Sportskeeda Cricket Awards 2017: Top 5 ODI captains of the year

#2 Virat Kohli

With MS Dhoni in the background, Kohli has been running the ODI ship adroitly

The year started with the shock resignation of MS Dhoni as limited-overs captain: while Kohli was primed for the job for a while, it took a while for fans to get used to the 36-year-old not calling the shots from behind the stumps. It was a call taken well ahead of the next World Cup, and Kohli had ample time to prepare for his first ICC tournament. He did not disappoint throughout the Champions Trophy, although the team did in the finals.

Having captained the Test team for more than three years now, Kohli is completely immersed in his role and knows it inside out. He throws his weight behind his bowlers and is well-versed with the strengths and weaknesses of each. With some help from Dhoni, his field placings turn out to be right more often than not.

For India, the year started after a happy home season, and after the first ODI series against England that year, where the side emerged winners 2-1, they did not play a single 50-over game till June. Starting as hot favourites to defend their Champions Trophy title, India did everything right, until their inexplicable collapse in the finals against Pakistan.

Post that, it was India all along, as West Indies, Sri Lanka and Australia were gobbled up with ease, despite a skirmish or two. What stood out was the way Kohli never let the intensity drop, rubbing off his good form on his teammates as they went about winning in ruthless fashion.