3 times a player was picked for the ODI World Cup due to the x-factor he possessed ft. Jofra Archer 

Voices demanding his axing from the ODI squad were getting louder with each failure of Suryakumar Yadav in the format. As a result, his selection for the ODI World Cup squad was looking doubtful before the ongoing series between India and Australia.

For now though, Suryakumar has somewhat answered those critics by playing a match-winning knock of 50 runs in the first ODI of a three-match series against Australia on Friday.

Suryakumar, whose T20 numbers are mind-blowing, struggled big time in the ODI format, averaging just 25.52.

Yet, the management's trust in the 'x-factor' he provides made them persist with him and select him in the 15-man ODI World Cup squad.

This is not the first time that a team has selected a player for his 'x-factor' in their ODI World Cup schemes.

In this article, we will discuss three such players who were picked by their respective teams because of the exceptional ability they possessed, despite ordinary or non-existent records.

#3 Gus Atkinson, England, 2023 ODI World Cup

When England announced their provisional 15-member squad for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, everyone was surprised to see the name of an uncapped player.

A tearaway fast bowler, Gus Atkinson was a surprise inclusion in the group, coming on the back of strong performances in the County Championship and The Hundred.

The Surrey quick clocked 95 mph in The Hundred and notably made English skipper Jos Buttler uncomfortable in the tournament, grabbing everyone's attention.

Interestingly, his last appearance in a professional fifty-overs game came two years ago in the Royal London ODI Cup, making his call-up a big surprise from England.

#2 Imran Tahir, South Africa, 2011 ODI World Cup

One of the best leg-spinners in the last decade of limited-overs cricket, Imran Tahir represented Pakistan U-19 in the 1998 World Cup. But he then decided to move to South Africa and adopt that as his home country.

Tahir made the googly his biggest weapon while plying his trade in SA first-class cricket. He continued to impress with his performances and was the third-highest wicket-taker in the 2008–09 first-class competition.

South African selectors were impressed with his skills and performance ahead of the 2011 World Cup. But the only problem was his citizenship, which he hadn't earned till then. It was only in 2011 that he became a South African citizen and was eligible to represent the Rainbow Nation.

Less than a week after he was naturalized, the leg-spinner was picked in South Africa's squad for the one-dayers against India.

However, he had to wait until the 2011 World Cup for his debut, as he got selected in the South African squad without playing any matches for the side.

He made an immediate impact and finished the tournament as South Africa's second-highest wicket-taker.

#1 Jofra Archer, England, 2019 ODI World Cup

England's first ODI World Cup win in 2019 had many heroes, but among the main protagonist has to be Jofra Archer. The former West Indian pacer was just phenomenal in the whole tournament with his all-phase immaculate bowling, taking 20 wickets in the tournament.

Born in Barbados to an English father and a Bajan mother, the possibility of Jofra Archer's inclusion in England's 2019 World Cup squad became the subject of much speculation.

England knew they had a special talent on their hands as they fast-tracked him, never mind concerns that his promotion might ruffle feathers among the fast-bowling group.

The gamble worked like a charm, as it was Archer who was trusted with the responsibility of Super Over in the final against New Zealand, where the English team emerged victorious.