The ODI XI of the decade

Jason Roy (81 innings, 3381 runs, Avg: 42.79)

Jason Roy in action for England

One of the biggest success stories of ODI cricket in the past decade has been the incredible rise of England as an ODI powerhouse. The inclusion of hard-hitting Surrey right-hander Jason Roy as the opener was the first shift in attitude post the debacle at the 2015 World Cup campaign which saw them fail to move past the group stage.

Roy has, barring injury, forced himself as the first-choice opener in his country's ODI team. In 2018, he cracked 180 against Australia at the MCG, the highest individual ODI score by an English batsman. His primary weapons include his flamboyant cut shots behind square and his signature shot, skipping down the track and hitting over long-on.

With 3381 runs in 81 innings at a fantastic strike rate of 107.4, he looks hungry to push his dominance as one of the world's leading ODI openers into the new decade.

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Virat Kohli (217 innings, 11036 runs, Avg:63.06)

Virat Kohli in action for India

There is nothing that has not already been written in the media about the greatest ODI batsman not only of the decade but also perhaps of this new century.

Adjudged ICC ODI Player of the year in 2012, 2017 and 2018, the elegant right-handed batsman from Delhi currently has the second-most ODI centuries, lies in the top 10 in terms of aggregate runs and stands at the top of the pile in terms of ODI averages (min 100 innings) with a stunning average of 60.31.

He is the architect of some of India’s greatest ODI innings, including an 85-ball 133 to seal a miraculous bonus-point win against Sri Lanka and put his team in the tri-series final in Australia (2012) and an innings of 183 (148 balls) to seal a come-from-behind Asia Cup win against Pakistan.

Despite being more widely admired for his wristwork, and his cover drives (probably the most eye-catching of shots in our game presently), his other qualities have also aided his rise to the very top, such as his excellent strike rotation capability and his aggressive intent. Currently 31 years old, Virat Kohli still has many productive years of ODI batting ahead of him.