Wisden’s all-time India ODI XI

Rohit Sharma

9,205 runs @ 48.96, 100s: 29, HS: 264

Rohit Sharma was first asked to open the innings during the 2013 Champions Trophy, a move that turned out to be a masterstroke. The Mumbai batter has, since, scored 7,298 runs at the top of the order at an average of 57.46, which is the highest among India openers who have made at least 200 runs. Overall, Rohit is 735 runs short of becoming only the sixth India batter to score 10,000 ODI runs.

Sachin Tendulkar

18,426 runs @ 44.83, 100s: 49, HS: 200*

The Master Blaster wrote and rewrote a number of cricketing records in a career spanning over two decades. He ended with almost 4,000 more runs than the second-placed Kumar Sangakkara, making the most hundreds and also the most fifties (145) in ODI cricket. The first player to score a double-hundred in the format, Tendulkar’s longevity, and his ability to adapt to various conditions, pitches and rules as his career progressed further made him a pioneer.

He was more than a handy bowler as well, picking up 154 wickets. He is the only bowler in international cricket to successfully defend six runs or fewer in the final over of an ODI twice.

Sourav Ganguly

11,221 runs @ 40.95, 100s: 22, HS: 183

The left-hander is pushed down to three from his preferred opening slot but he tasted success one down too, making 1,476 runs at an average of 52.71. The former skipper, called the ‘God of the Offside’ for his ease in stroke-play and envious hand-eye coordination, is the only left-hander from India to score over 10,000 ODI runs, with Yuvraj Singh, who made 8,609 runs, second on the list. He was at the peak of his game from the start of 1998 to 2000, scoring 4,674 runs in this period with the help of 15 hundreds, including seven in 2000 alone.

Like Tendulkar, he was an effective partnership-breaker, picking up 100 wickets, including two five-fors.

Virat Kohli

12,293 runs @ 58.53, 100s: 43, HS: 183

The modern-day legend is already the sixth-highest run-scorer in the world in ODIs, and has the second-most tons, needing only seven more to break Tendulkar’s record. As captain, Kohli’s record is even more staggering: he scored 5,449 runs at an average of over 72, the highest among all captains who made at least 1,000 runs.

The fastest to 8,000, 9,000, 10,000, 11,000 and 12,000 ODI ruins, Kohli also has the best career average among players who have turned out in more than 35 ODIs. He’s pushed down to No.4 to accommodate Ganguly.

Yuvraj Singh

8,609 runs @ 36.47, 100s: 14, HS: 150
110 wickets @ 38.42, 5-fors: 1, BBI: 5-31

The left-hander’s batting records might seem underwhelming after 301 ODIs, but he was one of India’s biggest match-winners in his prime. His average leapfrogs to 50.06 in wins, with 11 of his 14 hundreds coming when India won a game. He was also a beast with the bat in 50-over World Cups, averaging 52.71 in 23 matches. Yuvraj’s inclusion in the team has a lot to do with his bowling as well, with his 15 scalps in the 2011 World Cup playing a pivotal role in the side’s triumph, as he ended the tournament with the Player of the Tournament award.

MS Dhoni (wk)

10,599 runs @ 50.23, 100s: 9, HS: 183*

MS Dhoni has the highest ODI average among all retired India players (a minimum of 150 runs scored), which is a testament to his consistency. Known for taking games deep and finishing off matches with a six, the wicketkeeper was also one of the shrewdest captains, leading India to wins in the 2011 World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy triumph. He ended his career with a total of 444 dismissals in ODIs, the best among all India keepers, and the third-best overall.

Kapil Dev (c)

3,783 runs @ 23.79, 100s: 1, HS: 175*
253 wickets @ 27.45, 5-fors: 1, BBI: 5-43

A generational talent who inspired youngsters to take up the sport after he led from the front and helped India defeat the mighty West Indies team in the 1983 World Cup final. Kapil ended his career with just one hundred, but it remains a ton that is spoken about to date. Down and out at 17-5 in a crucial match in the World Cup against Zimbabwe, the all-rounder walked out and steadied the ship, before going all out in a 138-ball 175* that was laced with six sixes.

With the ball, he was almost unstoppable. He bowled over 11,200 deliveries in his career and gave away runs at an economy rate of 3.71. No player who has bowled more than 100 overs for India has a better economy rate. The fact that India are still on the lookout for another Kapil Dev, a player who can win games consistently with both bat and ball, displays the impact of the great.

Harbhajan Singh

265 wickets @ 33.47, 5-fors: 3, BBI: 5-31

The second-highest wicket-taker among spinners from India, Harbhajan Singh’s career can be divided into two halves. Making his debut in 1997, Bhajji averaged 28.75 till the end of 2003, following which his bowling average increased to 36.25. However, when he was at his best, he was a force to be reckoned with, and what stood out was his unwillingness to back down from a fight.

Zaheer Khan

269 wickets @ 30.11, 5-fors: 1, BBI: 5-42

The left-armer was the leader of the attack for the most part of his career, and constantly troubled batters with his accuracy and variations with the new ball and the old. He was the second-fastest India player to 250 ODI wickets, getting to the feat in 180 matches. The left-armer was truly exceptional in wins, where his average dipped to 23.75.

Anil Kumble

334 wickets @ 30.83, 5-fors: 2, BBI: 6-12

The spinner is the highest wicket-taker for India in the format, 19 clear of the next-best player Javagal Srinath. Kumble’s Test records often overshadow his ODI feats, but the fact that he is the third-highest wicket-taker among spinners in the world should give an indication of how effective he was in the format. Kumble is the only India bowler to pick up more than 60 wickets in ODIs in a calendar year (he picked up 61 in 1996), and also bowled the most deliveries by an Indian in the format (14,376).

Javagal Srinath

315 wickets @ 28.08, 5-fors: 3, BBI: 5-23

Srinath is the only quick from India and one of 13 in the world with more than 300 ODI wickets. What remained remarkable was his bowling strike rate of 37.8, which showed how the team could always rely on him to give them important breakthroughs. Srinath revelled when playing against the best in the world: he averaged 23.68 against England, 20.41 against New Zealand and 27.74 against the West Indies.