved to a new level - if that was possible."