AUS vs IND 2025: Ravi Shastri names his top five Indian ODI cricketers of all time

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri, who has seen Indian cricket evolve from close quarters as a player, commentator, and coach, recently named his top five Indian ODI cricketers of all time. Speaking during the ongoing 2nd ODI between Australia and India in Adelaide, Shastri revealed a list featuring some of India’s greatest match-winners in the 50-over format. 

Shastri opted for five players who have made immense contributions to Indian cricket and excelled in the ODI format. His list included Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Kapil Dev, and MS Dhoni. Having played under Dev during India’s historic 1983 World Cup win and later coached legends like Kohli, Dhoni, and Rohit. He also has had a deep association with Tendulkar through commentary and mentorship. He revealed that each of these players has made significant contributions to India’s ODI success over the decades.

"Yeah, I'll go with Kohli, Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma. You know, these players, you know, more or less coming to the fag end of their careers. They played for over a decade, some for over a decade and a half.  You know, so I would put, and it's tough to pick. There are so many other good players there, you know, when you look back. But these stand out for me. You know, they've been outstanding contributors to World Cup captains there, you know, who won the World Cup as well. And, you know, barring Rohit Sharma, everyone in that list is are World Cup winner. But, you know, you can't take Rohit out of the mix with three double hundreds, over 11,000 runs. He's number three in the list of run-getters. And all these, on their given day, are genuine match winners," he said.

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Notably, Tendulkar remains the highest run-scorer in ODI history with 18,426 runs, while Kohli has scored over 14,000 runs and 51 hundreds. Kapil Dev’s all-round brilliance and leadership in 1983 changed the face of Indian cricket. MS Dhoni’s finishing ability and leadership helped India win the 2011 World Cup triumph. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma’s three double centuries and over 11,000 runs make him one of the format’s most destructive openers. Shastri also noted he has left out Jasprit Bumrah, considering the amount of cricket left for the pacer.

"And the only reason I've not put Bumrah there, that Bumrah has got another three, four years of cricket left," he added.