The ODI format attracted attention especially post the first World Cup in 1975. It went into overdrive, especially after India’s historic win in 1983. Batsmen like Viv Richards, Dean Jones, and Javed Miandad started defining the format with their skill. The white-ball revolution in 1987 and coloured clothing added a lot of oomph to the format. Batting average became the gold standard of judgment. Here We can see the ranking records of Batsmen With The Highest ODI Averages.
We Look At Batsmen With The Highest ODI Averages Of All Time:
[The criteria for judgment: minimum of 100 ODIs]
#5 MS Dhoni [50.57]
He was someone who had an assured presence at the crease. MS Dhoni was the one who brought the term finisher to Indian cricket. He assumed even greater responsibilities when he took over the mantle of captaincy. Dhoni brought in a lot of calmness at the crease. There was no game lost until Dhoni stayed at the crease. He amassed 10,773 runs in ODIs at a strike rate of 87.56. Dhoni’s average of 50.57 stood for someone who came into bat at number 5 or below.
#4 Joe Root [50.90]
He is undoubtedly one of England’s greatest batsmen across formats. Joe Root’s achievements in Test cricket often overshadow his white-ball exploits. He is currently one of the world’s leading batsmen in Test cricket. Joe Root is right up there with the very best of modern-day ODI batsmen. He has notched up 6109 runs in 153 ODIs. Root’s strike rate of 86.82 is par for the course. But it’s his average of 50.90 that strikes attention.
#3 AB de Villiers [53.50]
Arguably one of the best-ever in the ODI format, AB de Villiers was cut off a different cloth. He matched consistency with audacity on a level that was hitherto unseen in ODIs. ABD as he was popularly called holds the record for scoring the fastest fifty, century, and 150 in ODIs. He played a total of 228 ODIs wherein he scored 9577 runs at an average of 53.50. But his genius lied in the fact that he scored these runs at a strike rate of 101.09.
#2 Michael Bevan [53.58]
He was the original finisher in limited-overs cricket. Australia’s dominance in ODIs and their triple World Cup winnings run was largely down to Michael Bevan’s consistency. He was almost infallible in a chase. In a lineup that boasted the whose who of batsmen, Bevan had a different aura. He amassed 6912 runs in 232 ODIs. His strike rate of 74.16 was a sign of the times when he played. But his average of 53.58 was the one that had the world pondering over.
#1 Virat Kohli [58.07]
There was a phase in Virat Kohli’s career where he could smash centuries for fun. He hasn’t scored a century in this format for the last three years yet Kohli’s centuries count stands at 43. Kohli has won many games for India singlehandedly. He is someone who aces the chases. Kohli is called the chase-master. He has already amassed 12,311 runs in 260 ODI matches. For a man of his consistency, he strikes at 92.92. Kohli’s average is an insane 58.07. He can easily walk into the ODI World XI of any generation!
