Based on our Test XI, we’ve picked out an ODI XI featuring players who went to another level across a calendar year. We’ve kept in mind the player’s position in the side and his overall performance, including the side’s achievements, before selecting this XI.
Sachin Tendulkar – 1998
1,894 runs @ 65.31, HS 143, SR 102.15, 9 hundreds, 7 fifties
The Little Master scored the most ODI runs ever in any calendar year at a strike-rate which was staggering in the Nineties and is still remarkable today. This year included his famous Desert Storm knocks and one-man demolition job of Henry Olonga & co. later in the year.
David Warner – 2016
1,388 runs @ 63.09, HS 173, SR 105.47, 7 hundreds, 4 fifties
Warner’s prolific run helps him edge out prominent openers such as Saeed Anwar, Matthew Hayden and Sourav Ganguly. The Australia left-hander closed out the year with four hundreds in six innings, including a 136-ball 173 in an unsuccessful chase against South Africa at Cape Town – the highest score by a teammate on the day was 35.
Ricky Ponting – 2007
1,424 runs @ 79.11, HS 134*, SR 91.69, 5 hundreds, 8 fifties
Ponting in the mid-2000s was an unstoppable run-machine across formats, and he turned it on in a World Cup year – the Australia captain averaged 67.37 in the tournament as his side claimed their third consecutive title.
Virat Kohli – 2018
1,202 runs @ 133.55, HS 160*, SR 102.55, 6 hundreds, 3 fifties
Kohli has scored more runs in other calendar years, but his average here is just too good to ignore. He hit a century every 2.3 innings, and across seven days in October against the West Indies, reeled off three tons. He hit his runs at a fine rate too, going at more than a run a ball across the year.
MS Dhoni – 2009 (wk)
1,198 runs @ 70.47, HS 124, SR 85.57, 2 hundreds, 9 fifties
The India captain’s finest year with the bat. He kept the gloves on throughout the year (other than that one time he took them off to pick up a wicket) and played numerous match-winning hands – across India’s 15 wins in the year, he averaged just under 116 with the bat.
Michael Hussey – 2005
587 runs @ 146.75, HS 88*, SR 101.73, 5 fifties
Mr. Cricket got his shot at international cricket quite late in his career, but made up for lost time quickly. He thrived in a lower middle-order finisher role, finishing unbeaten in 10 out of his 14 innings while putting up some very substantial scores.
Abdul Razzaq – 2000
661 runs @ 27.54, HS 75*, 3 fifties | 61 wickets @ 22.45, BBI 5-48, Econ 4.35
The allrounder’s spot in our line-up goes to Razzaq. The Pakistan player had a fine run in 2000, beginning the year with a Player-of-the-Series performance in the Carlton and United Bank series Down Under against Australia and India, picking up 14 wickets and scoring 225 runs. During the year, he was especially lethal against India, taking 5-48 at Hobart and 4-29 in Dhaka during the Asia Cup.
Shaun Pollock – 2000
61 wickets @ 21.62, BBI 5-20, Econ 3.97
The Proteas player was in top form coming into the 21st century. His best display was a haul of 5-20 against England in a tri-series final.
Shane Warne – 1999
62 wickets @ 23.27, BBI 4-29, Econ 4.38
Warne played a key role in Australia’s 1999 World Cup win, taking four-wicket hauls in both the semi-final and final. The leg-spinner is best remembered for his Test performances, but he was able to impart his genius on the white-ball arena too.
Saqlain Mushtaq – 1997
69 wickets @ 18.73, BBI 5-38, Econ 4.11, S/R 27.3
Mushtaq was so good in his early years that he picked up 134 of his 288 ODI wickets across two calendar years – 1996 and 1997.
Glenn McGrath – 1999
52 wickets @ 18.9, BBI 5-14, Econ 4.06, S/R 27.8
McGrath wasn’t the easiest of picks but managed to pip Waqar Younis based on his overall performances in the year. He had two five-fors, including a 5-14 against West Indies in Manchester.
