Brad Hogg excludes MS Dhoni from his current ODI XI, names Virat Kohli as captain
Former Australian chinaman bowler Brad Hogg picked his current best ODI XI in his latest IGTV video. The former Rajasthan Royals player included five Indian players in the team and named Virat Kohli as the captain of the side. However, there was no place in his team for the 2011 World Cup-winning captain, MS Dhoni.
The Coronavirus pandemic has compelled cricket boards to halt cricket this year. Several cricketers and cricket experts have picked their best XIs during this break.
Former Kolkata Knight Riders spinner Brad Hogg had earlier named his all-time IPL XI, and earlier today, he released his current best ODI team. It is worth noting that Hogg selected Virat Kohli as the captain of his all-time IPL XI, while MS Dhoni was picked as the wicket-keeper of the team.
Brad Hogg picks Jos Buttler as the wicket-keeper, Virat Kohli at No. 3
Brad Hogg selected Rohit Sharma and David Warner as the openers of his team. The Indo-Australian duo were followed by the captain of the Indian team, Virat Kohli, at number three, whereas Pakistan's upcoming star Babar Azam found a place at number four. Hogg mentioned that Kane Williamson and Aaron Finch were close to getting a spot in this XI.
"The two unlucky batsmen are Aaron Finch, who had a wonderful year in 2019, but his conversion rate wasn't as good as everyone else in that top four. And the other one was Kane Williamson, nearly got in front of Virat Kohli, because he had a better average, but it was only a lower strike rate that kept him out of the side," he said.
Ben Stokes and Ravindra Jadeja were the all-rounders of his XI, while Jos Buttler had the responsibility of keeping the wickets. MS Dhoni was a surprising exclusion because none of the current wicket-keepers have been able to match his illustrious record.
The team's pace bowling attack comprised Mitchell Starc, Lockie Ferguson, and Mohammed Shami, and the Royal Challengers Bangalore leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal earned the final place. While naming the fast bowlers, Hogg stressed that India should have given more opportunities to Mohammed Shami during the 2019 World Cup.
Brad Hogg’s current best ODI XI: Rohit Sharma, David Warner, Virat Kohli (C), Babar Azam, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Starc, Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal