Kohli bags ICC's '2019 Spirit of Cricket Award' for his superb gesture during WC game

Kohli bagged the prize for his gesture during the Cricket World Cup match between India and Australia.

Dubai [UAE]: India's skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday won the ICC's '2019 Spirit of Cricket' award.

He bagged the prize for his gesture during the Cricket World Cup match between India and Australia.

During the match, a section of the Indian crowd was seen giving hostile reception to Australia's Steve Smith, and it was then Kohli turned away to the crowd and asked them to cheer for the Australian instead.

"Who remembers this gesture from Virat Kohli during #CWC19? The Indian captain is the winner of the 2019 Spirit of Cricket Award. #ICCAwards," ICC tweeted.

• Who remembers this gesture from Virat Kohli during #CWC19?
  
  The Indian captain is the winner of the 2019 Spirit of Cricket Award 🙌 #ICCAwards pic.twitter.com/Z4rVSH8X7x

  — ICC (@ICC) January 15, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Who remembers this gesture from Virat Kohli during #CWC19?
  
  The Indian captain is the winner of the 2019 Spirit of Cricket Award 🙌 #ICCAwards pic.twitter.com/Z4rVSH8X7x

  — ICC (@ICC) January 15, 2020

  ">

  Who remembers this gesture from Virat Kohli during #CWC19?
  
  The Indian captain is the winner of the 2019 Spirit of Cricket Award 🙌 #ICCAwards pic.twitter.com/Z4rVSH8X7x

  — ICC (@ICC) January 15, 2020

Kohli and Smith have been involved in some bitter banter in the past, but the Indian skipper showed his true sportsmanship spirit when he gestured towards a section of the Indian fans to stop booing at the former Australian captain and cheer for him instead.

As India and Australia locked horns at The Oval in London. Some Indian fans started booing at Smith and chanted "cheater, cheater".

Kohli, who was batting at that time, took notice of it and was clearly not happy with the fans' gestures. Showing his classy side, the Indian captain turned towards the stand and gestured at the fans to cheer for Smith and not boo at him.

ICC also announced Richard Illingworth as the 2019 Umpire of the Year.

Here's the complete list of ICC Men's Cricket Awards:

• Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for Best Cricketer of the Year Ben Stokes (England)
• Test Cricketer of the Year Pat Cummins (Australia)
• ODI Cricketer of the Year Rohit Sharma (India)
• T20I Performance of the Year Deepak Chahar (India, 6-7 v Bangladesh)
• Emerging Cricketer of the Year Marnus Labuschagne (Australia)
• Associate Cricketer of the Year Kyle Coetzer (Scotland)
• Spirit of Cricket Award Virat Kohli stopping the fans booing Steve Smith at the Oval
• David Shepherd Trophy for Umpire of the Year Richard Illingworth.