Wisden’s under-23 all-time ODI XI

Similar to Wisden’s under-23 all-time Test XI, we proceed to make a side of youngsters who dazzled in ODIs early in their careers. All stats mentioned are of players before they turned 23.

Sachin Tendulkar

116 matches, 4,058 runs @ 40.17, 100s: 8, 50s: 26

A teenage prodigy who took the cricketing world by storm, Tendulkar scored eight hundreds before the age of 23, and remains the only player to cross 4,000 runs till that age. Debuting at 16 and tasting instant success, he scored centuries against Australia, Kenya, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and West Indies. He also played two World Cups in the period, scoring 806 runs at an average of over 67, with two centuries and six fifties in 14 innings.

Quinton de Kock (wk)

52 matches, 1,993 runs @ 39.86, 100s: 8, 50s: 5

Making it a left-right opening combination, de Kock easily makes the cut, having collected eight hundreds before the age of 23, the joint-highest alongside Tendulkar. He also scored five fifties, the conversion rate and his ability to get to a big score after getting his eye in, being commendable qualities in his early years. The wicketkeeper in this team, he scored as many as five centuries in eight matches against India.

Babar Azam

32 matches, 1,558 runs @ 55.64, 100s: 6, 50s: 6

Pakistan’s current skipper, Babar is the third-fastest ever to reach 1,000 runs, and the only one on this list to average over 50. Making his debut in 2015, Babar clocked five fifties in his first nine innings, and the following year, hit three successive hundreds against West Indies. He had three more tons to his tally before his 23rd birthday and has continued in the same vein, being the current No.1 ODI batter in the world.

Virat Kohli

69 matches, 2,617 runs @ 45.91, 100s: 7, 50s: 17

Not long after winning the U19 World Cup in 2008, Kohli was drafted into the senior side, and while the start wasn’t smooth, he found his groove the following year. He scored his maiden century against Sri Lanka in 2009, a calendar year where he averaged 54.16. Kohli went on to score six more hundreds in the following two years, making three each in 2010 and 2011, including one on World Cup debut in a title-winning campaign.

Ramnaresh Sarwan

44 matches, 1,491 runs @ 48.09, 100s: 1, 50s: 7

Another product of the U19 system, a fresh-faced Ramnaresh Sarwan debuted at 20, and became a vital part of the West Indies middle order. Averaging in the high forties, he contributed with punchy strokeplay down the order, often raising his game in wins. In five 2003 World Cup matches, he averaged an impressive 104.50 with three not-outs.

Shimron Hetmyer

43 matches, 1,416 runs @ 38.27, 100s: 5, 50s: 4

Making his mark in a transitioning West Indies batting line-up, Hetmyer provides plenty of verve down this order. His strike rate of 107.02 is the best among all batters with a minimum of 1,000 runs before the age of 23. Hetmyer scored three hundreds and a 94 in his first 14 ODI innings, with each of those four knocks coming at a strike rate of more than 130.

Abdul Razzaq

114 matches, 2,048 runs @ 27.67, 100s: 0, 50s: 12; 151 wickets @ 25.07, 3 five-fors, BBI: 6-35

A resourceful all-rounder, Razzaq is the only player to make more than 2,000 runs and pick up 150 scalps before he turned 23. Making his debut as a 17-year-old in 1996, Razzaq went on to become a match-winner with both bat and ball, drilling 12 fifties and taking three five-fors during the period, including 13 wickets in Pakistan’s run to the final in the 1999 World Cup.

Irfan Pathan

80 matches, 122 wickets @ 26.73, 1 five-for, BBI: 5-27; 1.065 runs @ 23.66, 100s: 0, 50s: 5

Creating waves when he burst onto the scene, the left-arm quick troubled the best of batters in his early years with his pace and swing, going on to pick up 47 wickets in his first year of ODI cricket. As his career progressed, he also became an effective batter, coming in as a pinch-hitter at No.3 on occasion, and even opening once against South Africa in 2005. His last ODI came at the age of 27, with many believing he could have gone on to achieve greater heights if he played more.

Rashid Khan

74 matches, 140 wickets @ 18.57, 4 five-fors, BBI: 7-18; 1,008 runs @ 20.57, 50s: 5

The Afghanistan spinner, arguably one of the most consistent white-ball bowlers in the world, picked up four five-fors before turning 23. He has the best average among bowlers with more than 50 wickets till that age, and has troubled batters the world over with his googles and naggingly accurate bowling. Rashid is also a handy batter lower down the order.

Waqar Younis

96 matches, 155 wickets @ 22.14, 7 five-fors, BBI: 6-26

Leading the pace attack in this team, Waqar still has the most ODI wickets by any quick before turning 23. He picked up seven five-fors in this period, the most by any bowler, with Saqlain Mushtaq next on the list with five. Waqar was a master of reverse-swing bowling, and especially troubled New Zealand, picking 29 ODI wickets in 12 games at an average of 9.93, before his 23rd birthday.

Saqlain Mushtaq

111 matches, 210 wickets @ 19.41, 5 five-fors, BBI: 5-29

The only cricketer to pick more than 200 wickets before turning 23, Saqlain claimed five five-fors, the most among spinners in that period. Making his debut as an 18-year-old in 1995, Saqlain snared 20 wickets in his first 10 innings. He was at his best against the toughest rivals in his initial years: he averaged less than 20 against six teams, also took 19 wickets in 11 World Cup games across the 1996 and 1999 editions.