All-time ODI XI comprising of players from all major cricket playing nations
The first ODI was played on January 5, 1971, between Australia and England. Since then the game has evolved rapidly in terms of skills, pace, rules, and money. I remember the time when Sunil Gavaskar scored 36 (174) while playing against England and was severely criticised for slow innings. Now players are scoring 200+ runs in a 50 over-match. Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Chris Gayle etc. have changed the way the game is played. It has become more intense, competitive, and agile.
I have discussed All-time best ODI XI comprising of players from all major cricket playing nations i.e. India, Pakistan, Australia, England, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. They have all been legends of ODI cricket.
#1 Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar has earned this spot on the basis of his performance, records and match-winning ability. He had sound technique, nice temperament, a range of shots and ability to dominate the bowlers. He scored 18426 runs in 463 ODI at an average of 44.83.
#2 Sanath Jayasuriya
Being a left-hander, Sanath Jayasuriya is an ideal choice to partner Sachin. He was among the first few batsmen who started the trend of attacking cricket in ODI. He scored 13430 runs in 445 matches at an average of 38.39. He had the perfect ability to play lofted shots early on in the innings, thereby dominating the fast bowlers.
#3 Brian Lara
Brian Lara remains an obvious choice because of his talent, determination, skill and match-winning ability. He scored 10405 runs in 299 ODI at an average of 40.48. He played pace as well as genuine spin bowling, with equal ease.
#4 Virat Kohli
Over the last 6 years, Virat Kohli has become a legend of the game - equaling the heights of Tendulkar, Richards and the likes. He has scored 9779 runs so far in 211 ODI at an average of 58.21 which is enviable by any standard. He has the knack of winning matches which makes him stand apart.
#5 Jacques Kallis
Jacques Kallis was an all-rounder in the truest sense. He scored 11579 runs in 328 ODI at an average of 44.36 and took 273 wickets at an average of 31.79. He won a lot of matches for South Africa single-handedly and hence an obvious choice.