An extraordinary decade of Cricket is coming to a close with the last One Day International of 2019 already done and dusted. We have seen some extraordinary moments in the fifty-overs format in this decade with India, Australia and England crowned World titles and Virat Kohli taking over the mantle of batsman of the era from Sachin Tendulkar. Here we try to identify the best ODI team of the decade based on some prominent numbers.
Rohit Sharma
Choosing the openers in a World XI is no easy task, especially when there are quite a few exceptional openers in the game. However, Rohit Sharma in this decade is a no-brainer at the top of the batting order for his exceptional record in the format. The Mumbaikar made three double hundreds in the format including the record-breaking 264 against Sri Lanka and has an average of 53.56 with 28 centuries in the decade. He is also the second-highest run-scorer in this time frame.
Hashim Amla
The choice for Rohit Sharma’s partner was always between David Warner and Hashim Amla. The South African, though, has better numbers and more hundreds in the format in the decade. While Warner made 17 tons, Amla made 26, averaging 49.76 while nearly striking at 90. While his prowess waned in the last one year, Amla definitely had a better decade than most openers.
Virat Kohli
The Indian skipper and mainstay of India’s batting line-up, Virat Kohli, is undoubtedly the ODI batsman of the decade. He made 11125 runs since 2010, averaging a whopping 60.79 with an astounding 42 hundreds. An epitome of consistency, Kohli was instrumental in India’s rise as one of One Day cricket’s most formidable chasing sides ever.
AB de Villiers
The decade saw AB de Villiers slam the fastest fifty, hundred and 150 in One Day Internationals and the South African stole the show with some thunderous batting performances, most prominently in the 2015 World Cup. The South African middle-order batsman, an all-time great in the format, was at his brutal best in the format this decade, making 6485 runs (fourth best) at an average of 64.2 with 21 hundreds and a strike rate of 109.76.
Kumar Sangakkara
The choice for the no 5 position was a tricky one with Ben Stokes posing a stiff challenge as an all-rounder. But Kumar Sangakkara, who played the first half of the decade had good enough numbers to dominate the list. The Sri Lankan averaged 52.96 and is the sixth highest run-scorer this decade despite retiring in 2015.
Shakib Al Hasan
The Bangladesh all-rounder is a rather understated player across formats and deserves to be hailed as the all-rounder of the decade ahead of the likes of Ben Stokes, Jason Holder and Angelo Mathews. Shakib 4276 runs at an average close to 40 with the bat, scoring five tons. With the ball, he finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in the decade with 177 scalps in 131 matches.
MS Dhoni (c & wk)
The best ODI batsmen of the decade could be discussed over and over again but MS Dhoni might not be amongst the names discussed for his contribution almost always slips under the radar. Ridiculed for his performances in the last couple of years, Dhoni was undoubtedly the best keeper, captain and finisher in the format in this decade. He averaged over 50 while making 39 half-centuries and four tons batting below a strong top-order.
Mitchell Starc
With key performances in the 2015 and 2019 World Cup, Mitchell Starc, who topped the wickets chart in either tournament, is a sure shot pick in the ODI team of the decade. A fabulous new ball and death overs bowler, Starc’s yorkers and ability to polish up the tail was a sight to behold in this decade in ODIs.
Trent Boult
Another left-arm pacer who made a profound impact in the decade is the Kiwi swing bowler, Trent Boult. A potent new ball weapon, Boult destroyed teams with his ability to swing the ball back into the right-hander. Even as Lasith Malinga – the top wicket-taker of the decade – sits atop the wickets chart, Boult, with a strike rate of 29.7 including seven four-plus wicket hauls, is a standout bowler in the decade.
Imran Tahir
The South African leg-spinner made a debut in the 2011 World Cup as a Pakistani immigrant in the country but few anticipated him to have as much of an impact as he made. A spinner from South Africa making the team of the decade is in itself a rare achievement, but Tahir did so with aplomb, taking 173 wickets in 107 games at a stunning strike rate of 32.
Jasprit Bumrah
The tussle for the yorker specialist and death overs bowler was always between Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah, the two Mumbai Indians seamers. While Malinga obviously had longevity and pure numbers backing his case, Bumrah had a more impactful decade despite playing only since 2016. The Indian pacer has 103 wickets in 58 matches at a strike rate of 29.2 and an average of 21.88. In an era where run-scoring has become easy, Bumrah has managed to keep his economy under five while picking up wickets in plenty.