WATCH | 'Really honoured': Virat Kohli humbled after sweeping major ICC awards of 2017

India might've lost the ongoing three-match Test series against South Africa but that didn't stop Virat Kohli from sweeping major International Cricket Council (ICC) awards.

The Indian captain won The Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for Cricketer of the Year, ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year, and was also named the skipper of the ICC Test and ODI Teams of the Year.

Kohli had a phenomenal 2017, scoring huge runs in India's dominating display across formats. In the qualification period from September 21, 2016 to the end of 2017, he scored 2,203 Test runs at an average of 77.80 including eight centuries, 1,818 ODI runs including seven centuries at 82.63, and 299 T20I runs at a strike rate of 153. Kohli also captained India to the top of the ICC Test rankings.

The ICC and the Board of Control for Cricket in India put out a video in which the 29-year-old thanked the ICC for showering his with the prestigious awards.

"It means a lot to me to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, for becoming the ICC Cricketer of the Year 2017, and also the ICC ODI Player of the Year " said Kohli. "I won that award back in 2012 also but thie is the first time I'm winning the Sir Garfield Sobers trophy and it's a huge honour for me.

"It's probably the biggest award we have in cricket and two Indians winning it back to back makes it all the more special. Last time it was Ash (Ravichandran Ashwin) and this time it's me. I'm really, really honoured and I want to thank the ICC for recognising all the hard work we all put in for our respective sides. I want to congratulate all the other winners also for tonight's occasion."

Here's Kohli's message

A video message from @imVkohli, ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year and recipient of the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for Cricketer of the Year! #ICCAwards pic.twitter.com/ZsXmDZXta9

— ICC (@ICC) January 18, 2018

Watch Kohli's full message HERE

"Well, I think 2016 was a breakthrough year for me, and I was able to continue the same in 2017," added Kohli. "So it gives me great pleasure to know that if you work hard on your game you can achieve the same things you have in one particular year. Not to sit back on your achievements and become lazy. I think I've worked even harder in 2017. Obviously, when you get older you have to work harder each year.

"I understand that this has been a good phase for me, but I'll have to keep working even harder to maintain the same kind of cricket I've played in the last two years. But yes, 2017 was indeed a really special year for me."

Kohli was also humbled to be named the captain of the ICC Test and ODI teams of the year: "Well, it's again a huge honour for me to be named captain of both the teams. Look, we've won so much and I've been the captain throughout that period, so when the team's doing well you get recognised as a captain also.

"I want to give that credit to all my team-mates, who put faith in me as a captain and who believed in our motto as a team, and who worked hard every day of their lives. It's a collective effort. As they say, the captain is only as good as the team. So this is a gesture towards my team - I would like to thank them for making it possible to get those results which make me end up looking good as a captain. I think it's their hard-work, so I want to dedicate this particular award to all my team-mates."

Australian captain Steve Smith claimed the Test Player of the Year honour after scoring 1875 runs in 16 matches at an average of 78.12, with eight hundreds and five 50s.

This is the first instance since 2013 that the ODI Cricketer of the Year award has been won by a non-South African, with Quinton de Kock receiving the accolade for 2016 and AB de Villiers winning it in 2014 and 2015.

In the nominations for ODIs, Kohli was placed nominated alongside Pakistan paceman Hasan Ali, Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan and his own teammate Rohit Sharma.

Smith, meanwhile, averages 63.75 from 61 Tests, the second-best average of all time for those who have played more than 20 Tests. In the ICC rankings he has climbed to 947 points, just 14 shy of Don Bradman' high watermark of 961.

Smith beat off competition for the from last year's winner Ashwin, who took 111 wickets at 25.87, Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored 1,914 runs, Kohli, and Ben Stokes, who hit 1,000 runs at 40.00 and took 35 wickets at 27.68.

Among other awards, Yuzvendra Chahal's incredible haul of 6/25 against England in Bengaluru last year, was named as Twenty20 International performance of the year.

Chahal was named Player of the Match and Player of the Series for his performance -- the best by an Indian bowler in T20I history, and the third-best of all time. He is behind only Sri Lanka's Ajantha Mendis, who took 6/8 and 6/16 against Zimbabwe and Australia respectively.

Afghanistan's Rashid Khan was adjudged ICC Associate Cricketer of the Year after taking 60 wickets in 2017 -- a record for an associate player in a calendar year -- and 43 in ODIs, also a record.

(Inputs from PTI)