Ranking the Top 10 ODI teams in 2021

Due to the advent of Covid-19 appropriate rules, cricket has undergone numerous rule adjustments and adaptations. Cricket players have been playing in perpetual bio-bubbles, which is both mentally and physically demanding.

In the One-Day formats, the International Cricket Council launched the Super League to allow associate nations to compete against full strength teams. Along with host India, the top-10 teams from the Super League would assure direct qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

In comparison to T20Is and Test matches, the number of ODIs has been lower this year. But even in the limited chances, quite a few teams have managed to hog the headlines with their performances.

In this article, we attempt to rank the top-10 international teams based on their ODI performances in 2021

10. Pakistan

In the year 2021, Pakistan has only played three One-Day Internationals, all of which they have lost. In July 2021, they toured England for a limited-overs series but were unable to compete with the home team. Although the sample size is too limited, Pakistan lost all of their matches against a relatively inexperienced English side.

The England squad that had been named had to be changed at the last minute after the players tested positive for Covid-19. As a result, England selected a second-string team, led by Ben Stokes, who was returning from an injury. Many debutants, such as Phil Salt and Brydon Carse, were included in the squad. In the first ODI, Pakistan were bowled out for a meagre 141 runs, which England chased down in just 21 overs.

Pakistan lost the following two One-Day Internationals and finished their ODI tour with a 0-3 loss to England. Pakistan had zero wins and three defeats in three ODIs, with a win percentage of zero. Therefore, Pakistan will acquire the last position in the ODI performance rankings.

9. Sri Lanka

The island nation played the most number of ODIs among all the teams in 2021. Sri Lanka has played 15 One-Day Internationals this year. Since Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene retired, the squad has been going through a protracted period of transition. Even though it is now 2021, the team hasn’t translated its abilities into performances.

In March of 2021, Sri Lanka suffered three losses against the West Indies. Then, in May, they played Bangladesh and lost the series 1-2. They only managed to win one game throughout the series. After that, they went to England and lost all of their matches there. Following that, they hosted a second-string Indian team and lost a 1-2 series.

They played South Africa at home in their final assignment and won the series by a margin of 2-1. They only won four of the 15 ODIs they played, and they lost 11 of them. The win percentage was an abysmal 26.66 percent. Therefore, Sri Lanka will acquire the 9th position in the ODI performance rankings.

8. South Africa

South Africa’s performance in One-Day Internationals in the year 2021 was dismal. The rainbow nation had no matches against top-tier opposition and appeared to be struggling against the minnows. They only won two of the seven One-Day Internationals they played in 2021.

They began the year by playing an ODI series against Ireland. The inaugural One-Day International (ODI) ended in no result. They were defeated by Ireland in the second One-Day International, giving Ireland a historic victory. They tied the series at 1-1 with a win in the final ODI. The South African team then went to Sri Lanka and lost the ODI series 1-2.

Finally, they played an ODI against Netherlands which was washed out and the series was cancelled due to the emergence of Omicron variant in the country. In seven ODIs, they won two matches and two matches were washed out. Their winning rate was only 40, which was abysmal by their standards. Therefore, South Africa will acquire the 8th position in the ODI performance rankings.

7. Afghanistan

Afghanistan, an emerging country, has a much smaller sample size of ODIs in 2021. Only three One-Day Internationals have been played by Afghanistan this year. The three One-Day Internationals were played against Ireland, which the ICC does not recognise as a full-strength team.

Afghanistan set a solid target of 267 in the first ODI and won by 36 runs comfortably. The team chased down 260 in 45.2 overs in the second ODI. Ireland narrowly fell short by 16 runs in the final One-Day International.

Despite winning all three matches, Afghanistan’s opponents were not of a top standard. With a win percentage of 100%, Afghanistan will acquire the 7th position in the ODI performance rankings.

6. West Indies

In the year 2021, the Caribbean team played nine ODIs. They have dominated in T20 formats, but their longer-format record has been below average. They have never been able to produce a consistent performance and their players have been subjected to repeated chopping from the Playing XI.

The West Indies began the year with a one-day international series against Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi team trounced them by a score of 3-0. However, in a three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, they put on a strong showing and won convincingly.

