To analyze the impact of ODI cricket retrospectively, we must go all the way back to the 70s when a certain Kerry Packer saw a vision through his World Series Cricket. The Australian business tycoon wanted to cash in on the game&#8217;s popularity and although ODI cricket&#8217;s inception took even before his emergence, the game truly changed after his arrival.

Not many might believe this, but Test cricket&#8217;s popularity in the late 60s and early 70s was so huge that no one expected one-day cricket to succeed. Things have unravelled quickly and in a way very few expected, but ultimately, one has to concede that this format has thus far provided sensational entertainment.

Hard and fast flowing cricket, innovative strokeplay, dancing down the track to fast bowlers, slog sweeps, sixes over covers, point and third man &#8211; Most of this stuff was impossible during the 70s and 80s. The introduction of white balls, colourful uniforms, cricket under the lights and various other reforms contributed profusely to making this game what it is today.

The format though, didn&#8217;t become successful all by itself overnight. There were many individuals on and off the field who contributed significantly. Here&#8217;s a small tribute to some of the finest cricketers of the shorter format, who helped the game proliferate its popularity like wildfire.

To cut down a list like this to ten is pretty difficult and we tend to miss out a few humongous personalities in the process. The names are listed in no particular and the numbers are just descending chronological positions.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/07/MS-Dhoni-8.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-267169" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/MS-Dhoni-8.jpg" alt="England v India - 2nd ODI: Royal London One-Day Series" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-267169" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)</figcaption>

Whenever India was not doing well, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam would tell his friend SP Singh &#8220;Don&#8217;t worry the captain (Dhoni) will come out and set it out.&#8221; Cool, calm and collective &#8211; with no expression on the outside, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/stephen-fleming-wants-ms-dhoni-to-play-the-2019-world-cup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Dhoni</a> and his bat told a story which neither this nation nor the cricketing world can ever forget.

Apart from scoring over 10,000 runs coming in predominantly at number 5 or lower, he led the Indian contingent to three ICC titles in six years. One of his greatest contributions though is making this side one of the finest fielding units of all time. He took some harsh steps on its way, which led to him losing the fans&#8217; support momentarily, but he stood firm with his plans and the rest, as they say, is history.

The 37-year-old is now in the fag end of his career and but his lighting-fast hands still function better than many youngsters behind the stumps. Not many realise what void his absence would leave but one thing is clear, ever when he will be gone, he will not be forgotten.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/11/Adam-Gilchrist.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-293302" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Adam-Gilchrist.jpg" alt="Adam Gilchrist" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-293302" class="wp-caption-text">Adam Gilchrist. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)</figcaption>

A perfect embodiment of class and dignity, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/five-life-lessons-to-learn-from-the-immortal-adam-gilchrist/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Gilchrist</a> was a pivotal member of the Australian side which won three successive World Cups from 1999 to 2007. Often referred to as the &#8220;Big match player&#8221;, he registered a fifty-plus score in each of the three World Cup finals he played, the only player ever to do so.

He wasn&#8217;t larger than life or like anyone else in that might Australian side, maybe that&#8217;s what made him special. Unlike his mates who never hesitated to give it back with their words, he always let his bat do the talking and certainly, his willow showed no mercy. His strike-rate of 96.94 is second best only to AB de Villiers among cricketers with 9,000 runs or more in this format.

Behind the stumps, he was as cunning as a fox and quicker than light on most occasions. He made his presence felt in a game someway or the other and statistics of 905 dismissals as a keeper speaks for itself. Gilchrist was loved universally and perhaps, that respect beyond the boundaries is the finest achievement of his career.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/12/Jacques-Kallis.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-297819" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Jacques-Kallis.jpg" alt="Jacques Kallis" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-297819" class="wp-caption-text">Jacques Kallis. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)</figcaption>

One of the pillars of South Africa&#8217;s steamrolling mission to become a dominant force, Jacques Kallis ended up becoming the greatest cricketer to have donned the Proteas jersey. Every predicament and heartbreak the South Africans suffered, he was at the heart of things and never let anything defeat his confidence.

The likes of Brian Lara, Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis not winning a World Cup is perhaps an embarrassing reflection, not to the players but to the title. Not many in this generation had the privilege to witness Sir Gary Sobers in action, but maybe, if he was a right-handed batsman and bowler, he would&#8217;ve been like Kallis.

