2017 in Review : Cricadium's ODI team of the year

It's time for us to turn our heads towards the ODI team of the year. The Test team of the year consisted of mostly the renowned names in the sport but the best XI for the shorter format of the game includes some of the players who made a name for themselves in 2017 and stood well above the rest. While the ODI cricket was seemingly losing its sheen due to the advent of T20 cricket, 2017 turned out to be the breakthrough year for the format. Throughout the year, there were some mind-boggling performances and nail-biting finishes that kept the fans intrigued. We have compiled the list of the standout performers of the year and it makes for an invincible best XI of the year.

Here's presenting Cricadium's ODI team of the year

#1 Rohit Sharma

Talk about the first choice opener and there is absolutely no need to look beyond Rohit Sharma. Yes, he was a notable name in the game but 2017 was a year that put him in a league of special players in limited overs cricket. We talk highly about Virat Kohli's majestic batting in ODI cricket but look what Rohit has been able to achieve. In 21 innings this year, he scored 1293 runs at a massive average of 71.83 that included 6 centuries and 5 fifties. Very recently, he made 208* runs against Sri Lanka and became the only player to have notched up 3 double hundreds in ODI cricket. It's an absolutely incredible achievement and one that might not be broken for a number of years to come.

Rohit's Batting Stats in 2017

Matches	Innings	Runs	Highest Score	Average	100s	50s	Strike Rate
21	21	1293	208*	71.83	6	5	99.46

#2 Shikhar Dhawan

Rohit's opening partner Shikhar Dhawan also had an outstanding year in ODI cricket. He scored 960 runs from 22 innings that included 3 hundreds and 6 half-centuries. An average of 48 might not sound as astounding as Rohit's but it was the manner in which Dhawan scored those runs that made him so impactful. Apart from Rohit, only Upul Tharanga of Sri Lanka scored more runs than Dhawan at the top yet his side ended up losing more often than not. The Indian left-hander scored runs at a strike rate of 101.37 and whenever he got going, India were ensured of a comfortable win.

Dhawan's Batting Stats in 2017

Matches	Innings	Runs	Highest Score	Average	100s	50s	Strike Rate
22	22	960	132*	48	3	6	101.37

#3 Virat Kohli

This one is an automatic selection. ODI cricket and Virat Kohli is one strong bond that doesn't seem to break in the near future. Each time he walks out to bat in colored clothing, the opposition is severely under pressure as long as he stays in the middle. Just like last few years, 2017 again belonged to Kohli as far as ODI cricket is concerned. A total of 1460 runs from 26 innings made sure he was by far the leading run-getter this year. A monstrous average of 76.84 and a strike rate of close to 100 constitute for some serious numbers. He notched up 6 hundreds this year and took his tally to 32 in ODI cricket and now stands only behind the legendary Sachin Tendulkar who had scored 49 tons in ODIs.

Kohli's Batting Stats in 2017

Matches	Innings	Runs	Highest Score	Average	100s	50s	Strike Rate
26	26	1460	131	76.84	6	7	99.11

#4 Joe Root

England, after being knocked out of the 2015 ODI World Cup from the first round itself after losing to Bangladesh, have changed massively. A lot of credit for the transformation goes to Joe Root who has transmitted his prowess of the longest format of the game to ODI cricket and became one of the best in the format going around. The right-hander scored 983 runs at a wonderful average of 70.21 and scored the runs at 92.12. Root had a huge impact on the English side that emerged as a very tough side to beat at home and that was witnessed in the ICC Champions Trophy where they cruised to the semi-final being unbeaten until their run was ended by Pakistan.

Root's Batting Stats in 2017

Matches	Innings	Runs	Highest Score	Average	100s	50s	Strike Rate
19	18	983	133*	70.21	2	7	92.12

#5 Faf du Plessis

Where the talk of the town remains always about who the best player of the modern era is and the argument always revolves around Virat Kohli and Steve Smith, the South African skipper Faf du Plessis keeps churning out great numbers staying away from the limelight. Even when the top South African batsmen are considered, people talk about AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla and very rarely does du Plessis get a mention. But if we look at his stats this year, he has accounted for 905 runs at an average of 60.33. Because of his ability to control the innings and accelerate if required, he is the perfect foil to bat at No.5.

Faf's Batting Stats in 2017

Matches	Innings	Runs	Highest Score	Average	100s	50s	Strike Rate
19	18	905	185	60.33	2	6	92.34

#6 MS Dhoni

When it comes to the wicketkeeper's slot in the ODI team of the year, Quinton de Kock and Niroshan Dickwella were in contention. But de Kock bats at the top and the opener's slots are already occupied by the 2 Indians. Dickwella's contributions weren't that impactful for his team and hence we looked at other option. Going by the stats and the contribution in the team's performances this year, MS Dhoni finds a place at No.6. His selection is bound to raise a few eyebrows because he was criticised by many due to the fall in his hitting abilities but quietly, the Indian veteran has produced great numbers that answer all the questions. He scored 788 runs at an average of 60.61 which is far better than his career average of 51.55. He might not be finishing the games as he used to yet he has proved time and time again that there is no one better to control the innings if the top order fails. This year itself, he has bailed the side out of trouble and won matches for India a number of times. Additionally, he might not be the same batsman anymore yet his keeping skills haven't diminished one bit. He has inflicted 39 dismissals this year including 13 stumpings which are by far the most by any keeper and it's safe to say that he is currently the best with the gloves in the format.

