Rohit completes hattrick at ESPN Cricinfo Awards

Flamboyant opener Rohit Sharma on Monday won the prestigious Maruti Suzuki ESPN Cricinfo award for the third year in a row with recently-retired Black Caps legend Brendon McCullum winning the newly constituted ‘Captain of the Year’ award.

The awards were given for stand out performances across three formats for the year 2015.

Rohit, who has won the award for his ODI double hundreds in 2013 and 2014, has won it this time for playing the ‘T20 Innings of the Year’.

Rohit’s innings of 106 against South Africa at Dharamsala, has been rated as the best batting effort after voting from an eminent jury panel comprising former international captains like Ian Chappell, Courtney Walsh, John Wright, Mahela Jayawardene. The others in the panel were Ajit Agarkar, Sanjay Manjrekar, Russell Arnold, Mark Nicholas.

McCullum, who retired this year after breaking Viv Richards’ 30-year old record for fastest Test hundred, deservingly got ‘Captain of The Year’ award for leading New Zealand to ICC World Cup final.

“This is an award that has been constituted this year but we will be continuing with it from now on,” ESPN Cricinfo editor Sambit Bal told a news agency. England fast bowler Stuart Broad won the ‘Best Test bowling’ award by biggest margin of votes for his demolition act of 8/15 in the fourth Ashes Test in Nottingham where Australia were shot out for 60 in first innings.

The award for ‘Best Test Innings’ went to current New Zealand captain Kane Williamson for his 242 against Sri Lanka at Wellington.