4 Indian players you might not know have won an ICC award

Since their inception in 2004, the ICC awards have been the most prestigious award ceremony in international cricket. The ICC selection committee is behind selecting the final nominees for every category. The ultimate winner is then decided by votes of a particular set of people that includes former international cricketers, umpires, and referees among others. The judging period is between September of the current year and September of the next year. Earlier the voting period used to be from 1 August of the current year to 31 July of the next year. The inaugural ceremony gave away awards in six different categories. Over the years, the categories have increased to nine in number. Women's cricket was brought into the reckoning for the first time in 2006.

In fourteen editions of the awards so far, eleven Indian players have won awards in different categories with four of them have won more than once. But among them, there are quite a few players who you might not know have also won an ICC award. In this slideshow, we will gaze through such players.

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#4 Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan made his Test and ODI debuts on India's tour of Australia in the fag end of 2003. His ability to swing the ball both ways brought him wickets more often than not. Given his skills with the ball, and the numbers to show for himself the ICC recognized him as an emerging talent. In the inaugural ICC Awards in 2004, he was awarded the 'Emerging Cricketer of the Year' trophy. During the voting period for the inaugural awards, he took 16 Test wickets at an average of 38, and 36 ODI scalps at an average of 23.19. His best figures were 4-24 against Zimbabwe in the VB Series in Australia in February of 2004.

Pathan's form deteriorated in late 2006, and he was ousted from the Test as well as ODI squads. He was not able to get his place back. Pathan is no more in selectors' scheme of things. He continues to live in the hearts of Indian cricket fans but his international career is as good as over. For a player adjudged as an emerging talent in his first year with the national team, the fall has been tragic, to say the least.

#3 Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara has done well for India at No. 3.

After the disastrous tour of Australia back in 2012, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman decided to hang up their boots. Everyone knew that the voids left by these greats would not be easy to fill. While Laxman's substitute still eludes the Test team, Dravid's shoes have been ably filled by Cheteshwar Pujara.

With loads of patience that he shows at the wicket and a textbook style of batting, Pujara always seemed to be Dravid's worthy successor. He stepped quietly on the Test scene after Dravid's retirement and plundered more than 2500 runs at an average greater than 75 in 2012 and 2013. Given he was still new to international cricket while he amassed those runs, the ICC recognized him as an emerging talent. At the ICC Awards in 2013, he was awarded the 'Emerging Cricketer of the Year' trophy.

#2 Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal has been instrumental in India's recent victories in limited-overs' cricket.

In the past one and a half year, Yuzvendra Chahal has shown how the addition of a leg-spinner to a bowling attack adds value to the squad, particularly in limited-overs' cricket. In T20Is in 2017, Chahal bowled 33 overs of leg spin and took 15 wickets while giving away runs at less than 7.5 runs per over. His most crucial contribution came in the last and the deciding game of the T20I series against England early last year. The ICC recognized the impact of his spell in the game and gave him the award for the best T20I performance of the year.

The series was tied before going into that match with each team having won one match each. It was a do-or-die situation for India. With England well-positioned at 117-2 in 13 overs in their chase of 202, it seemed India was going to lose the series. It was then that Chahal was brought back for another spell by Kohli. And he responded to his captain's call by taking five more wickets in his next two overs to end his spell with figures of 6/25. As a result, England was all-out before the 17th over was even finished, thus handing India a massive win.

#1 Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh made India proud at the ICC Awards in 2008.

No one can ever be regaled with the saga of the inaugural T20I World Cup without Yuvraj's onslaught against Stuart Broad in Durban being a part of it. The memories of him hitting Broad all around the park are still fresh in the minds of Indian cricket fans. No matter where he pitched the ball, no matter whether he came around or over the wicket every single ball of the nineteenth over of India's innings was dispatched for a six. He became the first batsman to hit 6 sixes in an over and completed his fifty in just 12 balls which, to date, remains the fastest fifty scored in international cricket.

His knock did not just entertain Indian fans but also made sure that India remained alive in the tournament, which they eventually won. The ICC recognized the impact of his knock and announced it as the best T20I performance of the year in 2008 ICC Awards. It was the first time the ICC had introduced the award, and though there were other fantastic performances vying for it, Yuvraj winning it ultimately was a perfect reward for a tournament-defining inning.