As we head towards the end of another calendar year, for the cricket fans, this was one to remember with a flurry of impressive displays settiing up the 22 yards ablaze with batting. Whether it is with the bat or the ball, the players rocked the shores with one impressive display after the other.
With the year almost ticking away, here’s a quick look at the top batting performances for the calendar year in ODIs that will come to an end in less than three weeks’ time. These are just the top five and of course may not be as good as the ones that you anticipate. If you have a few in mind, please feel free to write them in the comment box.
#1 Glenn Maxwell – 201* vs Afghanistan, Wankhede
It was a show to cherish from the RCB middle-order batter, Glenn Maxwell. Walking out batting in a rubble of 5/69, Maxi led the show with an almost unbeatable showdown. Playing with the tail, he single-handedly won the match-up for Australia. He stayed unbeaten for 201 from 128 balls, peppering 21 fours and 10 sixes. Also, he had severe body cramps and could barely walk as he had pulled his hamstring.
#2 Shubman Gill – 208 vs New Zealand, Hyderabad
It was another single-man showdown from the Prince of Indian cricket, Shubman Gill as he rocked the showdown at Hyderabad with an impeccable 208. From the 349 that was scored by India, their opener smashed 208 from just 149 balls, while rocking 19 fours and nine sixes, while all he got from the other end was simply cameos.
#3 Ben Stokes – 182 vs New Zealand, London
The English southpaw showcased his true brilliance of batting against the Kiwis in London as England rocked the visitors in truly remarkable fashion. Despite losing Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root early, the duo of Dawid Malan and Ben Stokes stabilized the ship with the latter coming out all guns blazing. He hammered an impeccable 182 from just 124 balls, smashing 15 fours and nine sixes.
#4 Heinrich Klaasen – 174 vs South Africa, Centurion
Talk about hard-hitting, in fact, merciless hard hitting and Klassen was truly a master of the art, rocking a sensational 174 from just 83 balls where he smoked 13 fours and 13 sixes, ruthlessly dispatching the bowlers to every nook and cranny of the park. Klaasen’s rock-solid innings showed it to the world what he was capable of and how he almost single-handedly destroyed the opposition.
#5 Virat Kohli – 166* vs Sri Lanka, Thiruvananthapuram
Like the way in the old days, no list used to be actually complete without Sachin Tendulkar, similarly, now none of it ticks right without Virat Kohli. The King’s 166 proved to be an impeccable knock that carved open a significant difference against the Lankans. It arrived at the start of the year as the King hammered those runs from just 110 balls, smashing 13 fours and eight sixes.