Matthew Hayden and Sunil Gavaskar pick India's most impactful ODI player of the decade

Legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar and Matthew Hayden recently talked about their most impactful ODI player of India in the last decade. Gavaskar backed Indian skipper Virat Kohli as the most impactful one in ODIs and stated that he has won the most number of matches for India. After making his debut in 2008, Kohli has scored 22,208 runs in 86 tests, 251 ODIs, and 84 T20Is. Recently, Kohli achieved another feat of reaching 12,000 runs in the quickest time.

He reached the feat in 242 innings, 58 matches less than the second-best one- Sachin Tendulkar. Gavaskar added that Kohli not only scored the maximum number of runs for his country but made a huge impact, while India finished victorious on events. Kohli is currently leading the Indian side in Australia.

“I think if you look as an individual, then certainly it’s got to be Virat Kohli because if you look at the number of matches he’s won for India when India has been chasing big scores…I look at the impact a player has had, and not just the runs or wickets that he has taken,” said Gavaskar on Star Sports show ‘Cricket Connected.

“And in that aspect, you have got to say that in this decade, it really has been Virat Kohli who has had the most impact on the matches that India have won,” he added.

I think it’s really important that MS Dhoni won WC and Champions Trophy: Matthew Hayden

Matthew Hayden backed legendary wicketkeeper MS Dhoni as the most impactful ODI player of the decade. He led India to all the three ICC trophies and remained the most successful one while chasing the target.

“I think it’s really important and significant that MS Dhoni has won a World Cup and a Champions Trophy. That World Cup for me, that’s a real big milestone…I have mentioned it before we have played loads of cricket in the one-day format, and I just feel that when it comes to being ready for a World Cup, you not only got to have a good leader, but you also need to have a calm, strong player in the middle order like he has,” Hayden added.