Virat Kohli, Babar Azam and Rashid Khan. (Photo Source: Twitter and ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)
Cricket in Asian countries such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan is celebrated as a religion. Cricketing nations such as India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka should be given huge credit for the success of the sport in the Asian subcontinent. These cricketing nations produced some incredible names that made a huge contribution to the development of their teams.
Talking about One-Day Internationals, Sachin Tendulkar, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, and many other legends played quality cricket throughout their careers and raised the standard of their teams in the cricketing world. Like these illustrious names, there are many cricketers who are striving their best to maintain the top-notch standard of their ODI sides and help cricket achieve more success in Asia.
Here’s the best Asian XI in One-Day Internationals (ODIs)
1. Rohit Sharma (Captain)
Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: (James Elsby/AP)
India captain Rohit Sharma is undoubtedly one of the greatest batters of current times in ODIs. The veteran is active in One-Day cricket since 2007 and in the upcoming months, he could be seen reaching the milestone of scoring 10000 runs in the format. So far, he has scored 9825 runs in 236 innings of 243 ODIs at a strike rate of 90.02.
In the 2019 World Cup, he also notched up 648 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 98.33 and ended up as the leading run-getter in the competition. During the tournament, the veteran also hit five tons and became the player with the most centuries in a World Cup edition.
Currently, he could be called the second-best ODI batter in Asia due to his incredible batting numbers. The India legend is the only batter to score triple double-hundred in ODIs. In 2014, he scored 264 against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens and owned the record for the highest individual score in ODIs.
2. Fakhar Zaman
Fakhar Zaman (Photo Source: Twitter)
Fakhar Zaman broke into ODI cricket in ICC Champions Trophy 2017 against South Africa. Grabbing the opportunity in the tournament, the southpaw scored a match-winning ton in the marquee final game against India. Following the sensational knock against the arch-rivals, he became a star player overnight in his country.
Currently, he is an essential part of the Pakistan team due to his powerful opening batting. In his six-year ODI career, Zaman has smashed 3148 runs with 10 centuries and 15 fifties. In July 2018, he became the first Pakistan player to score a double hundred in ODIs, with his sensational knock of an unbeaten 210 against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.
In April 2021, he again grabbed headlines for his excellent batting when he played an extraordinary 193-run knock off 155 deliveries against South Africa in Johannesburg. These numbers clearly corroborate that the Pakistan stalwart is one of the most dangerous batters of current times.
3. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli. (Photo Source:(AFP Photo)
Virat Kohli is the best ODI batter of current times and his batting numbers speak about his giantness. Playing 274 matches in his ODI career, the batting maestro chalked up 12898 runs in 265 innings at a strike rate of 93.63. The veteran has scored 46 centuries in his ODI career and in the upcoming years, he might shatter his former colleague Sachin Tendulkar’s record of the most centuries (49) in One-Day cricket.
In the 11th match of the 2011-12 Commonwealth Bank (CB) Series in Hobart, India were required to achieve the target of 321 against Sri Lanka in 40 overs to stay alive in the competition. Chasing the total, Kohli stepped up and played an iconic knock of an unbeaten 133 off 86, and helped India chase down the total in just 36.4 overs.
Following the CB Series, Kohli also scored his best ODI knock of 183 against Pakistan in Mirpur to help India beat the Men in Green in the Asia Cup 2012. Kohli is the joint-highest ODI Cricketer of the Year award winner (3 times) along with former South Africa player AB de Villiers. The legendary player became the recipient of the award in 2012, 2017, and 2018.
4. Babar Azam
Babar Azam. (Photo Source: © AFP)
Pakistan captain Babar Azam has proven himself in ODI cricket with batting excellence. In the future, he could be seen ending up as Pakistan’s greatest batter in One-Day cricket. So far, he has scored 5089 runs in 98 innings of 100 ODIs at a strike rate of 89.24. In 2023, he became the fastest batter to score 5000 runs in ODIs. The Pakistan skipper achieved this feat in just 97 innings.
The star batter played his first World Cup in 2019 and became the highest run-getter for Pakistan, scoring 474 runs in eight matches with a ton and three half-centuries. In 2021, he played a 158-run innings against England in Birmingham which is the best knock of his One-Day career.
In 2023, he also broke into the elite list of cricketers such as AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, becoming the winner of the ODI Cricketer of the Year award consecutive two times (2021 and 2022).
5. Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper)
Mushfiqur Rahim. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Mushfiqur Rahim is the second-most successful batter for Bangladesh in ODIs, scoring 7257 runs in 234 innings of 251 ODIs at a strike rate of 79.71. Rahim kicked off his ODI career in 2006 and since then, he has done a brilliant job for his team with his batting and wicketkeeping.
Bangladesh performed one of the biggest turnarounds in the 2015 World Cup group match, beating England by 15 runs. In this success, Rahim played a crucial role with his bat, contributing 89 runs to his side off just 77 deliveries. Similarly, when Bangladesh beat India in the 2007 World Cup, Rahim took his team home with his unbeaten 56-run innings.
In the 2018 Asia Cup, Bangladesh concluded their journey as runners-up, losing to India in the final match. This time as well, Rahim displayed his experience and skills, becoming the highest run-getter for his team with 302 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 81.18.
