All-time Asia ODI XI post year 2000
The 2018 Asia Cup will be a One Day International(ODI) cricket tournament scheduled to be held in the United Arab Emirates in September 2018. It will be the 14th edition of the Asia Cup and the third time when the tournament will be played in the United Arab Emirates, after the 1984 and 1995 editions. India is the defending champions.
Originally, the tournament was scheduled to be played in India. However, it was moved to the United Arab Emirates, following the ongoing political tensions between India and Pakistan.
Asia has always been a nursery of cricket and has produced many greats of the game. So, let us take a look at the players who make it to the starting line-up of the All-time Asian XI Team in ODI cricket. Please note that all these players have played beyond the year 2000.
#1 Sachin Tendulkar (India)
Sachin Tendulkar is a former Indian international cricketer and a former captain of the Indian national team, regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time. He is the highest run scorer of all time in International cricket.
Sachin Tendulkar is universally considered the greatest batsman to have ever played the game. While a few other greats might have scored runs at the same pace as Sachin, none of them boasts of Tendulkar's longevity.
In an incredibly long career, Tendulkar has played in 6 World Cups, a feat matched by only one player in the history of cricket. Tendulkar also possessed the 'golden arm' that could break partnerships at critical junctures and change the course of the match.
In 463 matches for India, he has scored a staggering 18,426 runs at an astonishing average of 44.83 and at an amazing strike rate of 86.24, which is significantly better than any of his contemporaries especially in the 1990s and early 2000s. His attacking gameplay and consistent performances truly revolutionized the sport of cricket.
Such is his status in the world of cricket that he is an automatic choice for Opener no. 1 in our side.