The limited overs season of the year 2018 has come to an end and we saw some truly brilliant performances from batsmen, bowlers, and all-rounders in the ODI format. All the teams were looking to experiment with their playing XIs in order to give chances to everyone they thought would make the probable list for the upcoming ICC World Cup in 2019 in England.
The year saw the World Cup 2019 qualifiers take place in which West Indies and Afghanistan took the honors to take the final two spots in the 10-team mega-event. Afghanistan was the winner of the qualifier tournament.
The year also saw some superlative performances and the teams have more or less finalized their teams for World Cup 2019 and will give them game time in 2019.
There have been some teams who have highly rested on some individuals. 2018 saw some dazzling individual performances and Team COC looks at such 11 players form the 2018 ODI XI.
Check out the 2018 ODI XI
Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan are chosen to open the innings given their rich vein of form in the ODIs. Since 2013, the opening combination of Dhawan and Rohit have been proficient in giving India some big starts.
Rohit has scored 1030 runs in 2018 with 5 centuries and the highest score of 162, while Dhawan has scored 897 runs with 3 centuries and the best score of 127. The duo will be followed by Englishman Jonny Bairstow, who has seen a resurgence ever since batting in top order for England. He has scored 1025 runs in the 2018 year with 4 centuries with the highest score of 139.
The highest run scorer in ODIs in 2018, Virat Kohli has scored 1202 runs with 6 centuries and the highest score of 160*. Kohli has been also wonderful as the captain of Indian team and is also chosen as captain of the COC ODI XI of 2018.
Then comes the middle order of Jos Buttler, who will also keep wickets, all-rounder par excellence, Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan and Windies captain Jason Holder. While Buttler has scored 671 runs in 2018 with a best of 110*; his impact has been in providing the death overs rush to England totals in ODIs.
Shakib, on the other hand, has scored 497 runs with a best of 97 and has picked 21 wickets with a best of 4/21, despite missing a significant time away from the game due to a finger injury, that threatened his career at one point of time.
Windies captain Jason Holder fulfills the requirement of a fast-bowling all-rounder and has picked 21 wickets and scored 405 runs with an average of 33.75.
The bowling attack comprises two of the best wrist spinners in limited overs in current times- Rashid Khan of Afghanistan and left-arm chinaman Kuldeep Yadav of India.
Talking of Rashid, he ended 2018 as the highest wicket-taker in ODIs with 48 wickets and a best of 5/24. He was instrumental in Afghanistan qualifying for the 2019 World Cup, by winning the qualifiers in Zimbabwe.
Kuldeep, however, ended with 45 wickets and a best of 6/25, has been a lynchpin in Indian dominance in limited overs cricket in the year 2018.
The two pure fast bowlers in the COC ODI XI of 2018 are Jasprit Bumrah of India and Kagiso Rabada of South Africa. Bumrah has been one of the best death overs bowlers in the world and has 22 wickets to his name in 2018, at a miserly economy of 3.62; given that he played selectively, with Indian team management taking care of the star bowler.
Rabada, on the other hand, picked 23 wickets in ODIs in 2018, carried the Proteas bowling attack in absence of Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander. These two bowlers have been at the top of their game for their respective countries and deserve their place in the ODI XI of 2018.
COC ODI XI of 2018:
Rohit Sharma (IND), Shikhar Dhawan (IND), Jonny Bairstow (ENG), Virat Kohli (IND-C), Jos Buttler (ENG-WK), Shakib Al Hasan (BAN), Jason Holder (WI), Rashid Khan (AFG), Kuldeep Yadav (IND), Kagiso Rabada (SA), Jasprit Bumrah (IND)
