BEST INDIAN ODI XI IN DHONI ERA (2011-2016)

Dec 12, 2017 at 1:49 PM

facebook iconlinkedin iconmail icontwitter iconWhatsApp iconTelegram icon
BEST INDIAN ODI XI IN DHONI ERA (2011-2016)

MS DhoniMahendra Singh Dhoni took over the captaincy of Indian ODI team in 2007 after his resounding leadership which guided India to the 2007 ICC World T 20 title. Dhoni was quite the opposite to his predecessor Saurav Ganguly in his persona and style of leadership. While Ganguly was quite expressive and aggressive in his intent, Dhoni had a sense of refined aggression portrayed by his calm and cool demeanor. If Ganguly instilled a sense of combativeness to take on formidable oppositions in their own backyard, Dhoni transformed the Blue Brigade into world beaters at the major ICC tournaments.

Dhoni had a perfect blend of youth and experience which made the Indian team among the top sides in ODI cricket. After the 2011 World Cup win, a couple of Indian stalwarts retired from the ODIs. It marked the beginning of a new era of Indian cricket under Dhoni’s captaincy.

Dhoni had the huge challenge of taking Indian cricket forward with a new bunch of talented youngsters. Under Dhoni’s captaincy India improved on its dismal record at multi-nation tournament finals and won coveted ICC tournaments like the CB Series 2007/08, Asia Cup 2010, and ICC Champions trophy 2013. However, the zenith of his captaincy was leading India to victory in the ICC 2011 World Cup on home soil.

Over the past five years, the Indian ODI team has consistently been ranked among the top three sides in world cricket owing to their high percentage in winning matches both at home and abroad. It is creditable that Dhoni went past Mohammad Azharuddin’s long-standing record of most wins by an India captain in limited overs cricket.

In cricket, they often say that the captain is as good as his team. Early in his captaincy, Dhoni too was fortunate to have a set of seasoned Indian stalwarts in Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Zaheer Khan,Yuvraj Singh and Ashish Nehra who played under his aegis. Dhoni then infused fresh blood by identifying and scouting promising talents like Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Murali Vijay and Ravichandran Ashwin and turned them into cricketers of international pedigree.

So let us analyse the men from the blue brigade who could possibly form the Best XI ODI team in the ‘Dhoni Era’ post the 2011 ICC World Cup .

I have taken a time frame of five years dating back to September 2011 till present for my selection. I have taken this time period into consideration as the 2011 ICC World Cup marked the end of the ODI careers of many of  a lot of our legends who blossomed in the Ganguly Era.

Hence the last 5 years witnessed a new group of players who gelled wonderfully well under Dhoni’s captaincy.

India’s Best ODI XI in Dhoni’s Era  (September 2011-2016)

Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Ravinder Jadeja, Ravichandaran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav

12th Man – Ambati Rayadu

 

  1. SHIKHAR DHAWAN – GABBAR

Long under the shadows of his more illustrious state team-mates Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan came of age in 2011 after scoring heaps of runs in the domestic circuit.

Dhawan is an attacking opening batsman. The left-hander is a free flowing stroke maker with the ability to take on the opposition by flaying them for boundaries early in the innings. Dhawan generally sets the pace for the innings by getting the Indian team off to fliers up the order. Shikhar thrives on the batting friendly wickets of the subcontinent but his technique has been exposed on seamer friendly tracks in overseas conditions. He is a good fielder in the deep with a strong throwing arm. “Gabbar” is known to be a good team man and generally, lifts up the spirits of his fellow teammates.

ODI Batting Record (Sept 2011- Till Present)

Matches Innings Runs Average Strike Rate 100s 50s
69 68 3009 46.29 91.54 9 16

 

  1. ROHIT SHARMA – HITMAN

Rohit Sharma is arguably the most talented batsman in the Indian team. Sharma has been bestowed with immense talent and natural ability with the willow. Sharma makes batting looks rather effortless with his lazy elegance and ability to play the ball late. He has a plethora of scoring shots at his disposal to demolish opposition attacks. Sharma had the tendency to score the big match winning hundreds once he gets his act together. Sharma has overcome his sudden concentration lapses and poor shot selection which had been the cause of his downfall in the past. Rohit has made the opening slot his own by scoring heavily at the top of the order. Rohit works hard on his fitness levels which is reflective in his brilliant all-round fielding. Sharma can roll over his arm if the situation requires him to do so.

