One-Day International, commonly known as the ODI, is one of the most common and entertaining forms of cricket. It is also called 50-over cricket.
While one day internationals have slipped in popularity, the World Cup in its current configuration remains cricket’s most coveted trophy. As a result, the teams have placed a premium on the 50-over format, which has undergone several rule modifications to meet the expectations.
1. Sachin Tendulkar
During the 1990s, Sachin Tendulkar revolutionized the role of the opener in One-Day Internationals. While some excelled as run producers, others concentrated on batting throughout the innings, while a few excelled as pinch hitters. Tendulkar had the ability to do it all. In the 2003 World Cup, he was named Player of the Tournament. He was the second-highest run-scorer in India’s 2011 World Cup victory, despite being nearly 38 years old.
2. Rohit Sharma
In ODI history, no batsman has been as prolific as Rohit as an opener. At the top, he averages over 57, has a strike rate of over 92, and has banged 29 hundred, including three double tonnes. Rohit Sharma’s 264 is still the greatest ODI score, and no other batsman has ever scored 200 runs twice.
3. Virat Kohli
Kohli has already established himself as the best one-day batsman in history. If his high-fifties average is impressive, remember that he hits those runs at a strike rate of well over 90 percent, seldom slogging. When Kohli is on the chase, no one is safe.
4. Sir Vivian Richards
Sir Vivian Richards was easily the finest ODI batsman of his day, and he is unquestionably among the top five players in the format’s history. Sir Viv Richards exudes arrogance and menace in equal measure. In one-day international cricket, he averaged 47, a figure that was unheard of at the time. When he played ODI cricket, consistency was almost unheard of but he believed differently.
5. Ricky Ponting
Ponting was the captain of the Australian squad that didn’t just defeat but annihilated opponents. While he performed with the bat on a regular basis, his on-field decision-making was nothing short of amazing. As a result, under his leadership, Australia won two World Cups and as many Champions Trophy championships.
6. MS Dhoni
Between 2007 and 2016, Dhoni captained Team India, winning the World Cup in 2011 and the Champions Trophy in 2013. Along the process, he helped to develop a number of players who went on to become superstars in Indian cricket.
7. Shaun Pollock
Pollock’s command of the white ball was outstanding. Pollock would frustrate batsmen by bowling wicket to wicket deliveries, which frequently resulted in their playing a false stroke and being dismissed. In 303 games, Pollock collected 393 wickets at an average of 24.50, becoming him South Africa’s greatest ODI wicket-taker.
8. Wasim Akram
Many consider Wasim Akram to be the finest left-arm quick of all time due to his exceptional control of swing and seam. His 502 ODI wickets are second only to Muttiah Muralitharan’s 534 on the all-time list.
9. Shane Warne
Warne is an easy pick for the spinner’s position in the side because he is perhaps the finest spinner to have ever played the game. Warne, a bowler who could turn the ball a mile, added to the richness of spin bowling’s skill. He took 293 wickets at an average of 25.73 in 194 ODIs. Unlike most leg spinners, he was very economical with his bowling, with an economy rate of 4.25 in ODIs.
10. Lasith Malinga
Since his debut in 2004, Lasith Malinga has been a fantastic bowler for Sri Lanka. While his Test career was cut short because of his unusual slinging motion, he appeared in 226 ODI matches for Sri Lanka, taking 338 wickets with a high of 6/38.
11. Glenn McGrath
In ODIs, no bowler had as much influence as Glenn McGrath. McGrath, who was a driving factor behind Australia’s resurgence in the mid and late 1990s, only grew better with age. McGrath’s success with the white ball was built on his line and length, the same formula that propelled him to Test cricket’s summit.
