Why was Virat Kohli not selected in ICC Test Team? Here is the real reason

Bengaluru, Dec 22: As the International Cricket Council (ICC) today (December 22) announced its Test team of the year, there was one name missing - Virat Kohli. This led to many questioning the process but the game's global body is right in not picking the Indian captain.

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The reason why Kohli has not found a place in the ICC Test Team of the Year 2016 is because those who are in the side have outscored him during the voting period of 14 September 2015 to 20 September 2016.

The Test team was picked by legends Rahul Dravid and Kumar Sangakkara along with Gary Kirsten. The trio would have taken into consideration all statistics of batsmen, bowlers and all-rounders before finalising the list.

To question this team selection is not right. The batsmen who made the cut - captain Alastair Cook, David Warner, Kane Williamson, Joe Root and Adam Voges have more runs than Kohli and they deserve to be there.

During the period for which the team selection is done, Kohli averaged 45.10 in 8 Tests with 451 runs. His highest score during this time was 200 against the West Indies.

After the voting period, from September 21 2016, Kohli has been in terrific form. The 28-year-old right-hander averages 80.33 since then with 964 runs in 8 Tests with 3 hundreds (highest score of 235 Vs England).

The numbers are good enough for Kohli to make the Test side for next year's ICC team when the voting period will be from 21 September 2016.

Even Australian captain Steve Smith, with 1004 runs (average 66.93 with 4 tons) during the voting period could not make it to the 11. He was picked as the 12th man.

The batsman with best average in the ICC Test team was Australia's Adam Voges. He scored 1087 runs in 11 matches at 90.58 with 4 hundreds (highest - 269 not out).

Kohli was named the captain of the ICC ODI team. Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja were the other Indians in the list.

Here are the numbers for batsmen in ICC Test team (all statistics from 14 September 2015 to 20 September 2016, the voting period)

David Warner - 11 matches, 1,020 runs, average 56.66, 4 tons

Alastair Cook - 14, 1,269, 55.17, 2 tons

Kane Williamson - 11, 1194, 74.62, 4 tons

Joe Root - 14, 1272, 55.30, 2 tons

Adam Voges - 11, 1087, 90.58, 4 tons

Ben Stokes - 9, 545, 36.33, 1 ton, 20 wickets

Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper/batsman) - 14, 1,246, 59.33, 3 tons, 59 catches, 2 stumpings

Steve Smith (12th man) - 11, 1004, 66.93, 4 tons

Virat Kohli - 8 Tests, 451 runs, 45.10, 1 ton. Kohli since 21 September 2016 - 8 matches, 964 runs, 80.33, 3 tons, highest - 235

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