Team India’s best ODI XI of 2021

2021 for team India has been a magnificent year. Barring the debacle of the T20 World Cup, former skipper Virat Kohli and his men were very much indomitable across all formats. Especially in Test cricket, by beating both Australia and England at their home, the men in blue also resplendently commemorated India’s 50th anniversary of the year 1971 (known for team India’s historic red-ball triumphs). However, amidst the longest and the shortest format, team India also played some prolific 50-over cricket. Our heroes not only commendably won a hard-fought home ODI series against England but also thrashed Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka. By blending themselves in the mixture of experience and youth, the men in blue thoroughly relished playing ODIs in 2021. In fact, here’s also a fun fact that once King Kohli went with an all-pace attack against England in the series decider in Pune. Hence in this list, let’s now make team India’s best ODI XI in the year 2021. 1. Shikhar Dhawan Shikhar Dhawan. (Photo Source: Twitter/Sri Lanka Cricket) For Shikhar Dhawan, ODI cricket has always been his big breather. The cricketer currently after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma is India’s top run-scorer scoring a stack of 17 centuries under his name. In the calendar year 2021, despite being configured with stiff competition from other openers, Dhawan was team India’s highest run-scorer in ODIs. In the home series against England, while making a comeback, Dhawan scored a brilliant 98 following which another fifty-plus score was amassed in the decider game. In Sri Lanka, while captaining the side, the southpaw also played a steadfast knock of unbeaten 86 in the first game. Overall, while India’s 36-year old stallion did play all the six ODI games, his total runs tally has stood at 297 runs at an average of 59.4. 2. KL Rahul KL Rahul. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images) While Test cricket and T20Is make KL Rahul a top-order batter, ODIs has been reshaping him into a proper middle-order batsman. In the entire 2021, Rahul has just played the 3-match home ODI series against England and was also India’s lone century-maker in the format. Not to forget that before the England ODI series, the 29-year old was under serious scrutiny because of his malfunction in the England T20Is. However as a middle-order batter in ODIs, one can say that KL Rahul had just continued from where he had left in 2020. In his only three games, an unbeaten score of 62 and a formidable 108-run knock came from his blade. All in all, just like leaving no stone unturned in all formats, KL Rahul has remarkably scored a total of 177 runs at an average of 88.5 in the 2021 ODIs. 3. Virat Kohli (c) Virat Kohli against England. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/Getty Images) 2021 for Virat Kohli hasn’t been any blissful. The 33-year old has not only quit the limited-overs captaincy but also is in dire search of his 71st century. However amidst all this, King Kohli still has kept his place intact in the ODI XI. Just like much of his peers, even Virat has only played three ODI games in 2021. In the England home series, the batter twice scored back to back fifty-plus scores (56 & 66) but was unable to produce a three-digit score. In terms of his strike rate, though King Kohli is a heavy nudger in ODIs, only a total of 10 boundaries came from his blade. Overall, he finished with a tally of 129 runs at an average of 43 in the 2021 ODIs. 4. Suryakumar Yadav Suryakumar Yadav. (Photo by Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images) For Suryakumar Yadav, international cricket has become a reality in 2021. The cricketer, after getting snubbed in late 2020, eventually made his international debut in the home T20I series against England. However, his presence in the ODIs did start a bit late when India toured Sri Lanka in July 2021. By spearheading the middle-order in that series, Yadav had just blasted the Sri Lankan spinners with his plethora of strokes. In his first two games, the 30-year old scored an unbeaten 31 and an impressive half-century. Even in terms of his strike rate, the batter overall smashed 18 boundaries hitting at a rate of 120.85. Overall, in his debut ODI series, he not only scored a total of 124 runs at an average of 62 but also fetched his maiden Man of the Series award. 5. Rishabh Pant (wk) Rishabh Pant of India bats. (Photo by Pal Pillai/Getty Images for Nissan) For Rishabh Pant, there’s no doubt that the year 2021 has offered him a plenitude of opportunities. Whether it’s now the longest format or the shortest format or even the ODIs, Pant has eloquently cemented himself as India’s multi-format frontline gloveman. While Tests cricket and T20Is has brimmed him with match practice and game days, ODIs has only offered him two games in 2021. However, with the cricketer now vigorously climbing his career ladder, Pant made the most even of those two games that were offered in the home series against England. the 24-year old produced two back to back 70-plus scores in the second and third ODI of the series. In fact, in both those innings, the southpaw smashed runs at an average strike rate of 159.15. Even in his brief show in the ODIs, India’s multi-format gloveman whacked eight boundaries and 11 sixes from his two big innings. 6. Krunal Pandya Krunal Pandya fifty. