Who is the only Indian cricketer to have received the BCCI Polly Umrigar Award for International Cricketer of the Year three times?

Introduction / Context:
The Polly Umrigar Award is an important honour given by the Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI to the best performing Indian international cricketer in a season. This question asks which Indian player has received this award three times, a sign of consistent high level performance across multiple years.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The award is the BCCI Polly Umrigar Award for International Cricketer of the Year.
• The question requires the name of the only Indian cricketer to have won it three times.
• Options include Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin.
• We assume award history up to the period referenced in common exam material.

Concept / Approach:
Virat Kohli dominated all formats of international cricket for India across several seasons, scoring heavily in Tests, One Day Internationals and T20 Internationals. His consistency led him to receive the Polly Umrigar Award multiple times, eventually becoming the first player to win it three times. Sachin Tendulkar and others are legends but did not collect this particular BCCI award as often in the modern era.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall which cricketer was repeatedly highlighted at BCCI award ceremonies in the 2010s for outstanding international performances.Step 2: Virat Kohli, as captain and premier batter, accumulated massive runs and was honoured with the Polly Umrigar Award on three separate occasions.Step 3: Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag played much of their careers before this award became a regular annual highlight and did not win it three times.Step 4: Ravichandran Ashwin has won major awards including the ICC Cricketer of the Year but has not matched Kohli three time record for this specific BCCI honour.Step 5: Therefore, Virat Kohli is the only Indian cricketer to have received the Polly Umrigar Award three times.

Verification / Alternative check:
Verification can be done by looking at lists of BCCI annual award winners, where Virat Kohli appears repeatedly under the Polly Umrigar category. Many news articles celebrated him as the first three time winner, highlighting his dominance with the bat. In contrast, the award tallies for Tendulkar, Sehwag and Ashwin show fewer wins in this particular category, confirming that they are not correct answers.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A, Sachin Tendulkar, is a legendary batter but his main peak years predate the regular use of this award and he does not hold the record of three wins. Option B, Virender Sehwag, had explosive seasons but did not receive the award three times. Option D, Ravichandran Ashwin, while a highly successful all rounder and Test specialist, also does not match the three award count. Thus none of these options meet the specific condition given.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates instinctively choose Sachin Tendulkar for any all time record, forgetting that some honours were introduced later. Others may confuse this BCCI award with ICC awards or other trophies where different players lead. To answer correctly, it helps to link the Polly Umrigar Award three time record directly to Virat Kohli era of dominance in all formats of the game.

Final Answer:
The only Indian cricketer to receive the Polly Umrigar Award three times is Virat Kohli.