India won the 2011 World Cup, breaking a 28-year wait under MS Dhoni’s captaincy and fulfilling Sachin Tendulkar and billion Indians’ dream.
As India have become the first team to 1000 ODIs, let’s have a look at India’s best ODI XI of the 21st century.
The Cricket Lounge’s India’s Best ODI XI Of 21st Century:
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar, known as God of Cricket, is the first name on any team sheet, especially in the best ODI XI for India. As an opener in ODIs, Tendulkar is not only India’s greatest, but arguably the best-ever in the world. He amassed 9040 runs as an opener in the 21st century at an average of 48; only Chris Gayle registered more runs as an opener,10179, during this period but at a much lower strike rate of 39.
Tendulkar is the first batsman to record a double century in ODIs.
Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma is India’s fourth-highest scorer this century. After struggling in the middle-order for years, Sharma was promoted to open in 2013 – that changed his career and the picture of Indian cricket. As an opener, Rohit averages 57 – much more than Sehwag’s 36 – while scoring 7238 runs at the top.
Sharma is the record-holder of three double centuries. He struck 5 centuries in the 2019 World Cup,
Virat Kohli
India’s modern-day run machine, with 12285 runs at 58, Virat Kohli is the second-leading run-scorer in the 21st century, behind Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara. He has thumped most ODI centuries, 43, by any batsman this century – miles ahead of next best Rohit Sharma with 29 hundreds. Since being promoted to number 3, Kohli has stockpiled runs at a staggering average of 62. India’s best ODI XI for India can’t be completed without Virat Kohli’s name in it.
Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh was one of India’s biggest match-winner and who helped the Men In Blue clinch the 2011 World Cup with his tremendous all-round show. Yuvraj scored 8609 runs at 36 and picked 110 wickets at 38, nicely shifting into the all-rounder’s role in the 2011 World Cup arrived.
MS Dhoni (c)
MS Dhoni is the fourth-highest ODI run-scorer in the 21st century with 10773 runs at 50 and, at his peak, a devastating finisher. Captain Cool fulfilled the dreams of a billion people by leading India to the World Cup glory after 28 years.
Suresh Raina
Suresh Raine made two massive contributions to India’s 2011 World Cup knock-out wins against Australia and Pakistan. Used as a floater according to the situation, Raina registered 5615 ODI runs at 35 with a strike rate of 93.
A powerful finisher with the bat and a handy part-time option with a ball, Raina was one of the best fielders to don the blue jersey.
Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja is amongst the finest all-rounder to have played for India. The left-hander averages 32 with the bat for his 2411 runs, often getting the chance to bat only towards the end of the innings. With 188 wickets, he is India’s fourth-highest wicket-taker in the 21st century. Add this to his excellent fielding, and Jadeja has been a premier player in the past five years.
Harbhajan Singh
With 247 wickets, Harbhajan Singh is India’s leading spin-bowling wicket-taker this century. Those wickets came while conceding at 4.3 runs per over. Among right-arm off-spinners, only Muttiah Muralitharan has taken more ODI wickets this century than Harbhajan.
Zaheer Khan
In this century, Zaheer Khan is the leading Indian wicket-taker in ODIs, and third-highest among pacers, with 282 wickets. Left-armer Zaheer snared the join-most number of wickets – 21 – at the 2011 World Cup and bowled a memorable, tone-setting opening spell against Sri Lanka in the final.
Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah has a claim at India’s best or second-best fast bowler of the 21st century. In ODIs, Bumrah has taken 113 wickets at 25.42 apiece – his average is better than all the other Indian bowlers with more wickets than him. His economy of 4.65 is astonishing considering he has bowled in the batting-friendly era in white-ball cricket.
Ajit Agarkar
Ajit Agarkar has taken the third-most number of ODI wickets – 215 – for India this century. Those wickets came at 28 each while he conceded at 5 runs per over. Agarkar, a right-arm seamer, could also whack the ball well; he holds the record for the fastest fifty in ODI for an Indian batsman.