6. Dasun Shanaka
Dasun Shanaka (Photo Source: Twitter)
Dasun Shanaka is holding the reins of the Sri Lanka team in white-ball cricket. Recognising his all-round talent, Sri Lanka Cricket gave Shanaka the captaincy mantle. With the bat, he has scored 1150 runs with a couple of centuries and three fifties for Sri Lanka in 53 innings of 61 ODIs.
Talking about his bowling performance, the 31-year-old has taken 23 wickets in 38 innings of 61 ODIs, with the best bowling innings of 5/43. In his seven-year ODI career, Shanaka has exhibited his all-round talent several times. During Sri Lanka’s tour of India in 2023, Shanka smashed his maiden century on Indian soil in the first ODI in Guwahati.
In January 2022, he hit his maiden ODI ton against Zimbabwe in Pallekele in a losing cause. The Sri Lanka skipper is expected to bring glorious days of the Sri Lanka cricket team back with his captaincy and all-round talent.
7. Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Ravindra Jadeja could be called the 3D player of India and his mind-boggling all-round skills are acknowledged by many cricketing greats. Jadeja is arguably the best fielder in international cricket in current times. In his vast ODI career, he has taken 65 catches in 174 matches.
Talking about his bowling numbers, the veteran has clinched 191 wickets in 168 innings of 174 ODIs at an economy of 4.91. While in the batting department, he has racked up 2526 runs in 118 innings at a strike rate of 85.07. The left-handed batter has also hit 13 half-centuries in his ODI career.
In September 2014, he scored his best ODI knock of 87 off just 68 against England in Leeds. India eventually lost the match but Jadeja’s fine knock was applauded. Similarly, Jadeja delivered another notable performance of 77 off 59 against New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup semi-final.
8. Rashid Khan
Rashid Khan. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Rashid Khan is the most popular player in the Afghanistan team. Rashid’s disciplined bowling has got him a lot of appreciation from former cricketers and avid followers of the game. In the Afghanistan team, he often gets compared to Mujeeb Ur Rahman but at the end of any debate, he will be called the best spinner for Afghanistan.
In ODIs, he has scalped 167 wickets in 84 innings of 89 matches at an economy of 4.14. When Afghanistan toured the West Indies in 2017, Rashid became the highest wicket-taker in ODIs, clinching 10 wickets in two innings of three games.
In the opening game, he delivered a stellar show with the ball, hunting seven batters in the match. For his solid bowling display, he also got the Player of the Match award. His brilliant bowling against the Caribbeans is still the best bowling spell for Afghanistan in One-Day cricket.
9. Wanindu Hasaranga
Wanindu Hasaranga. (Photo Source:AFP/Getty Images)
Nowadays, Wanindu Hasaranga is ranked among the best spinners in the international circuit. In 2017, he kicked off his ODI career against Zimbabwe in Galle. Hasaranga has delivered a lot of effective performances in these six years but one of his best performances came against Afghanistan in Hambantota.
During Afghanistan’s visit to Sri Lanka in 2023 for the three-match ODI series, Hasaranga supported Dushmantha Chameera in the third ODI in Hambantota and delivered an economical and wicket-taking spell of 3/7 to bundle out the visitors for a humiliating score of 116. His match-winning bowling display helped Sri Lanka to pocket the match comfortably.
The 25-year-old leggie has proven himself against big teams such as Australia and India. Against the Men in Blue, he clinched 3/37 figures in Colombo in 2021 while against the Aussies, he bagged 4/58 figures in Pallekele in June 2022. The young Sri Lanka stalwart is handy with the bat as well. In 42 innings, he has scored 832 runs at a marvellous strike rate of 110.19.
10. Mohammed Shami
Mohammed Shami. (Photo Source:Twitter/@cricketworldcup)
Mohammed Shami has been playing ODI cricket for India for more than 10 years. Serving India in this period, he has taken 162 wickets in 90 matches at an economy of 5.60. In the 2015 World Cup, he became the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 17 wickets in seven innings, with the best bowling innings of 4/35 against Pakistan.
The veteran is a vital cog in India’s ODI team as he reinforces India’s pace attack and also spearheads the team’s bowling unit in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. The speedster grabbed 5/69 figures against England in the 2019 World Cup match in Edgbaston. The scintillating numbers in World Cup are his best performance of his ODI career.
In 2019, the pacer clinched 42 wickets in 21 ODIs at an economy of 5.36 and became the highest wicket-taker in the calendar year. His incredible bowling throughout the year got him a spot in the ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year (2019), along with pacers such as Mitchell Starc and Trent Boult.
11. Naseem Shah
Naseem Shah (Photo Source: Twitter)
20-year-old Naseem Shah is the future of Pakistan’s pace attack. In August 2022, he made his ODI debut against the Netherlands. Playing his maiden match, Naseem put up an impressive show with the ball, picking up a three-wicket haul against the hosts. In the tournament against the Dutch team, he ended up as the highest wicket-taker with 10 wickets in three matches at an economy of 4.26.
In 2023, Pakistan hosted New Zealand for three ODIs after the Test series ended up in a stalemate. Playing the first ODI in Karachi, Naseem took a fifer in his side’s comfortable six-wicket victory against the Black Caps. In the three-match series at home, Naseem became the leading wicket-taker with eight scalps in two matches.
The Kiwi team toured Pakistan again in April and this time, the Men in Green handed the visitors a 4-1 defeatin five-match ODI series. In this one-sided series triumph, Naseem also played an important role with the ball, claiming five wickets in three games at a thrifty economy of 4.26.