His mind-boggling statistics reflect his greatness and his wonderful tenure as a South African cricketer came to an end in 2014. He sheltered the side with his gigantic presence and it did take some time for them to cope with his absence. As they say, &#8220;The game must go on&#8221; and aspire for his inspiration to give birth to many more legends in the coming future.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/06/Sanath-Jayasuriya.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-261840" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Sanath-Jayasuriya.jpg" alt="Sanath Jayasuriya" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-261840" class="wp-caption-text">Sanath Jayasuriya of Sri Lanka. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Whenever Sanath Jayasuriya came out to bat, he resembled a soldier on borderline putting his body online for the country and his gun was his willow, which ruthlessly belaboured many bowlers. His attacking instinct was unmatched and in the revolution that began under Arjuna Ranatunga&#8217;s leadership, the southpaw was his deadliest weapon.

His way of batting signalled how ODI cricket was going to change. Although not many dared to replicate his heroics in those days, right now we see every captain search for someone like a Jayasuriya in their ranks, but there was no one like him and there will not be.

He was criminally under-rated as a bowler, but 300+ wickets suggest how well he understood the format. He was part of a mission to bring glory to Lankan cricket and we need not stress on how successful he and his teammates were in that prospect.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2015/11/Muttiah-Muralitharan-ODI-2011-World-Cup.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-43613" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Muttiah-Muralitharan-ODI-2011-World-Cup.jpg" alt="Muttiah Muralitharan" width="640" height="423" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-43613" class="wp-caption-text">Muttiah Muralitharan. (Photo Source: WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption>

&#8220;The Wizard&#8221; without a wand, the king without a crown &#8211; Muttiah Muralitharan easily qualifies as one of the greatest sportspersons of all time. He made his mark in the 1996 <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/aakash-chopra-picks-the-favourites-for-2019-world-cup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Cup</a> and Arjuna Ranatunga&#8217;s trust on a young spinner from Kandy paid off as he finished with seven wickets at an economy less than 4.

Despite all the controversies raging around his action, Murali never uttered a word and kept bouncing back vehemently. He was one of the first bowlers to have excelled equally well in both the formats and his wickets tally is a testament to that fact. When he retired in 2011, the offie finished with 534 wickets in the format and has stood at the helm ever since.

Muralitharan&#8217;s contribution was beyond the wickets he took, he was a masterful brain who was always at the aid of the young budding captains. One of the game&#8217;s greatest ambassadors, he is continuing to serve the sport as a mentor for various teams and success has been following him wherever he goes.

Matches &#8211; 350 | Wickets taken &#8211; 534 | Bowling average &#8211; 23.08 | Five-wicket hauls &#8211; 10 | Best bowling figures &#8211; 7/30

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/03/Kumar-Sangakkara.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-57347" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Kumar-Sangakkara.jpg" alt="Kumar Sangakkara" width="640" height="461" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-57347" class="wp-caption-text">Kumar Sangakkara. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption>

Talk about the classiest left-handed batsman of all time, eight or nine out of ten would rate <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/england-is-the-best-all-round-side-in-all-conditions-reckons-kumar-sangakkara/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kumar Sangakkara</a> at the top. Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva laid the foundation stones and it was Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena who took the Sri Lankan side forward to whole different level across all formats.

Adam Gilchrist proved that a wicketkeeper can be an equally potent batsman but Sangakkara went another step ahead, proving that a keeper can the most important batsman. He is the leading run-scorer in ODIs and Tests for Sri Lanka and holds the most dismissals in this format (501 dismissals).

He served as the captain on different occasions, but not winning a World Cup under him after coming so close in 2011 was a massive heartbreak. As MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh celebrated the winning run, he was spotted in the background with a smile, which speaks volumes of the gentleman he was on the field.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/07/Virat-Kohli-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-265332" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-2.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-265332" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli of India. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)</figcaption>

A modern day legend who redefined the art of scoring runs ODI cricket, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/captain-virat-kohli-is-still-learning-anil-kumble/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virat Kohli</a>&#8216;s undying hunger for success and immortality makes him one of the greats of this game at a very young age. He might as well go higher in these rankings in the time to come as he has a good 6-7 years of cricket left in him.

His flummoxing consistency helped him breach so many boundaries and shatter numerous records in the last eight years. He recently went past the 10,000-mark and the Indian side led by him is one of the favourites to lift the World Cup next year.

