ODI Cricket retired XI (2015-2018)

The year 2015 has witnessed a number of cricket greats announcing their retirement. It all began with the ICC World Cup, which held in the month of February-March.

After the World Cup, Sri Lanka’s legendary duo of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara retired from ODIs. Others in the list to retire after the World Cup were New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori and Australia’s World Cup winning Captain Michael Clarke.

Even the Indian team said goodbye to some of the greatest cricketers who were pillars of the team for more than a decade.

Here is the best XI of retired players who bid farewell to the beatiful game sine 2015:

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#1 Virender Sehwag (India)

Only Indian player to score 2 triple centuries in Test

Role- Batsman Batting Style- Right-handed

A flamboyant opener from India, Sehwag changed the way openers batted in cricket. Sehwag's gifted technique with the bat along with his ability to anchor the team's innings makes him one of the most remarkable players in Indian cricket history.

The dashig opener initially started as a lower-order batsman, but gradually established himself as of the most aggressive openers to have played the game. He is also the second Indian to have score double-century in ODI.

Sehwag holds multiple records including the highest score made by an Indian in Test cricket (319 against South Africa), which was also the fastest triple century in the history of international cricket (reached 300 off only 278 balls).

ODI stats:

Matches- 251, Runs-8273, Strike-rate- 104

#2 Brendon McCullum (New Zealand)

A highly aggressive batsman and one of the best keeper-batsmen of his generation.

Role- Batsman Batting Style-Right-handed

One of the most destructive and prolific batsmen of all-time, the New Zealand captain who transformed the way the game was played in the country. A highly aggressive batsman and one of the best keeper-batsmen of his generation, McCullum led his country to the 2015 World Cup final.

McCullum is seen as one of the most inspiring figure back home and is also considered as one of the most successful batsmen as well as captains of New Zealand cricket. He became the first New Zealander to score a triple hundred in a Test with his 302 against India.

ODI stats:

Matches-260, Runs-6083, Strike-rate-96.07

#3 Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka)

Jayawardene was a key member of the team that reached the finals of 2007 and 2011 world cup finals.

Role- Batsman Batting Style- Right-handed

Mahela Jayawardene is regarded as one of the modern greats of batsmanship, especially due to his mastery of playing spin bowling and the way he hit in the gaps in the field with his great technique. Jayawardene was a key member of the team that reached the finals of 2007 and 2011 World Cup finals.

He is one of the four Sri Lankan players to score over 10,000 runs in ODI cricket. He is also known for his fielding skills in the inner ring and has affected the most number of run-outs as a fieldsmen in ODI cricket. Jayawadane is capable of providing the much required solidarity in the lineup which has Viru and Baz opening.

.ODI stats:

Matches- 448, Runs- 12650, Strike-rate-78.96

#4 Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) (WK)

Kumar Sangakkara is one of the best wicket-keepers for Sri Lanka

Role- Wicket-Keeper batsman Batting Style- Right-handed

Kumar Sangakkara is described as one of the "most polished and prudent of batsmen" in cricket and rightly so. He is one of the best wicket-keepers the world has ever seeny. He is also one of the four Sri Lankan players to score over 10,000 runs in ODI cricket

He was an elegant stroke-maker, an ever-reliable keeper, an astute thinker and a crafty captain. He is also the only player to have scored 4 centuries in a single World Cup and is the highest run scorer for Sri Lanka in ODI. Currently, he is the second-highest run-scorer in ODI cricket and the fifth-highest run scorer in Test cricket.

ODI stats:

Matches-404, Runs-14234, Strike-rate-78.86

#5 Michael Clarke (Australia) (C)

He has led his team to the World Cup 2015 Championship

Role- Batsman Batting Style- Right-handed

One of the most respected cricketers of the modern era, Michael Clarke is an incredibly successful captain, who led his team to the World Cup 2015 Championship. His lack of power-hitting abilities in T20s led to his retirement from the format. Clarke announced his retirement from T20s in January 2011 to concentrate on the longer forms of the game.

When Ricky Ponting stood down from the captaincy of the Australian Test and ODI sides after the 2011 World Cup, Clarke was appointed as his permanent replacement in both roles. He was named Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World for the year 2012.

