2018 ODI team of the year

The year 2018 was all about building up to 2019, when the World Cup gets played in England. A lot of focus from the teams was on experimenting with the available spots and getting the squad ready for the multi-nation extravaganza next year. We pick the players who stood out and made a difference in our ODI XI of 2018.

Rohit Sharma

The 31-year-old opener walks into the side with 1030 runs across 19 matches at an average of 73.57 this year. He scored 3 fifties and 5 hundreds, with his highest score being 162 against the Windies at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. The five-match ODI series also saw him score 152* in the first ODI. Rohit had started the year on a low note in South Africa but eventually came into his own in the fifth ODI in Port Elizabeth with a well-made 115.

Shikhar Dhawan

Edging past a serious challenge from Jonny Bairstow, Dhawan makes the cut as the second opener in the side. The left-hander scored 897 runs across 19 matches, which is fewer than Bairstow's 1025 in 22 matches but Dhawan averaged higher at 49.83. And it helps that he forms such a successful opening pair with Rohit Sharma. "If you have Jonny Bairstow in your team over Shikhar Dhawan in my team, I wouldn't lose sleep over that," Harsha Bhogle said.

Virat Kohli

This is as obvious as it gets. Kohli scored 1202 runs in 14 matches in 2018, which started with a 112 against South Africa in Durban. Kohli scored a 160 not out in Cape Town again, helping India win the series 5-1. Kohli then ended the year with three consecutive hundreds against the Windies.

Joe Root

Root's inclusion isn't so much about numbers as it is about when the runs came. Root scored 946 runs from 24 games this year but his twin hundreds in the three-match ODI series against India at home helped England beat a world-class opposition in a dry run for what could well be a knockout match in the 2019 World Cup.

Jos Buttler

Buttler's year was more about his comeback in Tests but his ODI performance was as stupendous. The wicketkeeper-batsman scored 671 runs from 23 games at an average of 51.62 and helped England define games, as evidenced by his not out innings of 100 and 110 against Australia in Sydney and Manchester respectively.

Shakib Al Hasan

Sikandar Raza and Jason Holder were the other two contenders but Shakib, with his evergreen ability to turn games on its head, edges them with 497 runs to go with 21 wickets across 15 matches. He comes into the side as someone who will share the fifth bowler's duties with a seam-bowling all-rounder.

Thisara Perera

Might seem to be a surprise pick for a few but not many seam bowling all-rounders have done well in 2018. Thisara Perera has had a pretty good year in 50-over cricket despite Sri Lanka's dwindling fortunes. He has made handy contributions with the bat lower down the order averaging 34.58 and has also picked up 25 wickets at a very good average of just 20.72.

Rashid Khan

The Afghanistan youngster has had an outstanding year in both T20 and 50-over cricket. His stocks kept on rising as he was instrumental in his side's qualification for the World Cup. Rashid had a stunning economy rate of under 4 while picking up 48 wickets in 20 games. His abilities with the bat will also come to the fore at number eight for any side in the world.

Kuldeep Yadav

Wrist spin is certainly the way to go in limited overs cricket. And Kuldeep Yadav was one of the standouts this year, picking up 45 wickets in just 19 games at an average of 17. Alongside Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep has formed a deadly partnership to give India regular strikes in the middle overs. He bamboozled the England batsman during the limited overs series this year and will be looking forward to more of the same next year in the showpiece event.

Kagiso Rabada

The South African speedster's rise to the top has been phenomenal. He has quickly become South Africa's strike bowler across formats and while his Test exploits are highlighted with the world number one ranking, Rabada had a great year in ODIs as well picking up 23 wickets in 14 games. 2019 only promises to get better.

Jasprit Bumrah

Wickets up front with the new ball, wickets at the death with some deadly variations, Jasprit Bumrah can do it all at the moment. The most striking feature about his numbers this year is the economy rate which is at 3.63 - something that can rarely be associated with modern-day cricket. No wonder he is the top-ranked bowler in ODI cricket.