Best of 2014: Virat Kohli and 4 Top Cricketers of the Year

With the ICC World Cup set to start in 2015, the current year was a fine period to assess performances of the players - Here is a look at the top five cricketers of the year.

Published: December 22, 2014 10:09 PM IST

By Aayush Puthran

Best of 2014: Virat Kohli and 4 Top Cricketers of the Year

With the ICC World Cup set to start in 2015, the current year was a fine period to assess performances of the players. Even as some players like Virat Kohli and dale Steyn carried forward their form from the previous years, Angelo Mathews raised his game in 2014 and became one of the heaviest scoring batsmen of 2014. However, the year belonged to Kumar Sangakkara, who scored heavily and as gracefully as he has ever done. Here is a look at the top five cricketers of the year.

1) Kumar Sangakkara: He has aged finely, almost unnoticed as he went on to trample records one after the other. He deserved a year like 2014 to get noticed by the world and put to question whether he is indeed the greatest left-handed batsman of all time. There will be objections, difference of opinion, but he cannot be taken out of contention every time the debate comes up.

He led the run-scoring charts in Tests and One-Day Internationals (ODI) with over a 1,000 runs in both formats. He retired from T20 Internationals earlier in the year after guiding Sri Lanka to its maiden title win on home soil. Through the process of the year, he also became the 23rd batsman to score 300 runs in a Test innings.

Kumar Sangakkara’s statistics in 2014

Format

Matches

Runs

Average

Strike Rate

HS

100s

50s

Tests

11

1,486

78.21

55.78

319

4

9

ODI

28

1,256

46.51

87.70

128

4

8

T20Is

8

119

19.83

103.47

52*

0

1

2) Angelo Mathews: Angelo Mathews has taken his game up by quite a few notches ever since taking over the leadership of the Sri Lankan side. The all-rounder was one of the heaviest scorers of 2014. He is the second highest run-scorer in ODIs and the third highest in Tests. Even as his exploits with the ball this year in nothing worth boasting about, he has done a fine job as a back-up seamer.

Angelo Mathew’s statistics in 2014

Format

Matches

Runs

Batting Average

Strike Rate

Wickets

Bowling Average

Economy

Tests

11

1,201

92.38

49.18

8

45.00

2.79

ODI

32

1,244

62.20

89.43

18

36.16

4.59

T20Is

9

126

21.00

129.89

6

23.16

6.22

3) Kane Williamson: The New Zealander has certainly been the young player of the year. Be it his ability to succeed across formats with a conventional technique or his inspired leadership, Kane Williamson was one of the finest performers of 2014. He even provided some vital breakthroughs with his part-time off-spin. He was New Zealand’s top run-scorer in all three formats.

Kane Williamson’s statistics in 2014

Format

Matches

Runs

Average

Strike Rate

HS

100s

50s

Tests

11

1,486

78.21

55.78

319

4

9

ODI

28

1,256

46.51

87.70

128

4

8

T20Is

8

119

19.83

103.47

52*

0

1

4) Dale Steyn: Yet again, not surprisingly, the South African pacer has been the finest bowler across formats n the 2014 calendar year. He bagged 70 wickets in 26 international wickets. The South African fast bowler also has one of the best averages (18.33) in Test cricket this year. He bagged 39 wickets in seven Tests this year at a mind-boggling strike-rate of 35.5.

Dale Steyn’s statistics in 2014

Format

Matches

Wickets

Average

Strike Rate

Economy

BBI

5Ws/I

Tests

7

39

18.33

35.5

3.09

6/34

3

ODI

14

22

26.54

31.4

5.07

4/34

0

T20Is

5

9

17.00

12.7

7.98

4/170

0

5) Virat Kohli: For the first time in his five and a half years career in international cricket did Virat Kohli face a prolonged loss of form. Nonetheless, despite that he made up for it with some scintillating performances. It was an ordinary year by his standards. Nonetheless, he was instrumental in India reaching the final of the 2014 ICC World T20. He also shined in Australia and New Zealand and against Sri Lanka at home.

Virat Kohli’s statistics in 2014

Format

Matches

Runs

Average

Strike Rate

HS

100s

50s

Tests

9

624

36.70

60.70

141

3

1

ODI

21

1,054

58.55

99.62

139*

4

5

T20Is

7

385

96.25

133.68

77

0

5

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