Best right-handed ODI XI among current players

ODI cricket has become one of the most popular forms of cricket over the last few years. Even though there has been a massive reduction in the fan following of Test cricket, the 50-overs format remains to be the most-watched one because the ICC World Cup is played in the same form.

The fans believe that the left-handed players enjoy more success in limited-overs cricket because it is too difficult to bowl at them and also it is very hard to pick their deliveries. However, the right-handed players have shown that there are not behind the left-handed stars.

And, here is the best right-handed ODI XI of current players which can defeat any team on the planet:

1. Rohit Sharma (India)

Rohit Sharma has been one of the most successful openers in modern-day cricket. The Mumbai-born player was struggling to find his place in the team but when MS Dhoni promoted him to the opening position in the Indian side, things suddenly changed for Sharma.

It seemed like he had never played his natural game at the international before the Champions Trophy in 2013. After that promotion, Rohit has slammed a number of hundreds and even 3 double hundreds in 50-overs cricket. He also holds the record for the highest individual score in ODIs.

Besides, the Hitman has also become the vice-captain of the Indian team because of his solid batting technique. He is one of the few Indian players who can strike the ball right from the word ‘go’.

2. Shai Hope (West Indies)

The player who took the biggest leap in international cricket during the previous year was West Indies’ opening batsman, Shai Hope. The right-handed batsman established himself as one of the most consistent players of his team with his good performances.

In the 2010s decade, the West Indian players shifted their focus towards the T20 format. This move made the Caribbean side weaker in the other two formats. However, in the year 2019, West Indies were able to improve their performance because of Hope.

The opening batsman is a traditional ODI player who knows how to pace his innings as per the situation. He can find the gaps and hit boundaries at his will but Hope chooses to build pressure on the opposition by taking singles and running the twos hard.

3. Virat Kohli (c) (India)

The captain of this current best ODI XI of right-handers will be the Indian skipper, Virat Kohli. He has done extraordinary things in world cricket ever since he changed his fitness schedule and also, Virat’s career graph has gone up after he took up the reins of the team.

The cricket universe has seen players like Sachin Tendulkar falter under the pressure of captaincy. A lot of players have not been able to play at their best because of the extra burden however, Kohli has defied all odds to emerge as one of the best captains and batsmen of all time.

He recently broke MS Dhoni’s longstanding record of scoring the fastest 5,000 ODI runs as a captain. The fact that Kohli achieved this feat in just 82 innings shows how he has dominated the bowlers in ODI cricket.

4. Steve Smith (Australia)

Known as one of Virat Kohli’s fiercest rivals, Steve Smith stands as one of the top ODI batsmen despite being suspended from international cricket for a year. He made his return to the cricket field last year and it never looked like he had been away from the international arena.

Smith, just like Shai Hope, is a traditional player who focuses on ones, twos and fours rather than going hard from the first over. He can play the role of the anchor to perfection and also, he can provide valuable insights to the leadership group with his captaincy experience.

Recently, he had produced back-to-back ODI master-class innings in the 3-match series against India. Although Australia could not win a single match, the right-handed proved his mettle with those two knocks.

5. Kane Williamson (New Zealand)

New Zealand’s skipper, Kane Williamson is yet another traditional technique-oriented player who has achieved a lot of success in the ODI and T20 format. He has specialized in playing Test cricket but no one can deny that he is the best batsman present in the New Zealand limited overs team.

Kane Williamson knows the art of building an innings and he has even won several matches for his team by applying this ideology. Since a plethora of big hitters are present in the Kiwi limited overs side, there is a dire need of a batsman like Williamson to keep things under control.

In this XI, he will play the role of the number 5 batsman who would come out early if the first three batsmen get dismissed in the first half of the innings. Also, he can ensure that no further wickets fall before switching gears and taking the bowlers to the cleaners.

6. Jos Buttler (wk) (England)

Jos Buttler is one of the most destructive batsmen in ODI cricket right now. He can bat at any position and can turn the game with his hard-hitting skills. Buttler has become the cornerstone of the English limited-overs teams with his wicket-keeping skills.

The right-handed batsman usually plays as a finisher because England already has the likes of Jason Roy, Alex Hales, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan and Ben Stokes in the top order. He is the perfect player for the number 6 position as he does not get troubled by any of the bowlers.

He can bat well against the pacers as well as the spinners which makes him a rare commodity. The English player played a huge role in England’s World Cup win as he picked up the throw from the deep to perfection and ran out Martin Guptill.

7. Hardik Pandya (India)

The best right-handed all-rounder in international cricket at the moment is the Baroda-born star, Hardik Pandya. Though he has been off the field due to his fitness problems, Pandya has already established himself as the best multi-skilled player of the Indian team.

He comes out to bat in the lower middle order and has a variety of shots in his arsenal. The cricket universe knows him as a big hitter because of his extraordinary innings against Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 final.

An unfortunate run out in that match denied Pandya to finish off the things but he made his mark in ODI cricket on that day. He can give 10 overs of right-arm pace and also change the momentum of the innings with his six-hitting skills.

8. Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)

Rashid Khan has quickly become a big name in cricket because of his rare combination of right-arm leg-spin and big-hitting skills. There are very few spin bowlers in the international arena who can also strike the big hits in the final overs.

Afghanistan has become a Test playing nation and Rashid Khan has played a major role in the team’s success. Though he is very young, he even became the captain of the side. Rashid has best figures of 7/18 which shows his magnificent bowling skills.

He can give a wicket or two to the team consistently and when the pitch supports him, he can even take a five-wicket haul with ease. Khan is the best right-handed bowling all-rounder in ODI cricket.

9. Pat Cummins (Australia)

Australian fast bowler, Pat Cummins performed phenomenally well in 2019 and he took giant steps in Test match cricket. Because of Mitchell Starc’s presence in the Australian limited overs team, Cummins’ performances have always been overshadowed.

He can trouble the bowlers with his pace in the powerplay overs as well bowl the deadly Yorkers in the slog overs. Cummins is one of the finest players in the game as he can even hit the big shots if needed. The right-handed pace bowler has played a superb role for Australia in ODI cricket.

Cummins is also the vice-captain of Australia so he can lead the team’s bowling department. The right-handed fast bowler can trouble the opposition batsmen with his swing hence, he will open the bowling for this XI.

10. Mohammed Shami (India)

Mohammed Shami’s improvement in fitness levels has made him unstoppable in international cricket. He was the most successful bowler in ODI cricket last year which shows how much he has improved over the last few years.

Earlier, Shami was known to be a pacer who would leak runs at a hammering rate in the death overs. The Kings XI Punjab star can bowl the Yorkers now and he can even swing the ball. Shami has won multiple games for his team with his fast bowling skills.

The Indian fast bowler had even taken a hat-trick in the 2019 Cricket World Cup. Also, he can be a wicket-taking option for his skipper. He can form a destructive pair with Pat Cummins in this team.

11. Yuzvendra Chahal (India)

The final member of this right-handed best XI is Yuzvendra Chahal. Just like Pat Cummins and Mohammed Shami, Chahal is someone who can take wickets at regular intervals. He has changed the fortunes of the Indian team with his right-arm leg-spin.

The Haryana-born player has replaced Ravichandran Ashwin in the Indian side because Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri have focused on taking wickets instead of controlling the run flow.

Chahal has bowled a lot on the flattest wicket of the world, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. He has learnt the art of defying the batsmen with his variations and since he is a former chess player, he can play a few mind games as well. Thus, this completes the best right-handed ODI XI of current players.