The Combined Best ODI XI of 2018

The year 2018 saw a total of 128 One Day Internationals played all over the World. India played a total of 20 matches and won 14, lost 4 and tied 2. As per the ICC ODI rankings, at the end of the year, England are ranked number one in the world followed by India and New Zealand.

As we near the end of 2018, it is now time to pick the best ODI XI for 2018. This selection has been made on the basis of the performances of the players against different oppositions.

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#5 Openers

Rohit Sharma (Vice-captain)

Rohit Sharma

Matches – 19, Innings - 19, Runs – 1030, Avg – 73, S.R – 100, 100s – 5, 50s - 3

For Rohit Sharma, the proud record holder of 3 double hundreds in 2018, the year 2018 started on a poor note when he scored a mere 40 runs in his first four innings in South Africa.

It was in the fifth match at Port Elizabeth that Rohit found form with an innings of 115 laced with 11 fours and 4 sixes. He followed that up with another century in the first match of the three-match series against England in England. Until the middle of the year, he had only 2 hundreds in 9 innings.

Rohit found his consistency as captain in the Asia Cup with scores of 23, 52, 83 not out, 111 not out and 48. In the West Indies series at home, he hammered 152 not out and 162. In all his big hundreds, one would always find a number of sixes being clobbered by Rohit. The talented right-hander is a proven match winner and during the year India won all the 5 matches in which he scored a hundred.

Shai Hope (Wicket-keeper)

Shai Hope

Matches – 18, Innings – 18, Runs – 875, Avg – 67, SR – 75, 100s- 3, 50s - 3, Catches – 10, Stumpings – 5.

Shai Hope has been in terrific form for the West Indies with the bat. When the year started, he was a relatively new commodity in international cricket having played in only 26 ODIs. But in the 18 matches that he has played during 2018, he has distinguished himself as a fabulous batsman in the top order. At a time when the West Indies cricket was going through a period of turmoil, Hope has been their hope for the future.

Against India at Visakhapatnam, chasing a score of 321, the West Indies were in a spot of bother at 78 for 3. That was when Shai Hope decided to exhibit his class as he added 143 runs for the fourth wicket with another exciting prospect Shimron Hetmyer. At one stage, the West Indies were at the brink of victory at 300 for 6 before Jason Holder ran himself out. Hope couldn’t finish off the match for West Indies but hit the last ball for a four to tie the match.

Hope scored 95 in the next match at Pune and West Indies won that match by 43 runs to level the series with 2 matches to go. He was unfortunately run-out in the next match before opening his account. Hope finished off the year in grand style with scores of 146 not out and 108 not out against Bangladesh. Apart from a superb batsman, Hope is a safe wicket-keeper too.

#4 Middle-order

Virat Kohli (Captain)

Virat Kohli

Matches – 14, Innings – 14, Runs – 1202, Avg – 133, SR – 102, 100s - 6, 50s – 3

Virat Kohli had an astounding year across all formats. He was virtually unstoppable by all opponents right through the year. Kohli’s astonishing year started with scores of 112, 46 not out, 160 not out, 75, 36 and 129 not out against South Africa in South Africa. His average for that series was an unbelievable 186.

In the home series against West Indies, Kohli scored 3 consecutive hundreds in the first 3 matches of the five-match series. All his 3 hundred gave three different results for his team.

He was on the verge of equalling the world record of Kumar Sangakkara’s 4 consecutive hundreds. However, he missed out the opportunity at Mumbai but finished the year with 1202 runs and 6 hundred. India won 4 of the 6 matches in which Kohli scored a hundred, lost one and tied the other one. He is also the captain of this lineup.

Joe Root

Joe Root

Matches – 24, Innings – 24, Runs – 946, Avg – 59, SR - 84, 100s – 3, 50s – 5

Joe Root has been the calming influence for England in the top order. Joe Root impressed one and all with his consistency right through the year. In his first series of the year against Australia, Joe Root averaged 75.

That was followed by an average of 56 against New Zealand in New Zealand. After a rare failure against Australia, Root averaged 216 against India at home. He finished the year with a decent average of 49 against Sri Lanka. However, England finished the year on a sad note when Sri Lanka inflicted their heaviest defeat on England in ODI at Colombo.

Ross Taylor

Ross Taylor

Matches – 11, Innings – 10, Runs – 639, Avg – 91, SR -89, 100s - 2, 50s - 4

Ross Taylor, the experienced middle-order batsman from New Zealand has been in fine form in 2018. He scored 2 hundreds against England at home. His 181 not out against England in the series decider at Dunedin was the best innings played by a batsman in 2018 while chasing.

At Dunedin, England batting first, put up a mammoth 335 in 50 overs. In reply, New Zealand lost both the openers for a duck were 2 for 2 staring at certain defeat. Taylor walked in and first added 84 runs for the third wicket with his skipper Kane Williamson. He then added 187 runs with Tom Latham for the fourth wicket.

