Ranking the Best ODI batsmen of the current decade
ODI cricket has come a long way since 1971 when Australia and England locked horns in a 40 eight-ball overs a side contest. The eight-ball overs have long since been replaced by six-ball overs with numerous other developments incorporated as well.
Nowadays, there are two new balls at each end and the concept of the Power-play has gained greater importance. Yet, most importantly, ODI cricket these days has become a game heavily tilted towards the men who wield the willow.
Scores in excess of 300 are no longer an aberration and have rather become the norm. Additionally, the bats have become bigger and boundaries smaller, thus encouraging enormous totals.
Unsurprisingly, batsmen have played a paramount role in the past decade with their ability to take the game out of the opposition’s reach distinguishing them.
Hence, through this article, we would look at the batsmen who have carved a niche for themselves since 2010 and why they make the cut ahead of the others.
Without further ado, here is a look at them:
Honourable Mentions: Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor and MS Dhoni
#5 Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)
Kumar Sangakkara is only one of two batsmen on our list to have retired from international cricket. Despite bidding adieu to the game in 2015, the wicket-keeper has been one of the best batsmen this decade.
Sangakkara enjoyed a chequered career for Sri Lanka with 14234 ODI runs and 25 centuries to his name. However, since the turn of the decade, the Sri Lankan took his game up a notch.
During the 2010-15 period, Sangakkara scored 15 of his 25 ODI hundreds and was one of the main reasons Sri Lanka made the 2011 World Cup final. He averaged more than 50 in the said phase and unlike many, got better with age.
Moreover, he entered his name in the record books when he notched up 4 consecutive 100-plus scores in the 2015 World Cup.
Sangakkara is arguably one of the finest batsmen of our generation with his attribute of adapting to different situations and formats placing him on a higher pedestal than his peers.
Though he hasn’t graced an international game since 2015, the sheer weight and quality of his performances get him onto our list.