What’s the story?
Indian skipper Virat Kohli has been unveiled by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack as the cover for their 2017 edition. The 28-year old was rewarded for his prolific form across all formats last year.
Acknowledging the changing times, the image used was Kohli playing a reverse-sweep in a Test match. While he has mostly relied on orthodox shots which help him adapt to different situations, the right-hander unfurls the quirky ones from time to time.
The Background
Kohli finished 2016 as the highest run-scorer across all formats combined. He scored 2595 runs from 41 innings at an average of 86.50 including 7 centuries and 13 half-centuries. Be it Tests, ODIs or T20Is – the run-machine imposed himself on the arena with his solid temperament and eclectic stroke-play. It is pertinent to note that England all-rounder Ben Stokes featured on the cover for last year’s edition.
The Details
Founded in 1864 by County stalwart John Wisden, the Almanack is the oldest and most prestigious of all in the game. Running uninterrupted for 153 years, it is the longest reading sports annual in publication history. Lawrence Booth has been serving as the Editor-in-Chief since 2012.
2016 was undoubtedly Kohli’s year. After scoring 381 runs from 5 ODIs in Australia, he went on a breathtaking run in T20Is as evidenced by his remarkable average of 106.83. He capped off the year by leading from the front in India’s rise to the top of the Test rankings and subsequent 4-0 series victory against England. 2017 promises to be another eventful year after the Delhi dasher took over the limited-overs captaincy as well.
The 2017 edition of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is available in four varieties – hardback, paperback, large format hardback and e-book. You can pre-order the book at Bloomsbury Publishing’s official website.
Reactions
Here are a few responses to Kohli’s cover from cricket fans across the globe.
Sportskeeda’s Take
Kohli’s numbers in 2016 speak for themselves. Though the likes of Joe Root, Steven Smith, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada and Quinton de Kock had a memorable year too, the Indian captain’s irrepressible consistency tilted the scales in his favour.
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