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One Day Cricket is one of the three formats of the game of cricket. It is an exciting format, and it has offered some great matches. Test Cricket was the only format after the inception of the game. Subsequently, cricket evolved, and the ODI format was introduced in 1971. The first ever ODI was played between England and Australia at MCG.
Presently, twelve teams have permanent ODI status, but only ten teams will participate in the 2019 World Cup. Cricket has progressed significantly in the 21st Century, and the nature of the game has altered. The T20 format started in this century, and it has affected the ODI format. The batsmen have become more aggressive, as the teams manage to post big scores.
Several legendary Cricketers made their mark in the ODI Cricket. Many great players play the game in this century. Here, we discuss the best possible ODI eleven of the 21st Century.
#1 Matthew Hayden
Matthew Hayden was an explosive opener, and he had a marvelous career. The Australian opener was the architect of the Australian batting, and he gave a flying start to the team on many occasions. He helped Australia to two World Cup trophies.
Hayden was a regular member of Australia in ODI and Test Cricket. He made his ODI debut in 1993, but he did not have a bright start to his ODI career. He came back to the ODI team in 2000, and he was unstoppable after making his return.
Hayden was a pioneer in Australia's victory in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. He scored three centuries in the tournament. Hayden also became only the second player to score more than 600 runs in a single World Cup. He was voted the ODI player of the year in 2007. Hayden scored 6133 runs in 161 ODI matches at an average of 43.80
#2 Sachin Tendulkar
No cricket list would be complete without the Master Blaster. Sachin Tendulkar is known as the greatest batsman of all time. He holds several records of Test and ODI Cricket. He scored a lot of runs as an opener as he had great partnerships with Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag.
Tendulkar is the highest run-getter in ODI Cricket, and he played many awe-inspiring knocks in his long career. He was the first batsman to score a double hundred in ODI Cricket. He helped India lift the 2011 World Cup, and he was India's highest run scorer in the tournament. Tendulkar played 463 ODI matches, and he scored 18426 runs at an average of 44.83. Tendulkar also holds the record of scoring most number of centuries in ODI Cricket.
#3 Ricky Ponting
The Australian legend certainly deserves a place in this squad. He is one of the greatest players of Australian Cricketer who guided Australia to win three consecutive World Cups. Ricky Ponting was an excellent captain, and he won two One Day World Cup tournaments as a captain.
Ponting was a top-notch batsman, and he was equally good in both formats. He scored 13704 runs in 375 ODI matches at an average of 42.03. He is the third highest run-scorer in ODI history.
#4 Virat Kohli
The Indian skipper is currently the best batsman in the world, and he is a deserving candidate in this squad. He has been playing international Cricket for over ten years, and he is rated as one of the greatest ODI batsmen ever. Virat Kohli has played several memorable knocks in his career, and he is a magnificent player under pressure.
Kohli is known as the Chase Master, as he has guided India to chase down many big totals. He has 26 centuries while chasing and 22 centuries are in a winning cause. As a matter fact, he has 39 ODI centuries, and he has the second highest number of centuries in ODI Cricket. Kohli has scored 10385 runs in 219 ODI games at an astonishing average of 59.
#5 Shakib Al Hasan
Shakib Al Hasan is certainly the greatest cricketer of Bangladesh, and he is a top-notch all-rounder. He is a reliable middle-order batsman, and he is a competent spinner. He has been at the top of ICC all-rounder chart for a long time. Currently, he is the skipper of Bangladesh in T20 and Test formats.
Shakib made his international debut in 2006, and he has been playing cricket for 13 years. Shakib is only the third all-rounder to score 10000 runs and grab 500 wickets in international Cricket. He has scored 5577 runs in 195 ODI matches at an average of 35.07. Shakib has taken 247 ODI wickets at an average of 29.65.
#6 Jacques Kallis
Jacques Kallis is certainly the best all-rounder of the 21st Century, and he deserves a place in this list. Kallis achieved plenty of success in his illustrious career, and he is regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time. He is only cricketer to take over 250 wickets and score more than 10000 runs.
Kallis played international cricket for 19 years where he achieved incredible feats. In fact, he is the third highest run scorer in Test Cricket and seventh most top run scorer in ODI Cricket. The South African scored 11579 runs in 328 ODI matches at an average of 44.36. He also took 273 wickets with a bowling average of 31.79.
#7 MS Dhoni (w/c)
The former Indian skipper is one of the best players in the limited overs Cricket. MS Dhoni led India to win the 2011 Cricket World Cup where he played a memorable knock in the final. He is called the best finisher in the limited overs cricket, and he led India to victory from crunch situations.
Dhoni was extremely successful as a captain, and he won two World Cup trophies for India. He was the first non-Australian captain to win 100 ODI games. He gave up the captaincy in 2016, but he is currently a regular member of the Indian Cricket team. Dhoni has scored 10366 runs in 335 ODI matches at an average of 50.81. Dhoni won the ICC ODI player of the Year award twice in 2008 and 2009.
#8 Muttiah Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan is considered one the greatest spinners ever. As a matter of fact, he is the highest wicket taker in ODI and Test Cricket. He made his debut in 1992, and he played international Cricket for 19 years.
Muralitharan played five World Cup tournaments for Sri Lanka, and he reached three World Cup finals. He took a total of 67 wickets in World Cup, which is only behind Glenn McGrath on the list. Muralitharan took 534 wickets in 350 ODI matches at an impressive bowling average of 23.08.
#9 Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram is regarded as one of greatest pace bowlers of all time. The Pakistani bowler was known for his swing, and he had a remarkable pace. He was a magnificent bowler in his prime, and he was the backbone of the Pakistani bowling attack. Akram made his international debut in 1984, and he retired in 2003.
The left-arm fast bowler is the second highest wicket-taker in ODI Cricket. He took 502 wickets in 356 ODI matches at a bowling average of 23.52. Akram was also a handy lower order batsman.
#10 Glenn McGrath
Glenn McGrath was an essential member of the Australian team which dominated world cricket. McGrath is one of the best right-arm fast bowlers in cricket history. He played for fourteen years and achieved immense success in his career. In fact, McGrath took a total of 944 international wickets in his illustrious career.
McGrath played four World Cup tournaments, and he won three consecutive World Cups. He is the highest wicket-taker in the World Cup, where he took a total of 71 wickets. He grabbed 381 wickets in 250 ODI matches at an average of 22.02.
#11 Lasith Malinga
Lasith Malinga is undoubtedly one of the best bowlers of last decade, and he attained immense success in limited overs cricket. Malinga is an extraordinary death bowler who can bowl tight overs in last ten overs of a game. He is also adept of taking wickets at regular intervals. Malinga is a popular name in IPL, and he has the most number of wickets in IPL history.
Malinga has an unconventional bowling action, and he has many variations. He was the captain of the Sri Lankan team that won the T20 World Cup in 2014. He has taken 318 wickets in 213 ODI matches at an average of 28.75.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and they do not necessarily represent the views of Sportskeeda.
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