Mumbai: Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli has been nominated for the prestigious ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year 2025 award, standing as the only Indian player to make the elite shortlist.
Despite bidding farewell to Test cricket earlier this year, Kohli’s dominance in the 50-over format has remained unshaken. His consistency with the bat has once again reaffirmed his status as one of the finest ODI performers of his generation.
The list of nominees features top international stars including Joe Root, Matthew Breetzke, Shai Hope, Daryl Mitchell, Matt Henry, Adil Rashid, Sikandar Raza, Mitchell Santner, and Jayden Seales. Interestingly, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma did not make the cut, despite scoring nearly as many runs as Kohli this year, leaving fans and analysts surprised.
In 2025, Kohli has amassed 651 runs in 13 ODIs at an impressive average of 65.10, including three centuries and four fifties. His recent stellar form against South Africa, where he notched up two centuries and fifty in a single series, contributed to 302 runs alone.
The star batter is now set to appear in India’s domestic Vijay Hazare Trophy, marking his return to the tournament after nearly a decade. Earlier this year, Kohli also surpassed Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run-scorer in ODI history, with 14,557 runs in 308 matches. He already holds the record for most centuries in a single format, with 53 ODI tons, eclipsing Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing mark of 51 Test hundreds.
With such remarkable achievements, Kohli’s claim to the ICC honour looks stronger than ever — though the competition remains fierce.