5 most deserving contenders for the 2018 ICC Test Player of the Year award

#1 Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli

Indian skipper Virat Kohli was undoubtedly the best Test batsman of 2018. If there were any doubts about him facing the red ball in English conditions, he cleared all of them. Scoring at least one century per series, he led from the front as a captain. Kohli topped the charts for most Test runs in 2018 by scoring 1322 runs in 13 matches at an average of 55.08.

A masterful, counterattacking 153 against a tough South African pace attack in a vicious pitch at Centurian started the glorious year for Kohli. His year ended with a similar knock of 123 in a tough pitch on a hot day at Perth.

However, the best of Kohli in 2018 came against England. Last time, when India toured England for a Test series in 2014, he had failed miserably with the bat. This time around, with 2 hundreds and 3 fifties, he ended up as the leading run-scorer by a long way. James Anderson couldn't get his wicket even once in the series, and the Indian captain proved his worth as a Test batsman in adverse conditions.

In addition to his batting, Kohli's captaincy was impressive too. His bowling attack looked inspired to pick up 20 wickets every match. By the end of the year, India would register four memorable overseas Test victories. 2018 was the year for Kohli to prove that he could score runs in tough conditions in away Tests. The manner in which he scored those runs makes him a great contender for this award.