Many opined his aggression would be a hindrance to his growth, but he managed to transfer that vehemence from his actions to his willow in the most subtle way possible. He is the heartthrob of the nation and has been carrying the burden as fantastically as a certain Tendulkar in the late 90s. It would come in as no surprise if he managed to go past all the ODI records Tendulkar established.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/12/Wasim-Akram.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-297826" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Wasim-Akram.jpg" alt="Wasim Akram" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-297826" class="wp-caption-text">Wasim Akram. (Photo by David Munden/Popperfoto/Getty Images)</figcaption>

A young, tall fast bowler with a pale physic partnered the immortal Imran Khan in the fast bowling department for Pakistan in the 1992 World Cup and finished with the most wickets that tournament. As Pakistan went to lift the coveted trophy for the first time in their history, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/wasim-akram-gives-a-witty-reply-to-wife-shaniera-who-wanted-to-get-remarried/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wasim Akram</a> started to become an icon in the country.

His career though will be fondly remembered for his strike-partnership with Waqar Younis, a duo which instilled fear in the batsmen even before the game started. Akram was the canniest of operators, who could execute any of his plans with surgical precision. For all his services to the format, it was fitting that he became the first cricketer to pick 500 wickets in ODIs.

When Wisden released its only list of best players of all time, the left-arm bowler was rated as the greatest ODI bowler of all time ahead of Alan Donald, Waqar Younis and others. He had his own set of struggles in personal life and with diabetes, but he always fought like a warrior and that&#8217;s what makes him one of the most celebrated cricketers of the game.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/06/Ricky-Ponting.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-261848" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ricky-Ponting.jpg" alt="Ricky Ponting" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-261848" class="wp-caption-text">Ricky Ponting of Australia. (Photo by Hamish Blair/Getty Images)</figcaption>

A cult leader, an astute reader and technically profound &#8211; very few can dream of achieving what Ricky Ponting managed to do in his career. He led the immortal mighty Aussie side to two World Cup triumphs and captained most of the games in their unbeaten streak in World Cups.

A Tasmanian youngster who promised a bright future made early inroads under Mark Taylor and he went on to become a superstar under Steve Waugh. After Waugh&#8217;s retirement, he had no looking back and managed to be a part of 262 ODI wins &#8211; most by any player in the format&#8217;s history.

It was his contagious aggression that rubbed off on other players and let the cricketing world witness something absolutely magical. Sir Don might be Australia&#8217;s greatest ever cricketer, but in this format, no one from Down Under can come close to touching his legacy.

Matches &#8211; 375 | Runs scored &#8211; 13,704 | Batting average &#8211; 42.03 | 100s/50s &#8211; 30/82 | Best score &#8211; 164

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/06/Sachin-Tendulkar-six.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-262128" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Sachin-Tendulkar-six.jpg" alt="Sachin Tendulkar" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-262128" class="wp-caption-text">Sachin Tendulkar six. (Photo Source: GettyImages)</figcaption>

Who else could it be but the man who revolutionized the game with his masterclass! Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is hands down the greatest ODI cricketer of all time, sheerly for the change he brought with his approach. &#8220;He carried the burden of this country for 22 years and now its time we carried him,&#8221; said his eventual successor Virat Kohli when <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/india/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India</a> lifted the World Cup in 2011 and that&#8217;s perhaps the finest way, to sum up, his contribution.

Straight batted sixes, uppercuts towards the third man, dancing down the track to fast bowlers &#8211; all these facets were unheard of before Sachin came into the picture. He was a demigod for the masses and one of the first cricketers who marketed himself into the business world banking on his mind-boggling following.

The only sportsperson to have ever won the &#8220;Bharat Ratna&#8221;, his contribution towards the sport getting a global outreach is phenomenal. Most runs, most centuries, most fifties, most appearances &#8211; name a batting record and its bound to be on his name. It also fitting that he became the first cricketer to score 200 in an innings in this format, a day which still is reminisced as one of the finest cricketing memories by everyone.

Honourable mentions &#8211; Waqar Younis, Brett Lee, Brian Lara, Sourav Ganguly, Glenn McGrath, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Sir Vivian Richards, AB de Villiers

Many might have strong objections – either to the ranking or the names excluded – Do feel free to list out your names in the comments.

If you wish to read more such articles and to share views write to editors@crictracker.com

Here's a small tribute to the players who made ODIs the most entertaining format of cricket over the course of time.

10 Greatest ODI cricketers of all-time

To analyze the impact of ODI cricket retrospectively, we must go all the way back to the 70s when a certain Kerry Packer saw a vision through

10 Greatest ODI cricketers of all-time

Here's a small tribute to the players who made ODIs the most entertaining format of cricket over the course of time.

5. Kumar Sangakkara

Career Statistics