Ranking the 10 best ODI captains of 2018

As 2018 comes to an end, it is that time of the year when we retrospect how players, teams, captains, and umpires have done in the past 12 months. 2018 has been an entertaining year for ODI cricket with a lot of high scoring games.

England are currently the World No.1 ODI team in the ICC rankings, closely followed by Team India. We are just a few months away from ODI crickets greatest spectacle, 2019 ICC World Cup in England and everyone’s attention slowly turning towards the 50-over format.

Eoin Morgan, Kane Williamson, and Virat Kohli have had a wonderful 2018 as a player and captain. On the other hand, Sarfraz Ahmed and Jason Holder struggled to win games for Pakistan and West Indies respectively.

Here in this article, we rank the ODI captains based on their win percentage (minimum of eight games as captain).

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#10 Sarfraz Ahmed, Pakistan

Pakistan v New Zealand - 1st One Day International

Pakistan hasn't had a great 2018 in One Day Internationals. Though they were stunning in Twenty20, they struggled in the 50-over format. The lost 5-0 away at New Zealand and then made amends with a 5-0 win over Zimbabwe.

However, they faltered in the Asia Cup and also drew 1-1 against New Zealand at UAE. Sarfraz Ahmed had a win percentage of 47.05 for Pakistan in One Day Internationals during the past 12 months.

#9 Jason Holder, West Indies

New Zealand v West Indies - 3rd ODI

2018 wasn't a great year for the West Indies. They started it with the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe. Though they have qualified for the World Cup, they failed to win the tournament as they lost to Afghanistan in the final.

They then lost twice against Bangladesh and once against India. Holder captained his team in 15 games this calendar year and won only seven of them.

#8 Kyle Coetzer, Scotland

Scotland v England ODI

Scotland is struggling to stamp their authority at the biggest stage. They have failed to qualify for the 2019 ICC World Cup and also lost the tri-nation series in UAE which involved Ireland and the United Arab Emirates.

However, they defeated England in one-off ODI. Kyle Coetzer had a win percentage of 61.11 (five wins from nine games) for Scotland in One Day Internationals during the past 12 months.

#7 William Porterfield, Ireland

England v Ireland - Royal London ODI

Ireland started the year with a series win in the tri-series but failed to qualify for the 2019 ICC World Cup as they faltered in the qualifiers. They then lost 2-1 to Afghanistan at home. In 13 One Day Internationals they played this calendar year, they won eight and lost five. William Porterfield had a win percentage of 61.53 as the captain of Ireland in 2018.

#6 Mashrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh

Bangladesh v India - ICC Champions Trophy Semi Final

2018 was a mixed one for Bangladesh. They lost the tri-nation series which involved Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Bangladesh then defeated West Indies 2-1 away from home but lost the Asia Cup.

They also whitewashed Zimbabwe 3-0 and then defeated West Indies 2-1 at home. Mashrafe Mortaza had a win percentage of 65.11 (13 wins from 20 games) for Bangladesh in One Day Internationals during the past 12 months.

#5 Virat Kohli, India

England v India - 3rd ODI: Royal London One-Day Series

Virat Kohli has had a phenomenal 2018. He was exceptional in all three formats and scored a truckload of runs. He has captained India in 14 ODI games during the past 12 months and won nine of them.

His only series defeat in 2018 came against the rampant English side. Apart from that, Kohli's men defeated West Indies 3-1 and South Africa 5-1. India also won the Asia Cup in 2018 but Rohit Sharma led the side throughout the tournament as Kohli was rested.

#4 Asghar Afghan, Afghanistan

Asghar Afghan

Afghanistan continues to surprise us. They have produced some exciting cricketers over the years and 2018 is no different. They defeated West Indies in the finals of the 2019 ICC World Cup qualifiers to confirm their World Cup place.

They destroyed Zimbabwe 4-1 and defeated Ireland away from home. 2018 Asia Cup turned out to be a disappointment for Asghar Afghan & Co. as they failed to qualify for the finals. All in all, Asghar Afghan lost only four ODI games in 2018.

#3 Kane Williamson, New Zealand

Pakistan v New Zealand - 1st One Day International

Kane Williamson & Co. has had a good 2018. They started the year with a thumping 5-0 win over Pakistan at home. Though they lost 3-2 against England in home conditions, they drew 1-1 against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.

All in all, the New Zealand skipper has led them well and lost only three of the 11 ODI games he captained in 2018. He also had a great year with the bat and scored consistently in all three formats of the game.

#2 Faf du Plessis, South Africa

Australia v South Africa - 3rd ODI

Though Faf du Plessis struggled with injuries in 2018, he has led them well whenever he was fit. The year started on a sour note for the Proteas as they lost 5-1 against India at home. However, they bounced back to beat Sri Lanka 3-2 and then Zimbabwe 3-0.

They have also toured Australia and beat them 2-1. Faf du Plessis has lost just two of the eight games (win rate - 75%) captained South Africa.

#1 Eoin Morgan, England

Sri Lanka v England - 5th One Day International

Undoubtedly the best ODI team of 2018. They have played a lot of ODI games in 2018 and were mighty impressive throughout the calendar year. They defeated Australia 4-1 away from home and then beat the Kiwis 3-2. England then annihilated Australia 5-0 and beat India 2-1. They toured Sri Lanka in October and defeated them 3-1.

Morgan has won 16 of the 22 ODI games he captained in 2018. Morgan also scored 756 runs at an average of 42 in 2018, which included seven fifties. A really impressive year for the England limited-overs captain.