Picking The Mens ODI Team Of The Year 2020
It’s been an odd year for cricket. The covid-19 pandemic saw large swathes of the calendar postponed. Still, that doesn’t mean there wasn’t some exciting action to remember, with big totals, brilliant partnerships and fine bowling spells. Here is our mens ODI team of the year for 2020.
The Openers
1. Aaron Finch (c)
The Australian white-ball captain was the leading run-getter for the calendar year 2020. Aaron Finch scored 673 runs in 13 innings at a healthy average of 56. His tally also included two centuries and he was instrumental in Australia’s 2-1 series win over India with the lowest score of 60 across three games. He will also captain our ODI team of the year for 2020.
Best knock: 110(114)* vs India, Wankhede.
2. Jonny Bairstow
Bairstow scored 346 runs in 8 innings in 2020 at an average of 43.25 and striking over 100 in the same period. He scored 196 runs in an all-important three-match series against Australia which has to be his highlight of the year.
Best knock: 112(126) vs Australia, Old Trafford.
Aaron Finch and Jonny Bairstow are our openers in our “ODI team of the year 2020.”
The Middle-Order
3. Steve Smith
2020 was the first year Steve Smith’s relentlessness in Test cricket was translated to the 50-over game. Scoring 568 runs at an average of 63 and at a healthy strike rate of 107, he topped several charts. No-one else made as many hundreds, and he also made a 98 in his first knock of the year for good measure. Back to back 62-ball hundreds in Australia’s year-end series against his favourite opponent India showed he could score quickly as well as big.
Best knock: 104(64) vs India, Sydney.
4. KL Rahul (WK)
KL Rahul top-scored for India in 2020. He scored 443 runs in just nine games. Not only did he take up the responsibility to bat in the middle order but also kept wickets for his team. 2020 saw him turn into a senior player taking up handling multiple departments at once. He was also appointed as vice-captain in Rohit Sharma’s absence. He will therefore be the wicket keeper in our ODI team of the year 2020.
Best knock: 112(113) vs New Zealand, Mount Maunganui.
5. Sam Billings
2020 was a big year for Sam Billings. In the absence of Ben Stokes, Billings played all six ODI’s of the home summer and made a statement to the selectors. He stacked up 315 runs over six innings which included his maiden hundred against a star-studded Australian bowling lineup.
Best knock: 118(110) vs Australia, Old Trafford.
Steve Smith, KL Rahul and Sam Billings are our middle-order in our “ODI team of the year 2020.”
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The All-Rounders
6. Glenn Maxwell
Maxwell had a brilliant 2020. He scored 353 runs at an average of 70.6 and strike rate of 145 in the calendar year. His century vs England in the series decider was probably the best innings of 2020. He was instrumental in Australia’s series wins over India and England. Australia won only two out of their seven games when Maxwell didn’t play but with his inclusion, they went on to win four out of six. This shows his impact on his side.
Best Knock: 108(90) vs England, Old Trafford.
7. Ravindra Jadeja
Ever since his heroics in the world cup semi-final, Ravindra Jadeja has been an integral part of India’s 50 over side. With a couple of fifties in just seven innings along with seven wickets in 2020, he makes it to our ODI team as the all-rounder. His wicket tally might not be sufficient but he has done well in his role as a container, being India’s most economical bowler this year.
Best knock: 66*(50) vs Australia, Canberra.
8. Chris Woakes
Woakes has been a top bowler and all-rounder in ODI cricket for a while now. He took seven wickets in five matches at an average of 27 and an economy of only 4.5 in 2020. He even scored a fifty in one of his four innings this year. With such outstanding numbers, it was hard to leave him out.
Best game: 53*(39) & 2-45 vs Australia, Old Trafford.
Glenn Maxwell, Ravindra Jadeja and Chris Woakes are our all-rounders in our “ODI team of the year 2020.”
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The Bowlers
9. Josh Hazlewood
After not playing a single ODI in 2019, Hazlewood was Australia’s best fast bowler in 2020, taking 16 wickets in 10 matches. With his counterparts, Starc and Cummins were far from their best, Hazlewood had no off days and bowled relentlessly.
Best game: 3/26 vs England, Old Trafford.
10. Adam Zampa
Zampa was the top wicket-taker of 2020. 27 wickets in 13 games in a year highly dominated by batsmen is a remarkable effort. This year saw Zampa evolve into one of the best spinners in white-ball cricket.
Best game: 4/54 vs India, Sydney.
11. Lungi Ngidi
Lungi Ngidi has been an integral part of South Africa’s bowling since his debut in ODI cricket. Despite playing only four matches this year, he managed to pick 12 wickets. He played a massive role in South Africa’s 3-0 win over Australia earlier this year
Best game: 6/58 vs Australia, Mangaung Oval.
Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa and Lungi Ngidi are our bowlers in our “ODI team of the year 2020.”
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