Yearender 2019 Cricket Today's ODI XI Of 2019

Apart from England, Australia and India had a reasonable year overall while South Africa stumbled. Here’s a look at Cricket Today’s ODI XI of 2019...

- Renin Wilben

The year 2019 saw England being crowned new World Cup champions, continuing the tradition of hosts winning the trophy. New Zealand finished runners-up for the second time in a row while India and defending champions Australia stumbled at the semifinal stage. Apart from England, Australia and India had a reasonable year overall while South Africa stumbled. Here’s a look at Cricket Today’s ODI XI of 2019.

OPENERS: JASON ROY, ROHIT SHARMA

England’s dazzling opener Jason Roy had a fantastic year, with 845 runs in 14 games at an average of 70.41. Roy notched up three hundreds and six fifties at a strike rate of 118.18. He scored 153 in the World Cup game against Bangladesh and went on to score a hat-trick of the fifties against India, New Zealand and Australia (semi-final).

Rohit Sharma joins Roy as the other opener. He amassed 1,232 runs in 25 games at an average of 53.56 and a strike rate of 88 with six centuries, five of them coming in the World Cup, three of them back-to-back. He reserved his best of 140 for mega World Cup clash against Pakistan.

MIDDLE-ORDER: VIRAT KOHLI, KANE WILLIAMSON, EOIN MORGAN (CAPTAIN)

There is no alternative to Virat Kohli at number three. The Indian captain has registered 1,288 runs to his name in 23 matches at an average of 64.40 and a strike rate of 95.90. Kohli has five ODI hundreds in the year, with his best of 123 coming against Australia at Ranchi. He registered five consecutive fifties in the World Cup and scored back-to-back hundreds in West Indies.