The Combined Best ODI XI of 2018
The year 2018 saw a total of 128 One Day Internationals played all over the World. India played a total of 20 matches and won 14, lost 4 and tied 2. As per the ICC ODI rankings, at the end of the year, England are ranked number one in the world followed by India and New Zealand.
Also Read: The Combined Best Test XI of 2018
As we near the end of 2018, it is now time to pick the best ODI XI for 2018. This selection has been made on the basis of the performances of the players against different oppositions.
#5 Openers
Rohit Sharma (Vice-captain)
Matches – 19, Innings - 19, Runs – 1030, Avg – 73, S.R – 100, 100s – 5, 50s - 3
For Rohit Sharma, the proud record holder of 3 double hundreds in 2018, the year 2018 started on a poor note when he scored a mere 40 runs in his first four innings in South Africa.
It was in the fifth match at Port Elizabeth that Rohit found form with an innings of 115 laced with 11 fours and 4 sixes. He followed that up with another century in the first match of the three-match series against England in England. Until the middle of the year, he had only 2 hundreds in 9 innings.
Rohit found his consistency as captain in the Asia Cup with scores of 23, 52, 83 not out, 111 not out and 48. In the West Indies series at home, he hammered 152 not out and 162. In all his big hundreds, one would always find a number of sixes being clobbered by Rohit. The talented right-hander is a proven match winner and during the year India won all the 5 matches in which he scored a hundred.
Shai Hope (Wicket-keeper)
Matches – 18, Innings – 18, Runs – 875, Avg – 67, SR – 75, 100s- 3, 50s - 3, Catches – 10, Stumpings – 5.
Shai Hope has been in terrific form for the West Indies with the bat. When the year started, he was a relatively new commodity in international cricket having played in only 26 ODIs. But in the 18 matches that he has played during 2018, he has distinguished himself as a fabulous batsman in the top order. At a time when the West Indies cricket was going through a period of turmoil, Hope has been their hope for the future.
Against India at Visakhapatnam, chasing a score of 321, the West Indies were in a spot of bother at 78 for 3. That was when Shai Hope decided to exhibit his class as he added 143 runs for the fourth wicket with another exciting prospect Shimron Hetmyer. At one stage, the West Indies were at the brink of victory at 300 for 6 before Jason Holder ran himself out. Hope couldn’t finish off the match for West Indies but hit the last ball for a four to tie the match.
Hope scored 95 in the next match at Pune and West Indies won that match by 43 runs to level the series with 2 matches to go. He was unfortunately run-out in the next match before opening his account. Hope finished off the year in grand style with scores of 146 not out and 108 not out against Bangladesh. Apart from a superb batsman, Hope is a safe wicket-keeper too.