Taylor’s first fifty came off 48 balls with 6 fours and one six. He reached his second 50 in the next 50 balls with a total of 10 fours and 2 sixes. After completing his century, he stepped up and completed his 3rd fifty off just 25 balls.

New Zealand were very much in control of the game with their veteran right-hander in the middle. In the end, Taylor remained not out on 181 off 147 balls with 17 fours and 6 sixes.

New Zealand won that match by 5 wickets with 3 balls to spare. Taylor finished off the year with scores of 80 and 86 not out against Pakistan.

#3 All-rounders

Shakib Al Hasan

Shakib Al Hasan

Matches – 15, Innings – 13, Runs – 497, Avg – 38, SR – 84, Fifties – 5, Wickets –21, Economy rate - 4.48

Shakib Al Hasan is the best spin-bowling all-rounder in the world in white ball cricket. He almost scored 500 runs in the year with 5 fifties and 97 against the West Indies being his highest score.

In the bowling too, Shakib has been in good form with 21 wickets at an economy of 4.48. His best performance was a 4 for 42 Afghanistan in the Asia Cup. With his tight line and length, the all-rounder has always been economical and a difficult bowler to get away.

Bangladesh felt his absence very much in the final of the Asia Cup against India which India won off the last ball. Shakib came back from injury to score a 50 against West Indies and helped Bangladesh to win the series.

Thisara Perera

Thisara Perera

Matches - 17, Innings -15, runs – 415, Avg – 35, SR – 115, 50s - 2, Wickets – 25, Economy rate – 5.78

Thisara Perera has been the under-performing all-rounder from Sri Lanka for so long. Though he made his debut as early as in 2009, he has never been consistent as he proved to be expensive with the ball and disappointing with the bat. But 2018 was different for him as he started the year confidently both with the bat and the ball. With the bat, he scored 64,29 and 39 not out. In those 3 matches, he took nine wickets.

In the home series against South Africa, Perera scored a 50 off 45 balls. He contributed to Sri Lanka’s win with the ball too. In the Asia Cup against Afghanistan, the seamer finished with figures of 5 for 55. Perera finished off the year with two identical scores of 44 against England.

#2 Spinners

Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan

Matches – 20, Innings – 20, Wickets – 48, Economy rate – 3.89, 5-wicket hauls - 2

Rashid Khan is currently the best player in the Afghanistan team. He has bamboozled a lot of quality batsmen. The leg-spinner first took 16 wickets in 5 matches against Zimbabwe.

Against quality opponents in the Asia Cup, Rashid took 10 wickets in 5 matches. His wickets included top-order batsmen like Upul Tharanga, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Babar Azam, Liton Das, and KL Rahul.

Rashid's biggest moment in the Asia Cup came in the match against India when he had to defend 6 runs in the last over. He gave away exactly 6 runs and took the wicket of Ravindra Jadeja off his fifth ball to tie that match. It was like a moral victory for Afghanistan against big guns India.

Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav

Matches – 19, Innings – 19, Wickets – 45, Economy rate – 4.64, 5-wicket hauls - 1

Kuldeep Yadav continues to be a mystery to batsmen all over the world. In the series against South Africa, the Protea batsmen were totally clueless against the left-arm wrist-spinner. He took 17 wickets in the series in 6 matches.

In the first ODI against England at Nottingham, Kuldeep exploited England’s inherent weakness against spin by claiming his best ever figures of 6 for 25. In the Asia Cup that followed, he was the joint highest wicket-taker with 10 wickets.

#1 Fast Bowlers

Mustafizur Rahman

Mustafizur Rahman

Matches – 18, Innings – 18, Wickets – 29, Economy rate – 4.2

Mustafizur Rahman impressed everyone with his consistent economy rate along with crucial wickets. The left-arm seamer's moment of reckoning came in the crucial super four match against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup. It was a must-win game for both the teams.

Afghanistan needed 8 runs in the final over with four wickets in hand. The ever-reliable Mustafizur was entrusted with the responsibility of sending down the last over. He accounted for Rashid Khan with a short ball to turn the game on its head.

The Afghanistan batsmen could take only 2 leg-byes in the last four balls bowled by Mustafizur and Bangladesh won the match by 3 runs to make their entry into the final of the Asia Cup. In the final too he made his contribution with the wicket of MS Dhoni.

Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah

Matches – 13, Innings - 13, Wickets – 22, Economy rate – 3.62

Jasprit Bumrah was brilliant for India across all formats of the game. He came into his own during the Asia Cup where he took 8 wickets in 4 matches. The most impressive aspect of Bumrah’s bowling has been his economy rate of 3.62. The right-arm pacer was good with the new ball and he also returned in the death-overs to make an impact.

Bumrah and Mustafizur can form a formidable new ball as well as death bowling combination for his lineup.