Sportskeeda Cricket Awards 2016: ODI Batsman of the Year

We saw some absolutely amazing performances in the 50-over format this year, despite the fact that the beginning of the year was swamped with T20 matches. The likes of India, Australia, South Africa, England and New Zealand provided us great entertainment in the ODI format, and many of the matches involving these players gave us some spectacular individual performances.

Fans’ perspective

As we come to the end of 2016, we look at the men who sparkled with the bat in hand and were the backbone of their sides during this period.

You, the fans, were given the opportunity to pick the best ODI Batsman of 2016 through a Facebook poll. And in a near-unanimous decision, Virat Kohli won the poll with 84% of the votes, while David Warner was well behind him with 11% of the votes.

However, our experts had a say in the final rankings too, and their picks differed a little from the fans’. Here's a look at the 5 batsmen who made the cut after taking into account both the experts’ and the fans’ choices:

5. Alex Hales

Like the poll, we the writers also agree the Alex Hales was the fifth best batsman of 2016.

England’s ODI performance since their group stage exit in the 2015 World Cup has been quite amazing, and one of the men responsible for the turnaround is Hales. The Notts batsman made 743 runs in 14 matches in 2016, and played one of the best knocks of the year against Pakistan when he made 171 at his home ground in Trent Bridge.

Hales may not have had the best of times in red-ball cricket, but he surely is a vital cog in the top-order for England as far as white-ball cricket is concerned. With England set to tour India next month and then set to host the Champions Trophy later in the year, Hales will surely be someone the team will depend upon for some vital runs at the top.

Matches	Runs	Average	Highest Score
14	743	61.91	171

4. Virat Kohli

The fans went with Kohli as the overwhelming choice for the best batsman in 2016, but the stats give a slightly different picture. The right-hander finished in 7^th in the list for the leading run-getters in 2016, with 739 runs in 10 matches.

Although Kohli’s average is a staggering 92.37, he has played the fewest number of matches among those who feature in the Top 10, and so it was a bit of an untested year for the Indian batsman.

But there is no doubting that he was India’s lynchpin in the batting department across all three formats of the game. The 28-year-old right-hander has now become the fulcrum of the present batting line-up and has been critical to the team’s chances in every format of the game.

With the Men In Blue scheduled to play New Zealand in three ODIs and then the Champions Trophy in June, the Delhi batsman will hope to retain his best batting form and deliver the goods in those games as well.

Matches	Runs	Average	Highest Score
10	739	92.37	154

3. Quinton de Kock

The South African batsman has been in regal form in both whites and coloured clothing, and is the third highest run-getter of 2016 with 857 runs in 17 matches at an average of 57.13. The left-hander’s best performance of the year came against Australia in October, when he smashed 178 in a chase of 295 and helped his side cruise home with seven wickets in hand and 13 overs in the bank.

De Kock has always been spoken very highly of in South African cricketing circles, and 2016 could well be a major turning point in his career. He seems to have realised his true potential, has become a key member in the Proteas line-up.

Matches	Runs	Average	Highest Score
17	857	57.13	178

2. Steve Smith

The second highest run-getter of 2016, Steve Smith had a fabulous year with the bat in 2016, scoring 1,154 runs in 26 matches at an average of 50.17. Coming into bat at 3, the 27-year-old played some fine knocks for his country, but none better than the 164 at the Sydney Cricket Ground that he made in the opening game of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy last month.

Continuing to bat with his now renowned yet unusual technique, Smith has tasted quite a bit of success and he will hope to carry that forward into the New Year as well.

Matches	Runs	Average	Highest Score
26	1154	50.17	164

1. David Warner

The Australian opener has had an absolutely staggering year with the bat in the 50-over format, amassing 1,388 runs in 23 matches at an average of 63.09. The 30-year-old left-hander had made 7 centuries this calendar year and has been the backbone of the Australian batting line-up.

One of his finest efforts this year came in the third Chappell-Hadlee Trophy game, where he made a superb 156 in an overall total of 265 which helped his team complete a series whitewash.

The Aussies are expected to play a large portion of their cricket in whites in the upcoming few months, but there is no doubt that Warner will be key to their chances if they are to regain the Champions Trophy in England next year.

Matches	Runs	Average	Highest Score
23	1388	63.09	173