In the 10th annual ESPNcricinfo Awards, which cricketer was honoured with the title of ‘‘Captain of the Year’’ for his leadership performances?

Introduction / Context:

ESPNcricinfo Awards recognise outstanding performances and leadership in international cricket across formats each year. The ‘‘Captain of the Year’’ category highlights the skipper whose decisions, results and influence stood out during the season. This question asks you to recall which player was named Captain of the Year in the 10th annual edition of these awards, a popular general knowledge topic for cricket loving exam aspirants in India.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The specific award is the Captain of the Year in the ESPNcricinfo Awards.
• It refers to the 10th annual edition of these awards.
• Options include Quinton de Kock, Hayley Williams, Ben Stokes, Virat Kohli and Steve Smith.
• We assume the award reflects overall captaincy performances during the relevant cricket season.

Concept / Approach:

During the period around the 10th ESPNcricinfo Awards, Virat Kohli was leading India in Tests and limited overs cricket, producing a series of strong results and successful run chases. His aggressive yet consistent leadership made him a natural choice for leadership based honours. While players like Ben Stokes and Quinton de Kock were recognised for individual performances, they were not primarily celebrated as captains at that time. Recognising Virat Kohli's reputation and India's strong record under his captaincy helps you identify him as the likely recipient of the Captain of the Year title in that edition of the awards.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Articles summarising the 10th ESPNcricinfo Awards list Virat Kohli as the Captain of the Year, citing India's successful run in all formats under his leadership. Other award categories in the same edition honour players such as Ben Stokes for specific innings or performances but not for overall captaincy. Reviewing such lists confirms that Virat Kohli, not the other listed players, was recognised with this leadership based award.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Option A (Quinton de Kock): Known primarily as a wicketkeeper batsman; he did captain at times, but he was not the ESPNcricinfo Captain of the Year in this edition.

Option B (Hayley Williams): This is actually the name of a singer and not an international cricket captain, which makes this option clearly incorrect.

Option C (Ben Stokes): An outstanding all rounder, often recognised for individual match winning performances, but he was not honoured as Captain of the Year in this specific context.

Option E (Steve Smith): A successful Australian captain during some years, but for the 10th ESPNcricinfo Awards, the leadership award referenced in this question was given to Virat Kohli.

Common Pitfalls:

Because several star players frequently win awards, candidates sometimes guess based purely on popularity. Another common error is to confuse performance based awards (for best innings or bowling spell) with leadership based awards for captaincy. Always focus on the exact wording: Captain of the Year clearly refers to the player's performance as a leader, not just as a batsman or bowler. Linking Virat Kohli strongly with Indian leadership success during this period helps you remember this fact accurately in exams.

Final Answer:

The ‘‘Captain of the Year’’ in the 10th annual ESPNcricinfo Awards was Virat Kohli.