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/Getty Images) For Krunal Pandya, the ODIs in 2021 helped him immensely revive his international career. The all-rounder who was roped in for the injured Ravindra Jadeja performed splendidly with the bat. Whatever amount of opportunities the senior Pandya received, the all-rounder capitalized it robustly. Firstly in the England home ODI series, Krunal instantaneously produced an explosive 31-ball unbeaten 58 runs and then played some sensible cameos. Even in Sri Lanka, when the 30-year old just batted once, Krunal made a valuable contribution of 35 runs in the second ODI. However, sadly when it comes to performing with the ball, Krunal could just bag two wickets in his five appearances. Overall, the southpaw has scored a tally of 130 runs at an average of 65 in the 2021 ODIs. 7. Hardik Pandya Hardik Pandya. (Photo Source: Getty Images) For Hardik Pandya, the year 2021 was supposed to be the time of his overall bowling restoration. The cricketer who had paused his bowling since 2019 was expected to resume in India’s limited-over proceedings. However, while Hardik was unable to even contribute with his bat in T20Is, the ODIs did see a bit of his overall finesse. Along with Shikhar Dhawan, the junior Pandya was the only other one who played all the six ODI games in 2021. With the bat, Hardik amassed runs in five games, scoring a total of 119 runs at an average of around 23. In terms of his bowling, the seamer limitedly bagged just 2 wickets at an economy of 6.4. Overall, his two quick-fire innings (35 & 64) against England have been the highs of his limited-overs career in 2021. 8. Shardul Thakur Shardul Thakur. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/Getty Images) Undoubtedly for Shardul Thakur, the year 2021 has become primetime of his career. In the year 2020, the pacer was India’s top T20I wicket-taker but now there’s been a massive enhancement in all three formats of the game. In fact in the ODIs, the 30-year old only played the home ODI series against England. And by living up to his wicket-scalping reputation, Thakur immediately bagged three wickets in his first game. In total from his three outings, the pacer took four wickets at an economy of 6.69. However as an all-rounder now, Shardul Thakur also added some valuable runs in team India’s fighting total in the third ODI. His blistering knock of 30 runs in the third game actually helped the team to clinch the series by a margin of seven runs. 9. Deepak Chahar Deepak Chahar. (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images) After encountering a severe injury in 2019, Deepak Chahar didn’t have the best of the year 2020. The likes of Shardul Thakur and even Navdeep Saini were seen ahead of him in the pecking order. Even for CSK in IPL 2020, the pacer had a decent season (12 wickets from 14 games). However, when India’s extended squad travelled to Sri Lanka for the ODIs and T20Is, Deepak Chahar impressively reinstated all his bowling skills. The 29-year old cricketer took a total of 4 wickets from his 2 games at an economy of 5.95. However, the biggest hallmark of his proposition was his match-winning knock of 69* runs in the second ODI in Colombo. His composure to make team India win a remaining target of 160-plus after a fall of top five wickets was considered mind-boggling. In fact, in this pursuit, Chahar also registered the second-highest individual score for India batting at number 8 or below in ODIs. No doubt that the seamer deserved to be thoroughly in India’s best ODI XI of 2021. 10. Bhuvneshwar Kumar Bhuvneshwar Kumar. (Photo Source: Twitter) Again for Bhuvneshwar Kumar, his set of chronic injuries had become a concern in 2021. The cricketer during the first half of the IPL was seen missing games and was away from his full fitness. However, when it comes to the ODIs, the pacer was smoothly part of the two brief ODI events. In the home series against England, the 31-year old took a total of six wickets at an admirable economy of 4.61. Even in the Sri Lankan series, he had a worthy outing by bagging three more wickets from two games at an economy of 6.2. Also not to forget that in the second ODI, he excellently supported Deepak Chahar’s heroics to win the game from a nowhere situation. Overall, this ace Indian pacer in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence has picked a total of nine wickets from his five appearances in the 2021 ODIs. 11. Yuzvendra Chahal Yuzvendra Chahal. (Photo Source: Twitter) In terms of his performances, there was no doubt that Yuzvendra Chahal had taken a dip post the pandemic time. The cricketer had a very bleak Australian white-ball tour that also then curtailed his position during the England home limited-overs series. In place of him, it was his old mate Kuldeep Yadav who had played the ODIs at home against England. However, in the latter Sri Lankan tour, Chahal made the most of the two opportunities. In his two ODI games, the ace spinner was seen very much back in action, picking a total of five wickets at an economy of 5.1. More importantly, by striking during the initial stages of his spell, Chahal always kept the opponent’s batting order surrounded by questions. Overall, though the leg-spinner in totality had a difficult year to pertain, the ODI format has helped him regain his confidence back in India’s limited-overs proceeding.

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Team India’s best ODI XI of 2021

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