Virat Kohli - pet obsession of the cricketing world, and admittedly also ours - makes it to the lists of winners and losers of 2018.
Why?
Well, remember that remark by veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah about the India captain being "the world's best batsman and the world's worst-behaved player"? It sort of makes sense.
It will be fascinating, therefore, to see which Kohli turns up next year: Good Kohli, or Bad Kohli, or both.
Meanwhile a few slow bowlers have made our 2018 winners' list, precisely because spinners have done well this year - especially leg-spinners, and particularly in Twenty20 cricket.
We haven't profiled just individual personalities but entire teams as well. It is also worth noting that the presence of certain names in certain lists, such as that of England's Jonny Bairstow, might leave you puzzled. But we have our rationale, so bear with us.
The winners' list is in the photo gallery above, while the losers' one is in the one below. To move on to the next photo, click on the arrows, or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.
Happy viewing.
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Virat Kohli had an excellent year with the bat. But his image as a role model may have taken a beating. His needless rant at an Indian fan, asking him to leave the country for saying he enjoyed watching England and Australia batsmen play more than he did Kohli, was immature at best and bigoted at worst. His run-ins with the media in South Africa and England betrayed a siege mentality, and his confrontation with Australia captain Tim Paine in Perth garnered mixed reactions in India and abroad. Michael Dodge / Getty Images -
Australia's cricket establishment was mired in a crisis this year after Steve Smith, left, David Warner, right, and Cameron Bancroft admitted to being involved in a ball-tampering episode during the Cape Town Test against South Africa. The trio was suspended and some of Cricket Australia's top office-bearers resigned. Justin Langer was appointed coach in place of Darren Lehmann, and it was decided that the team had to weed out their hyper-competitiveness and a win-at-all-cost mentality that had made them successful but unlikeable. It also meant having a relook at sledging. Dave Hunt / EPA -
It has been one of the worst years for Sri Lankan cricket fans. Their team did not make it to the final of a competition they hosted - the Nidahas T20 - nor did they make it past the first round of the Asia Cup in the UAE, being pipped by Bangladesh and Afghanistan, both less accomplished sides, in their group. They were also beaten by England in a home Test series. Add to that, Sri Lanka Cricket has witnessed extremely damaging turf wars between factions that have led to mass resignations of selectors and key board members. Pawan Singh / The National -
Sarfraz Ahmed's captaincy has come under scrutiny following the Pakistan team's chequered performances in 2018. They failed to qualify for the Asia Cup final in the UAE despite going into the tournament as favourites and with 'home advantage'. Their 2-1 Test series defeat to New Zealand in Abu Dhabi made it worse. And although they beat Australia in the Test and T20 series shortly before that, Pakistan's batsmen have been criticised for being unable to deliver while under pressure. The spotlight will, therefore, be on Sarfraz over the next few months. AP Photo -
When Lokesh Rahul looks back at 2018, the India opener will have just the one century he scored against England - that, too, in a dead rubber - worth remembering. He did score a wonderful fifty in the Asia Cup against Afghanistan, but he will rue the fact he has still not managed to hold down a place in the ODI side. He endured a poor first two Tests in Australia before being dropped for the ongoing match in Melbourne. His technique and penchant to go after the opposition bowling too early in the innings are primary reasons for his failure. He will have much work to do in the new year to regain his place. Ryan Pierse / Getty Images -
Murali Vijay will remember 2018 as the year he got dropped from India's Test team not once but twice. His struggles at the top of the order meant he was dropped midway through the Test series in England. He failed to cash in after being asked to open in the ongoing series Down Under in the absence of the injured Prithvi Shaw. Like opening partner Lokesh Rahul, Vijay was also dropped for Melbourne. At least Rahul has age on his side - he is only 26. Vijay, eight years older, must think his days as an international cricketer are numbered. AFP -
Another ageing player under pressure to keep his place in the Indian team, MS Dhoni has struggled with the bat all year. And the selectors and the paying public are beginning to lose their patience with the former captain. Fans were heard booing the otherwise popular figure during a game in England this year. That he is still playing is down to his reputation as India's twice World Cup-winning captain, his considerable experience, and the respect he still holds among his teammates - particularly current captain Virat Kohli. Having said that, the wicketkeeper-batsman had some memorable moments at the Asia Cup in the UAE, where he had the chance to lead the side for one game. His famous intuition was for all to see when he gave stand-in captain Rohit Sharma tactical advice that changed the course of a few matches. Pawan Singh / The National -
It is admittedly odd to have Jonny Bairstow in this list, especially because he had a decent year. The England wicketkeeper-batsman is still ranked in the top 20 in Tests and one-day internationals. He hit two hundreds and as many fifties over 20 Test innings in 2018. He also scored four of his six ODI hundreds this year. But it was nonetheless a troubled 2018 for him, getting injured during the home Test series against India and then losing his spot in the side to the up-and-coming Ben Foakes, who cashed in with a hundred in his first match in Sri Lanka. The fact that Jos Buttler is also in the XI - albeit playing purely as a batsman - helps England immensely, as it gives the management options, but may not do Bairstow any favours. But rest assured he will be fighting hard to regain his place in 2019. Reuters -
This is not as left-field a choice as that of Jonny Bairstow. Dale Steyn only just took his 422nd Test wicket - against Pakistan in Centurion on Wednesday - to become South Africa's highest wicket-taker. That being said, the fast bowler has had a near-barren 2018 during which time he took just five wickets before the Centurion game. In fact, it took more than three and a half years for Steyn to get from wicket number 400 to 422. The only reason for that has been a lack of match fitness: Steyn has suffered a string of career-hampering injuries since 2015. But if the 35 year old is to be believed, better days are in store for him, which is certainly not bad news from a neutral fan's perspective. Christiaan Kotze / AFP -
The England team management's biggest problem has been its inability to find quality Test openers six years after Andrew Strauss retired. To complicate matters, his opening partner Alastair Cook ended his career this year. England have persisted with the young Keaton Jennings, who scored a hundred in Sri Lanka recently but has otherwise been below par. Troubling for England is the fact that Jennings is the 11th player to be tried in the opener's role since Strauss' retirement. Rory Burns and Jack Leach were the latest candidates to be tried with Cook having left the scene. Alastair Grant / AP Photo
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Good, bad and ugly of cricket in 2018: UAE taking centre stage, Virat Kohli's behaviour and ball-tampering
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