India's 5 most valuable ODI players of 2016

If there was a format in 2016, which India did not play as much as the rest, it was the 50 overs one. However, despite the lesser amount of matches, some of the members put in some fine performances with both bat and ball and we now look at the 5 Most Valuable Players for India in that format in 2016:

5.Amit Mishra

The leg-spinner, who has often been limited to the Test format, showed his class in the 50-over format in 2016, picking up 15 wickets in the 5 matches that he played in. The 33-year-old played just one series for the Men In Blue against New Zealand but showed that he could be as effective in coloured clothing as he is in the whites.

In each of those games, Mishra picked up a minimum of two wickets and rounded off the series with a five-wicket haul in Vizag, that helped India win the series 3-2. He was awarded the Player of the Series for his performance in the series.

With the teams set to host England in three ODIs and three T20Is next month, Mishra will look to step up and perform yet again, thereby keeping his chances of continually playing in the limited-overs format alive.

4.Rohit Sharma

The right-handed opener once again had a very good year as far as playing in the coloured clothing is concerned. Rohit scored 564 runs in 10 matches, that included an unbeaten knock of 171 which he made in his very first ODI of 2016 against Australia at the WACA in Perth.

He backed that up with another ton in the next match at Brisbane and in the final match of the same series, he was unlucky to miss out on a third century, falling for 99. After a poor first four games, he bounced back in style in the 5^th and deciding game of the series against New Zealand, scoring an important 70 which helped India post a good total on the board.

Rohit is unlikely to be fit in time for the limited-overs series against England and will look to do well in the IPL and the Champions Trophy later in the year.

3.Umesh Yadav

Perhaps, India’s most improved bowler of 2016 in the limited-overs format. In the past 18 months or so, Umesh Yadav has been pigeon-holed as a Test bowler. But the Vidarbha pacer showed improvements in his bowling, after a poor start to 2016 in the series, against New Zealand at home.

In the 5 matches that he played in that series, Umesh picked up 8 wickets and was very impressive with the new ball, an area which he has struggled in the past, leaking far too many runs for the team’s liking.

However, in the series against New Zealand, he was a lot more consistent and was rewarded with some early breakthroughs that helped both him and the team.

There is talk that he, along with a few other bowlers may be given a breather for the limited-overs series against England, but if he does play then he will surely look to carry his form into that series as well.

2.Virat Kohli

The lynchpin of India’s batting line-up, Virat Kohli once again had a very good year with the bat, amassing 739 runs in 10 matches to finish as India’s top run-getter of the year. The right-hander began the year in fine fashion, scoring a hundred each at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Manuka Oval in Canberra against Australia.

Kohli had an equally good outing in the series against New Zealand at home, where in the 3^rd game of the series, he made an unbeaten 154 in pursuit of a big total at Mohali to give a 2-1 lead in the series.

If picked in the limited-overs series, Kohli would hope to carry on from where he left off in the Nee Zealand series and make it big over there.

1.Jasprit Bumrah

India’s biggest find of 2016 and their best limited-overs bowler in the year, Bumrah finished as India’s highest wicket-taker with 17 scalps in 10 matches and resolved one of MS Dhoni's biggest problems, which was the lack of a quality death bowler.

Bumrah usually came on to bowl first change and with the semi new-ball kept the runs down, but his real role came at the back end of the innings when he consistent yorkers at a very good pace to restrict the runs.

If there is one area where Bumrah may have to work a bit is his notorious ability to step over the line and if he can cut that down, then it would surely help his team further.