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Cricket is a team sport, and is solely played with ample skills as well as deep understanding between teammates. While it is said that a game is won due to equal contribution between the playing 11, a few players always manage to make it to the record books. By the end of every year and every month, a few names make it to top performers. As we are about to bid adieu to 2023, we are here for the SportsTiger Awards for those who made their mark in the game of cricket.
List of SportsTiger Awards 2023
The names that emerged as the best in cricket in the calendar year 2023 are:
SportsTiger Men's Bowler of the Year 2023
Indian bowler Mohammed Shami had a fantastic campaign in the year 2023. The 33-year-old had a memorable assignment in the ODI World Cup 2023, where he finished the tournament as the leading wicket-taker with 24 dismissals. Talking about his overall performance this year, Shami picked a total of 43 ODI wickets in 19 innings, averaging 16.46 and an economy of 5.32 in 2023. In the Test format, Shami picked a total of 13 wickets in 8 innings with an average of 31.92.
SportsTiger Women's Bowler of the Year 2023
Australia all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner emerged as the best bowler in women’s cricket in 2023. Gardner picked 21 ODI wickets in 10 innings, with an average of 13.52 and an economy of 3.82. In four Test innings, the 26-year-old cricketer picked 17 wickets at an average of 16.64, while the number changes to 17 wickets in 14 matches averaging at 19.7 and economy of 7.33.
SportsTiger Men's Batter of the Year 2023
Our pick for the batter of the year (male) is former India captain and global batting icon Virat Kohli. The batter bounced back in the game in 2023, following an underwhelming run from 2020 to 2022. Kohli broke records day and night, left and right, and explained why he is simply the best batter in modern-day cricket. In the 2023 ODI World Cup campaign, the Delhi boy broke the record of his idol, Sachin Tendulkar, as he reached the 50 ODI centuries mark.
Speaking of runs, Kohli scored 1377 runs in 24 ODI innings, with an average of 72.47. The batter pulled off six centuries this year, along with eight half-centuries. In the longest format, Kohli scored 595 runs in 11 inns with an average of 54. 09. The batting wizard hit two centuries and one fifty in the whites.
SportsTiger Women's Batter of the Year 2023
Sri Lanka all-rounder and T20 captain Chamari Athapaththu is the well-deserved SportsTiger batter of the year. The 33-year-old scored 415 runs in 8 innings, with an average of 69.16 and a brilliant strike rate of 125.37. In the T20Is, she scored 470 runs that came from 16 innings, with an average of 31.33 and a strike rate of 130.91. Athapaththu had a memorable outing in the WBBL, where she finished as the Player of the Tournament. She was the second-highest run-scorer as well as nine wickets and conceded just 6.79 runs per over.
SportsTiger Captain of the Year 2023
Australia skipper, Pat Cummins, destroyed all his critics, as he showcased calm nerves and pure class this year as a player as well as a leader. Cummins led his side to several glories this year, and needless to say, it is the most memorable year of his career. Cummins-led side won the WTC 2023 Finals, and ODI World Cup 2023, and retained the 2023 Ashes Trophy. Along with this, he and his side won four Test matches and 10 ODI games.
SportsTiger Cricketing Moment of the Year 2023
2023 has been an eventful year, especially when it comes to cricket, With tournaments like the IPL 2023, Asia Cup 2023, World Test Championships Final, ODI World Cup 2023, and several others, the year has given fans so much to celebrate, reminisce about and so much more. The best cricketing moment in 2023 for us has to be from the IPL 2023 Final. CSK all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja smashed a boundary on the last ball and helped MS Dhoni lift the fifth IPL trophy.
After hitting the last-ball boundary, Jadeja was seen sprinting towards the skipper and embracing him tightly. Dhoni was left in tears and he reciprocated the gesture by lifting Jadeja in an affectionate hug. While there were several other moments, this one remains special to fans even after more than six months.
SportsTiger Funniest Cricketer of the Year 2023
Indian wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan has emerged as one of the most talented faces in the current India squad. Apart from his skilled game tactics, the cricketer is also known for his good sense of humor. Throughout the year, the cricketer has been the reason behind several laughs and smiles. His humorous mic stumpings went viral during his debut Test match. Not only this, but he also likes to be a part of several pranks and mischiefs while he travels with the team, as seen on his social media.
