5 most explosive ODI innings in 2015

As batsmen continue to become more innovative with their shot selection and creativity, new heights are being reached and new records are being set every single day. 2015 has been a good year for batsmen and ODI cricket has witnessed some of the most scintillating knocks.Let us look at the 5 most explosive ODI innings of the year. Both the total runs scored by the batsmen and the strike-rates concerned have been taken into consideration.Rohit Sharma's 150 against South Africa at Kanpur or Virat Kohli's 138 against South Africa at Chennai just fail to make it to this list!

#5 Luke Ronchi (170 against Sri Lanka at Dunedin)

Brutal and explosive would perhaps be an understatement for Ronchi's devastating counter-attacking knock against Sri Lanka in the 5th ODI at University Oval in January this year. With the Kiwis tottering at 93 for 5, Ronchi stitched together a mammoth partnership with Grant Elliott to guide their team to an imposing 360 for 5 off 50 overs.

If Elliott played a composed knock of 104 off 96 balls, Ronchi's innings was anything but. He mercilessly went after the bowling to finish with 14 fours and 9 sixes. He scored 170 off 99 balls at a strike-rate of 171.71.

Ronchi brought up the second fastest ODI 150 (off 192 balls) and registered the highest ODI score by a number 7 batsman bettering the previous record of 139 held by Dhoni. Sri Lanka could manage only 252 runs in reply and it was a comfortable victory for the Kiwis in the end.

#4 AB de Villiers (162 against West Indies at the SCG)

From crazy scoops to over ambitious lap shots, there is nothing perhaps that AB de Villiers cannot play. Bowl to him outside the off stump and yet you can trust him to sweep you over square leg for a six. It is because of his supreme skill and finesse, that he is sometimes referred to as the Lionel Messi of cricket.

It is unsurprising that de Villiers should make it to a list such as this, he having been in tremendous form of late. In the group stages of the World Cup against the West Indies, de Villiers was in brutal form as he powered his way to 162 off 66 balls.

The SCG witnessed a staggering display of power-hitting that day as ABD managed to achieve an incredible strike-rate of 245.45 in an innings that was decorated with 17 fours and 8 sixes. South Africa scored a mammoth 408 and comprehensively defeated the West Indies in that match.

#3 Chris Gayle (215 against Zimbabwe at Canberra)

No World Cup becomes special enough without a trademark destructive innings from Chris Gayle. As was expected from him, Gayle did not disappoint in the 2015 World Cup, bludgeoning his way to a career-best 215 off 147 balls against Zimbabwe.

The innings that came at Canberra during the group stages of the World Cup was special to say the least. Gayle's innings comprising 10 fours and 16 sixes had a strike-rate of 146.25. He coupled with Samuels who scored 133 off 156 balls to take the Zimbabwean attack to the cleaners.

The Windies posted an imposing total of 372 for 1 on the board in response to which Zimbabwe, their charge being led by a breezy 76 by Sean Williams, ultimately folded up for 289 runs.

#2 Martin Guptill (237 against West Indies at Wellington)

It has been a tremendous year for Martin Guptill as he brought up a record-breaking 30-ball 93 against Sri Lanka to guide the Kiwis to a comprehensive victory in the 2nd ODI at Christchurch. He achieved the second-fastest 50 en route to his 93 bringing up his half-century off 17 balls.

But the reason why he occupies the top slot on this list is because of the superhuman innings he played against the West Indies in the quarter-finals of the World Cup earlier this year. Guptill had powered his way to an astounding 237 off 163 balls in that innings at Wellington.

Guptill in that innings which comprised 24 fours and 11 sixes had a strike-rate of 145.39. The Kiwis posted a mammoth 393 on the board thanks to Guptill's effort and had an easy victory in the end to comfortably breeze through to the semi-finals.

#1 AB de Villiers (149 against West Indies at Johanesburg

Considering the form that AB de Villiers has been in this year, it's no surprise that he makes a second appearance in our list. He seems to have taken a particular fancy to the West Indies bowling attack as was evident from the superhuman innings he played against them in the 2nd ODI at Johannesburg in January this year.

The 149 runs he scored off 44 balls included 16 sixes and absolutely decimated the West Indian attack on that day. He recorded the fastest ODI century bringing up his 100 in 40 minutes and off just 31 balls. He also set the record for the fastest ODI half-century in that knock, bring up his 50 off just 16 deliveries. He had a strike-rate of 339 in that innings which became the highest strike-rate for any 50-plus knock in ODIs.

Records tumbled like nine-pins as South Africa scored an incredible 439 runs and defeated West Indies by a huge margin in that match. This truly deserves to be the most explosive ODI knock of the year. The records set by AB de Villiers in this innings are bound to stand for some time now unless of course he himself takes up the challenge of breaking them.