For the last few years, we’ve had just one man ruling the cricketing world and that’s none other than Indian captain across formats, Virat Kohli. It’s not for nothing that he’s known as King Kohli because he’s carved a niche for himself in the group of the most elite cricketers to have ever played the game.
For three consecutive years, Kohli was awarded the Wisden Leading Cricketer of the Year award and to be honest, he deserved it. There was no one who could compete with him until one man from England decided to step up – Ben Stokes. You look at home and you know he was born to play the sport. You look at him and you know he gives 200% each time he gets on to a cricket field.
The last 2-3 years have been a roller-coaster of sorts for him, starting from when he was involved in a pub brawl that saw him missing the Ashes in 2017. Being arrested and having to face the wrath of the media and public, his game was affected and we thought it was the beginning of the end of his career.
For months, he struggled. Got back to the side, toured India for the Indian Premier League (IPL) and much more, but he wasn’t the same. This of course, was all set to change in 2019 as the man had an unforgettable summer, which included a fabulous 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup followed by a career-defining Ashes 2019, which saw him snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in the Headingley Test.
And the determination one saw in him over the last 8-10 months is what made the crowds start loving him once again. It wasn’t too long ago that he dethroned Kohli as the leading cricketer in the 2020 Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack. He had a glorious 2019 and there’s no doubt that if anyone had to end Kohli’s monopoly in this award, it would be Ben Stokes!
The last time an Englishman won the Wisden Leading Cricketer of the Year award was way back in 2005 when Andrew Flintoff took home top honours. In fact, Stokes becomes only the second English cricketer to win it in 17 years of these prestigious awards. In case you missed that innings at Headingley, watch this:
For more updates from the sporting world, keep following ReadScoops.com.