ODI stats:

Matches-223, Runs-7981, Strike-rate-78.99

#6 Shane Watson (Australia)

Best All-rounder for Australia

Role- All-rounder Batting Style-Right-handed Bowling Style- Right-Arm medium Fast

Arguably, one of the Australia’s best all-rounders ever, Shane Watson has become the pillar of strength for the Australian team. Not only did Watson bowl 10 overs regularly in the limited-overs format, but he had the ability to strike the ball sweetly to all parts of the ground.

He is the only player to win Australian "Player of the Year" award in all formats and won seven such awards in three formats, which is the most by any player. He also holds the record of the highest individual score (185* vs Bangladesh) by Australian in ODI. He is the last player to retire from Australia's golden era of early 2000s.

ODI stats:

Matches-190, Runs-5757, Strike-rate-90.44 Wickets-168, Economy-4.95

#7 Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)

Most dangerous and entertaining batsman

Role- All-rounder Batting Style- Right-handed Bowling Style- Right-arm Leg spin

It was difficult to imagine a more fearsome batsman than Shahid Afridi when in full flow. The best thing about the way Afridi bats was that there was no change in his aggressive intent regardless of the format that he may be playing in.

Afridi started his career as a hard-hitting batsman, smashing the fastest hundred at the time (off just 37 balls) in his first ODI innings. His tendency to smash almost every ball for a boundary made him the most dangerous and entertaining batsman around.

Currently Afridi is leading the chart of most T20I wickets with 92 wickets from 92 matches. He also holds a record of taking most wickets (97) and most player-of-the match awards in Twenty20 International cricket.

ODI stats:

Matches-398, Runs-8064, Strike-rate-117.01 Wickets-395, Economy-4.63

#8 Daniel Vettori (New Zealand)

Daniel Vettori is one of the most innovative people to have ever played cricket

Role- All-rounder Batting Style- Right-handed Bowling Style- Left-arm orthodox spin

From his elegant bowling to his captaincy, Daniel Vettori is one of the most innovative people to have ever played cricket. Vettori was one of the most lethal bowler during his playing days. Vettori was a pretty useful batsman as well who could come up with crucial runs in the lower order.

He is known for his accuracy, flight and guile rather than prodigious turn, and also his speed variation. Vettori had played an important role in 2015 World Cup and had picked 15 Wickets for in the tournament. He is the youngest player to have represented New Zealand in Test cricket.

ODI stats:

Matches-295, Runs-2253, Strike-rate-82.98 Wickets-305, Economy-4.13

#9 Mitchell Johnson (Australia)

He used to bowl at a pace of 140+ regularly

Role- Bowler Bowling Style- Left-arm fast Bowler

The Aussie spearhead was perhaps one of the most feared fast bowlers of the modern generation. Known for his incredible pace and his lethal bouncers, he was one of the fastest bowlers in the world, regularly bowling speeds in excess of 145 kmph.

Mitchell Johnson cemented his place as a great in the Australian team with his performance in the 2013 Ashes against England. Johnson picked up 15 wickets in the 2015 World Cup but played second fiddle to Mitchell Starc, who proved to be Australia's best bowler in the tournament.

ODI stats:

Matches- 153, Wickets-239, Economy-4.84

#10 Ashish Nehra (India)

One of the most under-rated Indian bowlers

Role- Bowler Bowling Style- Left-arm fast Bowler

One of the most underrated limited over fast bowler, Ashish Nehra has served Indian Cricket team for nearly two decades. Nehra is the second oldest player to represent India in Twenty20 International Cricket which is only exceeded by Rahul Dravid.

Nehra has always had a career troubled with injuries and fitness issues, for which he had been absent from the national scene for extended stretches. Nehra had played a crucial role in World Cup 2011 for his team.

ODI stats:

Matches- 120, Wickets-157, Economy-5.34

#11 Zaheer Khan (India)

King of reverse swing

Role- Bowler Bowling Style- Left-arm medium fast

The tall left-arm pace bowler from Mumbai, who made his ODI debut in 2000, was the joint leading wicket-taker at the Cricket World Cup 2011. His ability to bowl fast, and to bowl yorkers at the death marked him out as a different breed of fast bowler than the ones Indians were used to seeing.

He is also praised for his performances on flat subcontinent pitches and controlling of different types of cricket balls. He is considered among the best fast bowlers India ever produced. Khan was selected as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2008 for his outstanding performance that year.

ODI stats:

Matches-200, Wickets- 282, Economy- 4.93