A second-string Australian side visited the West Indies in July 2021, and they fought valiantly. Subsequently, the West Indies were defeated by Australia by a margin of 1-2. West Indies won four games and lost five, for a win percentage of 44. Therefore, West Indies will acquire the 6th position in the ODI performance rankings.

5. Bangladesh

Bangladesh played the second-highest number of One-Day Internationals (ODIs) among all teams in 2021. They played 12 One-Day Internationals against the West Indies, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe. Bangladesh performed admirably against a number of opponents. However,  they had a lot of inconsistency in their performance.

They opened the year with a comprehensive thrashing of the Windies. They went on to play New Zealand in an away series. In all three games, they were thoroughly hammered by the Kiwis. Further, they put on some remarkable performances against Sri Lanka, winning the series by a margin of 2-1.

They won all of their matches against Zimbabwe and went on to play a number of T20Is following that. They played 12 games, winning eight and losing four, for a 66.66 percent win rate. Therefore, Bangladesh will acquire the 5th position in the ODI performance rankings.

4. New Zealand

In the year 2021, New Zealand only played three One-Day Internationals. They played Bangladesh at home earlier this year and won the series convincingly. They had been the most consistent team in recent years, demonstrating their worth across all game formats.

In the three-match ODI series, New Zealand outperformed Bangladesh by a significant margin. In the first ODI, the Kiwis knocked Bangladesh out for 131 runs and easily chased it down. New Zealand chased down a par total of 275 in 48 overs in the second ODI, and then won the match by a massive margin of 164 runs in the final ODI.

They won the WTC and reached the final of the T20 World Cup in 2021 as a result of their incredible consistency. New Zealand has a perfect victory percentage after only three games. Therefore, they will acquire the 4th position in the ODI performance rankings.

3. Australia

Just like New Zealand, Australia also played only three ODI matches in the year 2021. They dispatched a second-string team to the West Indies in July and fought hard to win the series. They were able to string together impressive performances to win the T20 World Cup in 2021.

The first One-Day International was won by Australia by a massive margin of 133 runs, as they skittled out the West Indies for just 123 runs. The West Indies bounced back in the second ODI, winning by four wickets in a close contest. The Australian squad put in a comprehensive performance in the series decider, defeating the West Indies by 6 wickets.

Australia’s outstanding performance, despite sending only their second string side, demonstrates their depth of potential. Because of the higher quality opponent, Australia has a win percentage of 66.66 and two victories from three games, putting them ahead of New Zealand on the ladder. Therefore, Australia will acquire the 3rd position in the ODI performance rankings.

2. India

Throughout the year 2021, Team India only played six One-Day Internationals (ODIs). Earlier this year , they faced England in a three-match series. While their main squad was in England, they sent a second string team to Sri Lanka in July. Both series were won by India by a margin of 2-1.

The One-Day International series against England was a hard-fought contest. The first One-Day International was won by India by a comfortable margin. England, on the other hand, bounced back in the second ODI, chasing down a target of 337 in just 43 overs. Both teams battled it out till the final over in the final ODI, with India emerging triumphant.

India dispatched a second-string side versus Sri Lanka in July. The Indian team easily won the first two matches, but lost the third match by a narrow margin. With a win rate of 66.66 percent, they won four of their six games. Therefore, India will acquire the 2nd position in the ODI performance rankings.

1. England

In the year 2021, England was without a doubt the best One-Day International team. In the ongoing year, they have played nine One-Day Internationals against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and India. They maintained a high level of consistency throughout their outings and were able to outperform every opponent.

Early this year, England lost a hard-fought series to India on the subcontinent. Then they faced Sri Lanka in a three-match One-Day International series. The faltering Sri Lankan team was completely destroyed by England, who won the series 3-0.

Some players tested positive for Covid at the end of the Sri Lankan series, and the entire squad had to be isolated. As a result, England fielded a second-string side against Pakistan, captained by Ben Stokes, who was recovering from injury. England won seven of its nine games and lost two, for a win percentage of 77.77. Therefore, England will acquire the topmost position in the rankings.