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India has been a powerhouse of One Day International cricket, ever since they won the World Cup in 1983. The country has produced some of the greatest ODI batsmen of all time.
From the highest run-scorer to the scorer of the highest individual score in an ODI, it is the Indian players who hold most of the batting records. In this article, we try and pick the five best One day International batsmen that India has ever produced.
There are atleast a dozen contenders for each of the top five spots, and to try and pick only five from among them, is a very difficult job indeed.
#5 Rohit Sharma
Matches: 183, Runs: 6748, Highest Score: 264, Average: 44.98, Centuries: 18
Rohit Sharma started off his career as a middle order batsman, where his performance was average in the initial years. However seeing his huge potential, he was promoted to open the innings for India and that completely changed his career graph.
As an opener he became a match winner by scoring big hundreds against all oppositions. As an ODI batsman, Rohit Sharma has already scored 3 double hundreds, a remarkable feat, achieved by none other in the world.
He also has the record of scoring 264 runs, in a single Innings, which is the highest by any ODI International Player.
His tremendous success has been instrumental in making the current Indian ODI Team, the best in the world and hence he makes the all time, top 5 list by overtaking other greats like Sehwag and Yuvraj.
#4 Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Matches: 321, Runs: 10046, Highest Score: 183*, Average: 51.25, Centuries: 10
M.S Dhoni is undoubtedly India's greatest ever wicketkeeper-batsman. But, because of his huge contribution as a middle and lower middle order batsman in ODIs, for more than a decade, Dhoni qualifies to be considered as one of India's greatest ODI batsman as well.
He has been a big-match winner for India, in ODIs. His ability of finishing matches by hitting huge sixes with "Helicopter Shots" has made him a cult figure in the world. The most, famous of his match winning sixes, came in the 2011 World Cup Final.
Dhoni's record of more than 10000 runs at an average of more than 50 shows his remarkable consistency and capibility. He is surely the greatest ODI Match winner that India has ever produced.
#3 Sourav Ganguly
Matches: 311, Runs: 11363, Highest Score: 183, Average: 41.02, Centuries: 22
Sourav Ganguly is arguably India's greatest ever left handed batsmen in ODIs.
He is India's 2nd highest run scorer in ODIs after Sachin Tenduldar. Ganguly was one of the best Indian openers in ODIs. As an opener he scored hundreds at will and in his initial years, often outscored, even the great Sachin Tendulkar.
He was a great match winner for India with the bat in ODIs and was considered to be one of the best One day International batsman of his era. He is without a doubt, one of the best Indian ODI batsman of all time.
#2 Virat Kohli
Matches: 211, Runs: 9779, Highest Score: 183, Average: 58.20, Centuries: 35
The best One Day batsman of the present era and arguably one of the greatest ODI batsman of all time, Virat Kohli is already a legend of the game, at the prime age of 29.
He has been the most prolific run scorer, that the game has ever seen. In only 211 matches, he has already amassed more than 9500 runs at an astounding average of 58.2 runs per innings.
He has already scored 35 ODI hundreds and looks set to break Sachin's record of 49 hundreds in ODIs, by the time he hangs up his boots. He has been India's biggest match-winner in ODIs, in the last decade. His ability to chase down stiff targets by scoring big hundreds, makes him unique.
His hunger to score runs and his never say die attitude is exemplary. As a result of this, he has become a role model, for even the other players of the team. Virat Kohli is truly a sensation and a 'once in a generation' cricketer.
#1 Sachin Tendulkar
Matches: 463, Runs: 18426, Highest Score: 200*, Average: 44.83, Centuries: 49
India's greatest batsman of all time and arguably the greatest batsman the game has ever seen, Sachin Tenduldar definitely holds on to the number one spot, despite Virat's heroics as an ODI batsman.
With more than 18 thousand runs and 49 hundreds to his name, Tendulkar owns almost all the possible records that a batsman can have in ODI cricket.
He has been the poster boy of One day cricket, and an inspiration for players from all parts of the world. He was the backbone of Indian batting for more than two decades. His hundreds paved the way for many memorable ODI victories.
Sachin Tendulkar is a 'once in a lifetime cricketer' and a global sporting icon.
Agree with our list? Disagree? Let us know in the comments below!
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