ODI Batting Record (Sept 2011- Till Present)

Matches Innings Runs Average Strike Rate 100s 50s
82 80 3503 49.33 88.19 8 20

  1. VIRAT KOHLI

Virat Kohli is arguably the best one-day batsman in the world at present. Kohli has been a prolific run-getter for India over the last five years. He has a huge appetite for scoring runs. Virat’s batting is about sublime timings, classical stroke-making, and flawless shot-making. Kohli has been a brilliant chaser and times his innings to perfection while chasing down big targets. His consistency at scoring runs against different opponents in different conditions is par excellence. Kohli has a penchant for scoring the big match winning hundreds which is clearly reflective in his amazing conversion rate. Owing to his spectacular performances with the bat, many have hailed him as the heir apparent to the “Little Master” Sachin Tendulkar. Virat is a very determined cricketer who plays his cricket with a lot of passion and commitment. He is a natural leader who is destined to take Indian cricket to newer heights in the future. He is an exceptional fielder courtesy his supreme fitness levels.

ODI Batting Record (Sept 2011- Till Present)

Matches Innings Runs Average Strike Rate 100s 50s
112 107 5059 55.59 93.89 20 21

 

  1. AJINKYA RAHANE

Ajinkya Rahane is second to none when it comes to combining natural talent and work ethics. Rahane possesses a well-organised technique and cool temperament which makes him an accomplished batsman. Rahane is capable of hitting lusty blows as well as milking the singles into the gaps. Owing to his versatile batting style, he has the ability to play anywhere in the batting order. Rahane is an exceptional fielder too. He has plucked some sharp catches out of thin air in the close in-field and the slip cordon.

ODI Record (Sept 2011- Present)

Matches Innings Runs Average Strike Rate 100s 50s
67 65 2093 33.22 79.61 2 15

  1. SURESH RAINA

Raina is an aggressive middle order batsman known for his destructive strokeplay. Raina is a pocket dynamite who can finish off games in a blink of an eye. Raina, a brutal bludgeoner of the ball favors heaving the ball over the mid-wicket on the leg side. Raina has played the role of a finisher to perfection in the limited overs format. Raina is a brilliant fielder courtesy his sharp reflex and athleticism. Raina adds depth to the Indian bowling with his off-spin that has been quite handy in breaking partnerships the limited overs cricket.

ODI Record (Sept 2011- Present)

Matches Innings Runs Average Strike Rate 100s 50s
103 91 2773 36.01 98.47 2 20

  1. MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI – MAHI

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been rightfully labelled as ‘Captain Cool’. Dhoni leads by example with his strong leadership qualities, uncanny ability with the willow and acrobatic wicket-keeping. A great finisher, Dhoni has nerves of steel and can win cliff-hangers of the very last ball. Dhoni is a destructive batsman who can alter the course of a match with his quick-fire cameos lower down the order. Dhoni’s ability to wither intense pressure and analyse the game well makes him arguably the greatest ODI captain of India. Mahi’s batting technique has been best described as unorthodox yet effective. His raw power and tremendous hand-eye coordination have been the key ingredients of his brutal strokeplay. Besides his batting credentials, Dhoni is clinical with his wicket-keeping skills too. Dhoni has taken some spectacular catches and effected some lightning quick stumping’s courtesy his razor sharp reflexes behind the stumps.

ODI Record (Sept 2011- Present)

Matches Innings Runs Average Strike Rate 100s 50s
92 75 2869 57.38 93.17 2 22

 

  1. RAVINDER JADEJA – JADDU

Ravindra Jadeja has been India best all-rounder in the limited overs format for some time now. Jadeja adds depth to the Indian batting by scoring valuable runs down the order.

Jadeja with his round-arm action has developed into a very useful spin bowler. He has been successful in sub-continent conditions where he is a master of exploiting the spin-friendly conditions. Jadeja is a brilliant fielder who gives his full commitment and energy on the field. Moreover, Jadeja is an ideal team man who lifts the morale of fellow teammates with his great sense of humour.

ODI Batting Record (Sept 2011- Present)

Matches Innings Runs Average Strike Rate 100s 50s
91 65 1314 32.85 88.60 0 6

  1. RAVICHANDRAN ASHWIN

Ravichandran Ashwin has been the worthy successor to the great Indian spin legacy. Ashwin is a clever off-spinner who foxes the batsman with his subtle variations. Ashwin mixed up his deliveries with great deception to bamboozle the best of batsmen. His meteoric rise from a T-20 tweaker to a leading spinner in the limited overs arena is a testimony to his strong resolve to compete against the best. Owing to his high arm action, Ashwin extracts good bounce with his spin on most of the surfaces.

Ashwin is a useful lower order batsman who chips in with valuable contributions down the order. He has a good cricketing acumen and can be a potential leader for the future.

ODI Bowling Record (Sept 2011- Present)

Matches Innings Wickets Average Strike Rate Eco Best
91 90 123 32.52 40.1 4.86 4/25

  1. MOHAMMAD SHAMI

Mohammad Shami is a potent seam bowler who can swing the ball with brisk pace. Shami has impressed with his ability to the reverse swing the old ball. He is an outright strike bowler and generally gets regular breakthroughs for his side early in the innings. Shami has the ability to bowl dead accurate toe crushing yorkers which make him a deadly customer in the death overs. He can also chip in with quick runs lower down the order.