Dhoni's Batting Stats in 2017

Matches	Innings	Runs	Highest Score	Average	100s	50s	Strike Rate
29	22	788	134	60.61	1	6	84.73

#7 Hardik Pandya

The ODI team of the year consists of several Indians because of the sheer domination that men in blue have enforced throughout the year. Another one to make the list is Hardik Pandya. The long lasting hunt for an all-rounder in the Indian team ended with Pandya's inclusion. He managed to impress with both bat and bowl and became a prominent member of the side. With the bat, he scored 557 runs at a decent average of 34.81 but the most eye-catching thing about his batting was the strike rate of 120.56. Plenty of times, he walked in and started hammering boundaries from the outset and provided the impetus to the innings. When it comes to bowling, he was always amongst the wickets and ended up being the 2nd highest wicket-taker for India this year.

Pandya's Batting Stats in 2017

Matches	Innings	Runs	Highest Score	Average	100s	50s	Strike Rate
28	19	557	83	34.81	0	4	120.56

Pandya's Bowling Stats in 2017

Matches	Innings	Wickets	Best Bowling	Average	Strike Rate	Economy	5 Wickets
28	27	31	40/3	35.51	38.1	5.57	0

#8 Rashid Khan

It's been a year of the emergence of young bowling talents and the one who impressed the most is Rashid Khan. The Afghan leg-spinner has been on a roll ever since he got into the national team. He bagged a whopping amount from the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise in the IPL and had a very fruitful season. From then on, there was no looking behind for the 19-year-old. Some might argue that in international cricket, he didn't face the stronger sides and mostly went against the ass.ociates yet the kind of record that he possesses is unreal. From 16 ODIs, he bagged 43 wickets at an average of 10.44 which is astonishing.

Rashid's Bowling Stats in 2017

Matches	Innings	Wickets	Best Bowling	Average	Strike Rate	Economy	5 Wickets
16	15	43	18/7	10.44	16.4	3.8	2

#9 Jasprit Bumrah

Another youngster who forced one and all to look at him was India's Jasprit Bumrah. From being a bowler with a weird action to becoming the most trusted bowler in limited overs cricket for India and perhaps the best death bowler in the world, it's been an incredible journey for the 24-year-old. Yes, he had a gloomy moment in the ICC Champions Trophy when he got Fakhar Zaman out off a no-ball that cost India the title but the way he made a comeback post that was remarkable. In 23 matches, he bagged 39 wickets and despite bowling the toughest overs of an ODI innings, he has an economy rate of just 5.13.

Bumrah's Bowling Stats in 2017

Matches	Innings	Wickets	Best Bowling	Average	Strike Rate	Economy	5 Wickets
23	23	39	27/5	26.25	30.6	5.13	1

#10 Hasan Ali

Undoubtedly, Hasan Ali is the find of 2017 for the game of cricket. The Pakistani side that looked down and out after losing to India in the first round of the ICC Champions Trophy, came back to make it to the final and defeated the same opposition against all odds. Ali was the scriptwriter for that historic victory as he ended up being the leading wicket-taker of the tournament and won the Golden Ball. Not only in that tournament but in the entire duration of 2017, he was magnificent. His ability to produce wicket-taking deliveries at any stage of the game made him the standout pacer of the year. He picked up 45 wickets in just 18 games and finished as the leading wicket-taker of the year.

Ali's Bowling Stats in 2017

Matches	Innings	Wickets	Best Bowling	Average	Strike Rate	Economy	5 Wickets
18	18	45	34/5	17.04	20.3	5.03	3

#11 Imran Tahir

2017 will be remembered as the year of wrist spinners. There were several spinners like Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Shadab Khan, Adil Rashid who became prominent members of their sides. But the one who popularized wrist spin in limited overs cricket was Imran Tahir. For a long time, the spinners were used to contain in the middle overs of an innings and were not considered as wicket-taking options. But Tahir showed the path and started to pick wickets in the middle phase for South Africa. Even though the Proteas didn't have a memorable victory in ODI cricket this year but Tahir, personally, had a superb run.

Tahir's Bowling Stats in 2017

Matches	Innings	Wickets	Best Bowling	Average	Strike Rate	Economy	5 Wickets
17	17	27	27-Apr	24.88	32.2	4.62	0

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2017 in Review: Cricadium’s ODI team of the year

#11 Imran Tahir

Tahir’s Bowling Stats in 2017