Indian cricketer Virat Kohli was named the Pubity Athlete of the Year for 2023 after he defeated Lionel Messi 78-22 in the final vote count.

Kohli and Messi in the final, with the former claiming 78% of the votes to win the Pubity Athlete of the Year 2023 title.

Pubity is an online community, spanning 20 channels. The popular Instagram page has over 35 million followers and their subsidiary channel - Pubity Sport - hosted the online poll between the legends of the sport, Virat Kohli and Lionel Messi.

Kohli had an amazing 2023, with the star batter returning to his best. He amassed eight tons and 10 half-centuries, scoring 2048 runs with the bat across formats

Messi, on the other hand, won the Ballon d'Or in 2023 for his exploits in 2022. He helped his former club Paris-Saint Germain win the 2022-23 Ligue 1 title, registering 41 goals and assists in as many games

Messi's shining moment came in Qatar in December 2022, when he lifted the elusive FIFA World Cup with Argentina

Cristiano Ronaldo, and Max Verstappen were pitted against one another in a knockout setup for online voting.

Sixteen athletes including the likes of Novak Djokovic, Pat Cummins, LeBron James, Erling Haaland, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Max Verstappen were pitted against one another in a knockout setup for online voting.