The year 2023 is about to end, and now is the right time to judge and compare what we saw in the previous 12 months.
Many of the players we saw this year impressed us, whereas a few, quite predictably, did not.
The World Cup, held in India in October and November, was naturally the showstopper of the year, and a lot of the players who performed well there earned plaudits in our eyes.
In this feature piece, we take a look at the five key players of 2023:
1. Virat Kohli
Perhaps the world's number one batsman, Virat Kohli's form seemed to be ebbing this year. However, he got it back in style in the ICC Cricket World Cup.
He ended up becoming the tournament's leading run-getter and reclaimed his spot at the top of the table with ease and grace. Kohli, who also equalled Sachin Tendulkar's record of scoring 50 centuries in ODI cricket this year, is set to continue in the same vein of form next year.
He is perhaps India's best batsman at the moment and adds considerable weight to its top and middle order.
2. David Warner
Australian opener David Warner, often referred to as the 'pocket dynamo,' is all set to call time on his Test career after the Sydney Test in January 2024.
This year, he had a fabulous time and was critical for Australia winning the World Cup.
Warner's dynamic batting at the top of the order offers a lot of variety to the Aussies. Warner, who has decided to continue playing in ODIs and T20Is, will play an essential role for the Kangaroos in the T20 World Cup, slated to be held in the Caribbean and the United States next year.
3. Rohit Sharma
India captain Rohit Sharma deserves to be on this list purely because he led his team to the final of the World Cup.
Sharma, who also opens the innings for the Men in Blue, shows precisely why he deserves to do so. Like his predecessor, Virender Sehwag, Sharma knows how to throw caution to the winds when playing against the new ball.
In the World Cup, Sharma was brilliant in executing these plans and giving India an excellent platform to score big.
Even while chasing, Sharma led from the front and allowed his team to settle in by giving them enough time to chase the runs down. Sharma is a classy batsman known best for the pull shots he plays off the front foot.
4. Rachin Ravindra
New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra won everyone's hearts with his stunning show in the World Cup, but to be fair, he had been knocking on the door of the Black Caps for quite some time before that.
Ravindra, who is often asked to open the innings for New Zealand, is a player who knows how to strike the right balance between attack and defence.
His classy drives are the hallmark that proves that he is a top batsman who can take on any attack in the world. Ravindra was also rewarded for his stellar showing this year with a contract in next season's IPL with the Chennai Super Kings.
The Kings, the IPL defending champions, will look to use his services well. Ravindra can also turn his arm over and bowl decent left-arm orthodox spin.
5. Glenn Maxwell
Who else but Glenn Maxwell can make this list? In all likelihood, one can argue he was the man who single-handedly won Australia the World Cup.
If not for the stellar double-century he scored against Afghanistan in a game that the Aussies desperately needed to win, the eventual champions would not have been able even to make it to the playoffs.
Maxwell's handy off-spin also helped skipper Pat Cummins add a bit of variety in the middle overs. Now playing in the Big Bash League for Melbourne Stars, Maxwell is expected to turn out for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL next season.
Indian fans can expect to see him up close again and appreciate what he brings.