World Cup stars populate our XI, though only two players from Australia, the champions, make the side. India were beaten in the final, but having been perfect in the tournament up until then, as well as winning the Asia Cup and five of the six bilateral series they played, it’s unsurprising that they dominate our team, providing seven of the 11 players.

Picking this team was a tough task, and there were several players who can consider themselves unlucky to miss out – in any other year, Quinton de Kock would be a must-pick for his four World Cup centuries. This time, he earned just one vote from our panel.

Here is our XI.

Wisden’s 2023 men’s ODI team of the year – the selections

Stats in bold refer to 2023 ODIs only

Rohit Sharma – India (c)

27 ODIs, 1255 runs at 52.29, SR: 117.07, 2 100s, HS: 131

Rohit Sharma edges out India teammate Shubman Gill to take the second opening spot in this XI. While Gill had the more comprehensive overall numbers, the senior statesman had the superior World Cup, taking up the attack in the powerplay and encouraging his side to adopt an aggressive gameplan. He will captain this side.

Travis Head – Australia

13 ODIs, 570 runs at 51.81, SR: 133.17, 2 100s, HS: 137

A bumper year across formats for Travis Head, who made centuries and was named Player of the Final in Australia’s two global triumphs. That Australia held a place for him despite a broken hand ruling him out of the first half of the World Cup is evidence of the esteem he now holds. A century in his first game back, and defining hands in each of the knockout games, was vindication of their decision.

Virat Kohli – India

27 ODIs, 1377 runs at 72.47, SR: 99.13, 6 100s, HS: 166*

He’s back, and perhaps he’s even better than before. After a protracted lean patch that looked at one point like terminal decline, Virat Kohli has now resumed his century accumulation in all three formats, and fixed his slightly light World Cup record in the process, breaking the record for most runs in a single edition. One of two unanimous picks in this XI.

Daryl Mitchell – New Zealand

26 ODIs, 1204 runs at 52.34, SR: 100.24, 5 100s, HS: 134
9 wickets at 22.66, ER: 6.27, 0 five-fors, BBI: 3-32

Up until the World Cup final, India had been scarily dominant, and it was down to their bowling attack more than anything else. Only one man had managed to resist them for long: New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell, who made two tons against them in the World Cup and somehow ended on the losing side twice. He did, however, book a spot in this side.

Heinrich Klaasen (wk) – South Africa

24 ODIs, 927 runs at 46.35, SR: 140.66, 3 100s, HS: 174
19 catches, 1 stumping

South Africa’s high-risk, specialist-heavy ODI gameplan asked plenty of their batters. They needed to be able to make runs consistently, with little insurance down below. But they also needed their middle order to be explosive, to ensure they reached above-par totals, with little bowling cover in the top six. Heinrich Klaasen did both, with blistering centuries against Australia at Centurion and England in the Mumbai heat the two high points.

Glenn Maxwell – Australia

11 ODIs, 413 runs at 51.62, SR: 145.93, 2 100s, HS: 201*
10 wickets at 37.70, ER: 4.68, 0 five-fors, BBI: 4-40

There’s only one place to start: that cramp-ridden, backs-to-the-wall, bonkers double century against Afghanistan, the highest score in an ODI chase, and instantly regarded as up there with the greatest knocks the format has ever seen. Maxwell’s 2023 also featured the fastest ever World Cup century among other explosive cameos and some useful contributions with the ball, which included career-best, Player of the Match figures of 4-40 against India in Rajkot.

Ravindra Jadeja – India

26 ODIs, 31 wickets at 28.19, ER: 4.60, 1 five-for, BBI: 5-33
309 runs at 30.90, SR: 75.00, 0 100s, HS: 45*

The first of an all-Indian bottom half, Ravindra Jadeja stood out for his parsimony with the ball but also chipped in on the wicket front, taking his second career five-for in a thrashing of South Africa, in a World Cup clash between the two form teams of the competition to that point. He also did his job when called upon with the bat, navigating tense chases against Australia and New Zealand and providing the finishing touches when batting first.

Mohammed Shami – India

19 ODIs, 43 wickets at 16.46, ER: 5.32, 4 five-fors, BBI: 7-57

Mohammed Shami is the second unanimous choice in our XI, despite not being in India’s XI to start the World Cup. He scorched in after Hardik Pandya’s injury, claimed five-for in his first game against New Zealand, and surged to the top of the World Cup wicket charts with a devastating seven-for in the semi-final.

Jasprit Bumrah – India

17 ODIs, 28 wickets at 20.28, ER: 4.40, 0 five-fors, BBI: 4-31

When fit, Jasprit Bumrah is a shoo-in in any XI, and this side is no exception. Devastating with the new ball, incisive if needed in the middle, and unhittable at the death, Bumrah is close to the perfect bowler, and if anything, his figures don’t do him justice. Only once did he go wicketless, but at times it was others who cashed in after he had laid the platform.

Kuldeep Yadav – India

30 ODIs, 49 wickets at 20.48, ER: 4.61, 1 five-for, BBI: 5-25

The risk with any spinner with an element of mystery is that, once decoded, they will lose their effectiveness. That looked, for a time, as if it would be Kuldeep Yadav’s fate, after a stellar first two years in international cricket receded further into the distance. In 2023, he firmly reestablished himself among the world’s elite, combining incision with economy.

Mohammad Siraj – India

25 ODIs, 44 wickets at 20.68, ER: 5.28, 1 five-for, BBI: 6-21

Irresistible on his day, with the peak coming in the Asia Cup final. Figures of 6-21 skittled Sri Lanka for 50, and he followed up with 3-16 against the same opponents in the World Cup as they were run through for 55.

Wisden’s 2023 men’s ODI team of the year – the lineup

1. Rohit Sharma – India (c)
2. Travis Head – Australia
3. Virat Kohli – India
4. Daryl Mitchell – New Zealand
5. Heinrich Klaasen (wk) – South Africa
6. Glenn Maxwell – Australia
7. Ravindra Jadeja – India
8. Mohammed Shami – India
9. Jasprit Bumrah – India
10. Kuldeep Yadav – India
11. Mohammad Siraj – India