Top 5 Indian ODI batsmen of the decade

The 2010s decade has entered its final month as the world awaits the year 2020. The cricket universe is excited for the next decade as several big ICC events have been planned. There is a T20 World Cup each in 2020 and 2021. Also, the inaugural ICC World Test Championship will culminate in 2021; after which India will host the ICC World Cup in 2023.

Talking about the 50-over World Cups, three events took place in this decade and the host nations won all of them. India won the decade’s first World Cup in 2011 while Australia regained the trophy back in 2015. The 2010s ends with a new world champion as England captured their first ICC World Cup earlier this year.

India emerged as the most consistent team in ODI cricket having reached the semifinals of all three World Cups in the decade, along with winning the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013.

Also see – Ranji points table

The Indian batsmen have been the backbone of the team and hence, let us have a look at the top 5 Indian batsmen of the decade.

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#5 Suresh Raina

England v India - 2nd ODI: Royal London One-Day Series

Matches - 144, Innings - 127, Runs - 3,718, Average - 35.40, Strike Rate - 96.57

The left-handed middle-order batsman, Suresh Raina played a vital role for the Indian team in the ODI format. Though he achieved little success in red-ball cricket, Raina was a match-winner for the team in the limited overs format.

He was a regular part of the team for the better part of the decade but his woes against short-pitched deliveries led to his exit from the side. Raina featured in 144 matches for India, scoring 3,718 runs at an average of 35.40. His strike rate of 96.57 shows his aggressive intent while batting. He also registered three tons and 23 half-centuries after the turn of the decade.

#4 Shikhar Dhawan

India v Sri Lanka - ICC Champions Trophy

Matches - 133, Innings - 131, Runs - 5,518, Average - 44.50, Strike Rate - 94.01

The left-handed opening batsman, Shikhar Dhawan made his ODI debut in the year 2010. He could not cement his place in the team but because of his supreme performances in the domestic circuit, the selectors called him back to the Indian ODI team ahead of ICC Champions Trophy 2013.

Dhawan won the 'Golden Bat' award in that tourney and he has never looked back ever since. His fiery starts at the top helped India win the Champions Trophy in English conditions. The 33-year-old opener has an envious record in ICC tournaments as he has played multiple match-winning knocks for the Indian team.

In the last 10 years, the Delhi-based player has represented India in 133 ODIs, aggregating 5,518 runs at an average of 44.50. He has converted 17 of his 44 fifty-plus scores into hundreds while he has batted with an incredible strike rate of 94.01.

Though he has struggled with consistency sometimes, the team management never lost its faith in his abilities. In the 2019 World Cup, Dhawan had slammed a hundred against the defending champions Australia before an injury ruled him out of the competition.

#3 MS Dhoni

Australia v India - ODI: Game 1

Matches - 196, Innings - 161, Runs - 5,640, Average - 50.35, Strike Rate - 85.74

The man who guided India to their first World Cup win at home, MS Dhoni has been one of the best Indian players of this decade. He was the captain of the Indian ODI team in 2010 but as the years passed; he handed over the reins of the team to Virat Kohli.

Apart from his captaincy skills, Dhoni has also earned the cricket universe’s praise for his finishing abilities. The Jharkhand-born wicket-keeper batsman has been terrific in run chases for India and, on many occasions, he has single-handedly won the game for his team.

His average of 50.35 shows that he likes to remain unbeaten at the end of the innings while his strike rate of 85.74 does not indicate the real picture. Sometimes the Indian team lost their top-order batsmen early in the innings and Dhoni has driven them to a respectable score by playing a steady knock.

The right-handed batsman has recorded four hundreds and 39 fifties in the last 10 years. However, he has not returned to the cricket field since India’s defeat in the 2019 World Cup.

#2 Rohit Sharma

England v India - 1st ODI: Royal London One-Day Series

Matches - 177, Innings - 173, Runs - 7,991, Average - 52.92, Strike Rate - 90.35

Along with Shikhar Dhawan, the right-handed batsman Rohit Sharma received a promotion in the batting order as the selectors allowed him to open the innings for India in the Champions Trophy in 2013. Rohit had been struggling to seal his place in the Indian side but after his promotion to the top of the order, the Mumbai-based batsman has progressed to become one of the best openers of the world.

The vice-captain of Team India has played 173 innings in ODI cricket, scoring 7,991 runs at an average of 52.92. He plays slow in the early phase of the innings, however, he has been impressive when it comes to pacing his game. The fact that he has struck 227 sixes in the last 10 years showcases his big-hitting prowess, besides Rohit is the only man to have registered three 200+ scores in ODI cricket.

The Hitman owns the record for the highest individual score in ODI cricket with a memorable knock of 264 runs against Sri Lanka in 2014. His solid batting performances have been extremely crucial to India’s success. He also led the team to an Asia Cup victory in 2018.

#1 Virat Kohli

Australia v India - ODI: Game 2

Matches - 224, Innings - 217, Runs - 11,036, Average - 61.31, Strike Rate - 94.04

With over 11,000 runs in the last decade, Indian captain Virat Kohli has ruled the cricket world. He has played 224 matches for India, scoring 42 hundreds and 51 half-centuries. The right-handed batsman has batted at an average of 61.31. The fact that Virat has crossed the 50+ mark in 93 of his 217 innings showcases his brilliance in this format.

He has been the world's best ODI batsman for quite a while now. The most impressive thing about Kohli's numbers is not only his average of 60+ but also his strike rate of 94.04. The Delhi-born player loves to rotate the strike and build the pressure on the opposition besides dismissing the weaker deliveries to the boundary.

Virat has hit 1,028 fours in the last ten years while also sending 115 deliveries straight out of the park. He had been a part of both the Indian squads which won the ICC World Cup 2011 and ICC Champions Trophy 2013. Kohli has not had an excellent record in the ICC tournaments but he has always played his role well. Nevertheless, the skipper is the cornerstone of the Indian ODI team which is why he is the best Indian ODI batsman of the decade.