5 players who can claim the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year award in 2018

The year 2018 has witnessed some incredible individual performances in the ODI format which have played a major role in various teams' successes.

It has been a year where every team has been chopping and changing players to figure out their best possible combination before the World cup next year in England. But a few players have remained consistent with their performances while the others have tried to cement their places.

These crucial players form an indispensable part of their squad, and as such deserve to be commemorated for their efforts.

Every year the ICC acknowledges such players and their performances in every format. The ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year award is meant to reward one such player who has outshone all the others and is the standout performer in this format.

Here's a look at five players are in contention to clinch the 'ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year' award for 2018:

#5. Joe Root

England's most successful batsman in the last decade, Joe Root, has evolved as a batsman to be counted as one among the Fab Five of the current lot.

A technically sound batsman, Root has often been a model of consistency at the highest level of the game. Though he has often been criticized for not converting his 50s into big scores, the fact remains that he does get to 50 with incredible regularity.

This year, the 27-year-old has accumulated runs at will. With an average nearing 60, England's Test skipper has scored 946 runs to be ranked fourth in the list for the highest run scorers in ODIs in 2018.

He has stepped up to the task and become England's mainstay in the batting order. He looked in fine touch in the ODI series vs India, scoring consecutive hundreds to help his side register a series win over the visitors.

Root's form is a major boost for England as they set their eyes on a maiden World Cup triumph next year.