Top 10 destructive Indian batsmen in ODI cricket
New Delhi : Cricket in India was started in the year 1721 and the playground was at Cambay, near Baroda. The sports have undergone several changes and over last four decades, Cricket has created some amazing batsmen in ODI.
While Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli are known for their natural strokes, Singh, MS Dhoni and Kapil Dev are power hitters. And, when Virender Sehwag mesmerizes the ground with great shots, Mohammad Azharuddin remains graceful with his fluid batting style. These cricketers have changes the ‘funda’ of the game in a blink of an eye.
With so many world-class batsmen over the years, it would be worth to compile a list of India’s most destructive stroke makers in ODI. Only those players who batted from 1 to 6 in ODIs have been taken into account.
Here are the top 10 most destructive ODI batsmen of India:
10. Navjot Singh Sidhu: The laughter king in the entertainment world was once India's most entertaining stroke-makers in ODI cricket. Named as a 'Strokeless Wonder' during the early period of his career, Sidhu showcased his forceful style by scoring four consecutive 50s in the 1987 World Cup and making himself as a dependable opener in ODI cricket. He played 136 matches and made 4413 runs in his cricket career
9. Kapil Dev: Former Indian cricketer, Kapil Dev is known for his carefree batting attitude, scoring runs at a quick tempo. Dubbed as the ‘Haryana Hurricane’ his standout ODI knock remains his unbeaten 175-runs against Zimbabwe which saved India from making an exit from the 1983 World Cup at England. He played 225 matches and made 3783 runs in his cricket tenure.
8. Suresh Raina: Suresh Kumar Raina is pocket dynamite in the Indian international cricket team. The hard-hitting left-hander is a destructive stroke-maker and an occasional off-spin bowler. He has played five ODI tons but his best knock till date remains 100 off just 75 balls against England on a green top at Cardiff in 2014. He has played 223 matches and made 5568 runs till date.
7. Shikhar Dhawan: The left handed batsman, Shikhar Dhawan is an explosive game opener in ODI cricket. Hailing from Delhi, Dhawan likes to dominate bowlers in the power plays by playing his free-flowing game. He became popular after an extraordinary run in the 2004 U-19 World Cup, where he scored 505 runs garnished with 3 hundreds. He won 2013 Champions Trophy where when he scored two centuries against South Africa and the West Indies to lead India's successful title-winning campaign. He has played 102 matches and made 4361 runs till date.
6. MS Dhoni: India’s most clinical finisher in ODI cricket, M.S Dhoni builds his innings by running quick singles between wickets and saves his arsenal of shots for the end. He has captained the Indian team from 2007 to 2016 and in Test cricket from 2008 to 2014. In 14 July 2018 during the second ODI against England, Dhoni became the first wicket-keeper for India and also became the fourth overall to take 300 catches in ODIs. The ‘captain cool’ has played over 315 matches and made average run of 9793
5. Yuvraj Singh: Yuvraj Singh, a brilliant game reader has been India’s cleanest strikers of all time. He plays all forms of the game, but mostly known for playing those expansive cover drives and lofting spinners for massive sixes. Yuvi has significantly contributed to the Indian team World Cup 2011 win by scoring 362 runs with a century against the West Indies. Yuvraj was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his left lung and took a break from sports. He made his comeback in a Twenty20 match in September against New Zealand shortly before the 2012 World Twenty20. He has played 301 ODI matches and secured 8609 runs
4. Rohit Sharma: Rohit Sharma is an elegant batsman in team India. He is the vice-captain of the India national team in limited-overs formats. On November 2014, Rohit Sharma scored 264 against Sri Lanka which is the highest individual score in ODIs. His monumental 209-run innings against Australia at Bengaluru ranks as arguably one of the most destructive innings played in ODI cricket. Rohit Sharma’S ODI record includes 180 matches 180 and 6594 runs.
3. Virat Kohli: Virat Kohli is also called as India’s run-scoring machine. He is one of the most explosive batsmen in ODI cricket. The ‘Master Chaser’ holds numerous Indian batting records including the fastest ODI century, the fastest batsman to 5,000 ODI runs and the fastest to 10 ODI centuries. One of his finest moments was when he smashed 183 off just 148 balls against arch-rivals Pakistan in the 2012 Asia Cup at Dhaka. He is the current captain of Indian cricket team. Kohli’s ODI record includes 208 matches and 9588 run scores.
2. Sachin Tendulkar: Sachin Tendulkar was one of the most aggressive stroke-maker in ODIs in Indian cricket. Nicknamed as ‘Master Blaster’ for his exploits with the willow, Sachin’s batting was a perfect blend of balance, sublime timing and superb footwork. He was strong on both sides of the wickets and could play the cut, pull or drive with the same ease. Out of the many amazing knocks he produced in ODIs, his quick-fire 98 off just 75 balls against Pakistan in the semifinals of the 2003 ICC World Cup ranks as one his finest performances with the willow. Sachin's back to back centuries against Australia in the Coca-Cola Cup at Sharjah were instrumental in India lifting the trophy. He played 463 ODIs and made 18426 runs in the respective game.
1. Virender Sehwag: Virender Sehwag is India’s most destructive ODI batsman. The ‘Nawab from Najafgarh’ had successful opening combinations with both Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly to provide India with some awesome beginnings in ODIs. He played with the gaming attitude- ‘Attack is the best form of defence’. Out of Sehwag's many hurricane knocks, his double ton against the Windies where he smashed 219 off just 148 balls at Indore stands out as his most destructive ODI innings. His ODI records include 241 matches and 7995 runs.