ODI Bowling Record (Sept 2011- Present)

Matches Innings Wickets Average Strike Rate Eco Best
47 46 87 24.89 26.9 5.54 4/35

  1. BHUVNESHWAR KUMAR – BHUVI

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is a lethal weapon when he gets his late swing going. Kumar can swing the ball like a banana when conditions are conducive for swing bowling. Kumar generally bowls his stock out swinging delivery but has the ability to bring the ball back sharply into the batsman. Kumar is immaculate with his line and length and generally ends up bowling economical spells for India. ‘Bhuvi’ has worked up his pace, which has resulted in making his swing more lethal.

ODI Bowling Record (Sept 2011- Present)

Matches Innings Wickets Average Strike Rate Eco Best
57 57 60 38.3 46.9 4.89 4/8

 

  1. UMESH YADAV

Umesh Yadav is the fastest of the current crop of Indian pacers. Umesh Yadav has a strong action and can generate brisk pace with a short run up. Yadav can bowl consistently at around the 140 kph mark all through his spell. He has mastered the art of shaping the ball away from the batsmen. He has been at his best on the seamer-friendly tracks in overseas conditions that offer both pace and bounce. Yadav could be a great asset to the team if he can control his line which at times is a touch inconsistent.

ODI Bowling Record

Matches Innings Wickets Average Strike Rate Economy Best
54 53 78 32.52 32.5 6.00 4/31

 

12th Man –

Ambati Rayadu

Ambati Rayadu is a dependable middle order batsman who has been consistent at scoring runs whenever given a chance in the playing eleven. Rayadu an attacking batsman can provide impetus to the innings by scoring at a brisk pace. He can don the wicket-keeping gloves too.

My only notable and debatable omission from the playing Eleven is India’s flamboyant left-handed batsman Yuvraj Singh. Yuvi has a very mediocre batting record in ODIs under Dhoni’s captaincy over the past five years hence didn’t make the cut.

Bench Strength

Dhoni has a decent reserve of seam bowlers in Mohit Sharma, R Vinay Kumar and Ashok Dinda who all have done well whenever called in for national duty. Meanwhile, the tall and lanky veteran seamer Ishant Sharma has been more of a test bowler under Dhoni’s captaincy.

Axar Patel and Stuart Binny have been handy all-rounders in the limited overs arena. Seasoned wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik has donned the keeping gloves for India in Dhoni’s absence.

I haven’t considered certain players who are regulars in the test team but don’t feature in the ODI scheme of things. Notable among them are seasoned opener Murali Vijay, dependable test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara and leg-spinner Amit Mishra.

Former Indian stalwarts like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Irfan Pathan played under Dhoni’s captaincy but all of them were in the fag end of their careers hence did not feature regularly in the period taken into consideration for selection.

Hope you enjoyed reading my and would draw consensus with most of the players who were rightfully deserving to form the Best ODI team in Dhoni’s Era (2011-2016).

Note – All stats have been taken from ESPN Cricinfo

Related Article
Ravindra Jadeja Doubtful For 3rd Test, Still Not Fully Fit: Report
Ravindra Jadeja Doubtful For 3rd Test, Still Not Fully Fit: Report

Feb 13, 2024, 10:01 AM


Attempt To Tarnish The Image Of My Wife Is Improper: Ravindra Jadeja Hits Back At His Father
Attempt To Tarnish The Image Of My Wife Is Improper: Ravindra Jadeja Hits Back At His Father

Feb 9, 2024, 2:57 PM


He is my son, and it burns my heart: Ravindra Jadeja’s Father Opens Up On Broken Relation With Son And Daughter-in-law
He is my son, and it burns my heart: Ravindra Jadeja’s Father Opens Up On Broken Relation With Son And Daughter-in-law

Feb 9, 2024, 2:29 PM


IND vs ENG: Ravindra Jadeja Likely To Be Ruled Out Of His Home Game Against England – Reports
IND vs ENG: Ravindra Jadeja Likely To Be Ruled Out Of His Home Game Against England – Reports

Feb 2, 2024, 11:12 AM


IND vs ENG: Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami Likely To Be Ruled Out Of The Remainder Of The England Test Series – Reports
IND vs ENG: Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami Likely To Be Ruled Out Of The Remainder Of The England Test Series – Reports

Feb 2, 2024, 10:16 AM


IND vs ENG: Ravindra Jadeja Likely To Be Ruled Out Of Remainder Of England Test Series – Reports
IND vs ENG: Ravindra Jadeja Likely To Be Ruled Out Of Remainder Of England Test Series – Reports

Jan 30, 2024, 2:15 PM


Desktop Banner
Mobile Banner