The current men’s ODI XI is made up of players who occupy the top spots in the ICC ODI rankings.

We have laid out selection criteria, picking out the top five batters in the list, the wicketkeeper with the best batting rank, the top-ranked all-rounder, and the four bowlers with the highest rating.

The ICC batting list is heavy with top-order batters, which has led to a few players batting out of position in this XI. However, considering their ability to adapt in the recent past, a change in the order should not stop them from acing their roles.

The current men’s ODI XI is based on the ICC rankings as on August 22, 2023.

Quinton de Kock (wk)

ICC ODI batting ranking: 8 (718 points)

We chose the hard-hitting de Kock over another left-hander, Fakhar Zaman, to open the innings for the quick starts that he is likely to provide. He has a fine record in the format since 2022, averaging 40.73 at a strike rate of 102.

Imam-ul-Haq

ICC ODI batting ranking: 4 (745 points)

Imam averages 51.30 after 60 games, with nine hundreds and 16 fifties. His ability to play long innings will complement de Kock’s aggressive approach, giving us an ideal opening pair. Imam has excelled against the top-ranked teams, and can hold one end up if de Kock falls early.

Fakhar Zaman

ICC ODI batting ranking: 3 (755 points)

Fakhar has always opened in ODIs, but adapting to a new role shouldn’t be a tough task for him. The second-fastest to 3,000 ODI runs, he scored three successive ODI hundreds earlier this year, which is another evidence of his consistency.

Shubman Gill

ICC ODI batting ranking: 5 (743 points)

The top-ranked India batter, Gill has had a sensational start to his ODI career, making 1,437 runs at an average of 62.47 in 27 games. Though he is another opener in the XI, he can also be an excellent middle-order batter due to his ability to dominate spin. With 750 runs in 12 ODIs in 2023, he is chasing Sachin Tendulkar’s world record for most runs in a calendar year.

Babar Azam

ICC ODI batting ranking: 1 (886 points)

The top-ranked men’s batter is 119 points clear of second-placed Rassie van der Dussen after a few phenomenal years in ODI cricket. Since the start of 2020, he averages over 69, with seven hundreds and 11 fifties in 27 innings. He has recorded a single-digit score only five times in this period and will be at No.5 in our team.

Rassie van der Dussen

ICC ODI batting ranking: 2 (777 points)

Van der Dussen averages 60.58 after 39 innings, the third-best average among batters with at least 1,000 runs in ODI cricket. He has crossed fifty 15 times, at a rate of one in every three innings.

Shakib Al Hasan

ICC ODI all-rounder ranking: 1 (371 points)

Arguably the world’s best contemporary white-ball all-rounder, Shakib is the only cricketer with 200 wickets and a batting average of 35 since 2010. Mitchell Starc and Lasith Malinga have also taken 200 wickets in this period, but they have batting averages of 12.38 and 6.92, respectively. With players taking up more specialised roles in order to cut away injuries, Shakib remains a one of a kind.

Rashid Khan

ICC ODI bowling ranking: 3 (682 points)

Rashid’s presence also bolsters the batting depth of our side. He has made waves around the world for his penetrative spin bowling, picking the most wickets (168) since his debut in 2015. He has an economy rate of 4.14 and has the skill to perform in different conditions.

Mitchell Starc

ICC ODI bowling ranking: 2 (686 points)

Those fast yorkers make Starc an ODI captain’s dream. He has the best bowling strike rate among quicks with 50 wickets since 2019 as well as the second-best average.

Josh Hazlewood

ICC ODI bowling ranking: 1 (705 points)

Hazlewood last played an ODI in November 2022 but has held onto his top spot. What makes him stand out is his career economy rate of 4.57, which reads 3.95 in the last two years. He’s fast but he’s also accurate – a rare combination in a fast bowler.

Mohammed Siraj

ICC ODI bowling ranking: 4 (670 points)

Siraj toured with second-string teams when the seniors were rested, and was brilliant whenever the opportunity arose, evolving into the Indian spearhead when Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami are not around. He has been exceptionally good in the powerplay, averaging 16.8 with an economy rate of 4.24.