The ODI format as a whole is one which has undergone tremendous transformation since it was introduced in 1971.
The advent of T20 cricket, flatter pitches and more powerplay restrictions over the years has had a considerable impact on how the ODI game is approached. Totals above 350 have become all too common in the modern era with no total safe from being chased down anymore.
Batsmen are primarily ruling the roost in the format, and there is no dearth of exceptional batting talent among the various teams. Openers have had a big say in large totals becoming the norm, but the middle-order batsmen to follow are equally critical, if not more.
While some of these middle-order batsmen like to anchor the innings for a large part of the 50 overs, others are adept at proving the finishing impetus.
Here, we rank the top eight ODI batsmen in the world, who bat in positions ranging from No3 to 7. We have done this by separating them into four different tiers.
TIER 4
Kane Williamson – New Zealand
The Blackcaps skipper is part of the ‘Fab Four’ club of the era, and rightly so. With 13 ODI tons and a batting average of nearly 48, Williamson has been the rock over which New Zealand cricket’s foundation has rested upon.
The right-hander might not be the flashiest of batsmen, but he is without a doubt one of the most reliable batsmen in the business. A batsman who loves to play the anchor for his side, Williamson is excellent at steadying the ship when the chips are down.
He was in phenomenal form in New Zealand’s sensational run to the 2019 World Cup final and ended up with the Player-of-the-tournament award for his efforts. Overall, in 2019, Williamson scored nearly 1,000 runs at a superb average of 59.25.
Comfortable against both spin and pace, the 29-year-old loves to thrive under his pressure. His unbeaten knock of 106 in last year’s World Cup to pull off an unlikely win was testament to his batting genius.
Mushfiqur Rahim – Bangladesh
As one of the chief architects behind Bangladesh’s improving ODI fortunes over the last few years, Mushfiqur Rahim is slowly inching towards greatness.
Since 2014, the Bangladesh wicketkeeper batsman has averaged more than 44 in each year bar one (2016). Six of his seven ODI tons have come during this period with the right-hander joining Shakib Al Hasan as the only Bangladesh batsmen to have breached the 6,000-run barrier.
Batting at the important position of No4, Rahim has all the attributes in his locker to impose his authority in the ODI format. His strike-rate in the last three years, particularly for the role he executes, has been impressive as well at 85.52.
With him, Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan in the side, Bangladesh have a really strong batting core at their disposal.
TIER 3
Eoin Morgan – England
England’s World Cup winning captain deserves plenty of credit for moulding the team in his own image. An attacking and enterprising batsman by nature, Morgan sparked the revolution which culminated in England capturing a maiden World Cup title on home soil last year.
While England’s top-order is one of the most prolific in the business, Morgan still manages to stamp his authority with his quick and valuable runs in the latter overs. In his last 60 ODI innings, the Irishman has amassed 2,348 runs at an average of 45.15 and a strike-rate of over 100.
During this fruitful stretch, he has also managed to register five centuries while thumping a total of 88 sixes.
A man who loves to deal in boundaries, Morgan’s consistency despite his doing most of his batting in the death overs is really commendable.
Faf du Plessis – South Africa
While he is now approaching the tail-end of his international career, Faf du Plessis remains a force to be reckoned with in the ODI format. The 35-year-old has exhibited remarkable consistency by averaging more than 60 with bat for three years now.
Six of his 12 ODI tons have come since the start of 2017 with the South Africa stalwart consistently featuring among the top batsmen in the format. He might have overseen a dismal 2019 World Cup campaign, but he bowed out of the tournament by registering a match-winning ton against Australia.
The Pretoria man was surprisingly omitted from the South Africa squad for the recent ODI series against England, but he remains available for limited-overs duty after hanging up his Test boots. Given the lack of quality in the South Africa squad at the moment, du Plessis still has a huge part to play in the ODI format.
TIER 2
Ross Taylor – New Zealand
Ross Taylor was always a big game player ever since he made his debut in 2006, though the heights he has touched in the last three years is ridiculous.
In 2017, 2018 and 2019, the middle-order batsman has averaged 60.50, 91.29 and 55.47 respectively. This year, he is averaging a staggering 99 after four innings. With 21 ODI tons to his name, Taylor is the most successful batsman to don the Blackcaps jersey.
Having turned 36 recently, the Kiwi veteran is batting better than he has ever done at any point in his career. Only Virat Kohli has averaged more with the bat than Taylor since the turn of 2017 among batsman to have scored a minimum of 1,000 runs.
With him and Williamson in the side, the Kiwis have a really strong batting unit at their disposal.
Joe Root – England
The England stalwart continues to maintain the consistency he has shown since 2013. Only Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shai Hope have scored more runs than Root since the turn of 2017.
During this period, the right-hander has amassed nearly 3,000 runs at an average of over 58. He might have a problem converting his fifties into centuries in the Test format, but the tons continue to flow for him in ODIs.
Eight tons in his last 64 innings, along with 17 half-centuries shows why Root remains one of the best batsmen in the format. With England’s array of big-hitters in the ODI side, Root performs one of the most important roles of anchoring the innings.
A master of strike-rotation, the right-hander still manages to score runs at a brisk strike-rate of nearly 88 despite not taking too many undue risks.
TIER 1
Babar Azam – Pakistan
It has been just five years in international cricket for Babar Azam so far, and the Pakistan man has already established himself as one of the best all-format batsmen in the sport.
Eleven ODIs tons in just 72 innings is an unbelievable return for the right-hander who is well on course to becoming the best batsman in Pakistan cricket history. While his ODI form did take a slight dip in 2018, Babar bounced back with a bang in 2019.
With nearly 1,100 runs in the calendar year (2019) at an average of over 60, he is now just behind Kohli and Rohit in the ICC ODI rankings.
A batsman oozing with talent, Babar is the glue that holds an otherwise ordinary Pakistan batting unit together. He has an aesthetically pleasing technique and his career average of 54.18 suggests that he will end up breaking plenty of records by the time he retires.
Virat Kohli – India
Don’t let a forgettable tour of New Zealand earlier this year fool you into thinking that Virat Kohli is on the wane. Between 2016 and 2019, the India superstar slammed a staggering 20 ODI tons while maintaining an average of nearly 81 with the bat.
Now just seven centuries shy of overhauling Sachin Tendulkar’s world record of 49 tons, Kohli is well on his way to confirming his credentials as the all-time great of the 50-over format.
The India skipper has perfected the art of scoring centuries without taking his foot off second gear. With his lightening quick running between the wickets and ability to pierce gaps at will, Kohli has a style tailor-made for success. It is no wonder that 101 of his 239 ODI innings have resulted in scores of 50 or more.
Now approaching 12,000 runs in the format, the No1 ranked batsman remains the cream of the crop. For all the right noises that Babar has made in the last few years, he still has a long way to go in emulating Kohli’s sublime brilliance.
