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As we step forward to the year 2019, all our focus has now shifted to the pinnacle of world cricket, the ICC Cricket World Cup, which is all set to begin in the fourth week of May.
Since the grand tournament is being hosted in the home of cricket, England would be confident about their chances in the tournament. Likewise, the defending champions, Australia, are also sure to gain some boost-up after the return of their premier batsmen, Smith Smith and David Warner.
Now, let us look at the strongest ODI XI which consists of at least a player from each of the ten Word Cup playing nations, based on how they fared in 2018:
Top Order (1-3)
Tamim Iqbal/Bangladesh
Tamim Iqbal was phenomenal for Bangladesh in 2018. Scoring 684 runs with the bat for his team, Iqbal emerged out as one of the most valuable players in the Bangladeshi camp.
Although Shakib Al Hasan was as important as Tamim for Bangladesh, keeping the team combinations in mind, the opener gets a spot in our line-up.
Scoring at an average of 85.50 and a strike rate of 76.34, Tamim also smashed two centuries and six half-centuries for his team. If a team is in search of a solid opener who can hang on from one end comfortably, Tamim Iqbal is the man to look out for.
Jonny Bairstow/England (WK)
Picking just one player from the world's No. 1 ranked ODI side would be a tough task for anyone. Both Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler fulfilled their roles excellently for England.
Nevertheless, Bairstow was also one of the two centurions for England when England humiliated their rivals Australia by scoring nearly 500 runs in a single ODI inning.
However, Bairstow was clinical as a top-order batsman throughout the year and became one of the only three batsmen in the world to cross the 1000 ODI runs barrier in 2018.
Despite the fact that Buttler kept the wickets for England regularly in 2018, Bairstow is certainly capable of taking the responsibility of standing behind the wickets with the gloves on, not to forget, he keeps the wicket in Tests for England.
Virat Kohli/India (Captain)
Was there any doubt regarding this? Absolutely no.
Kohli was simply unstoppable in 2018, as he scored tons of runs everywhere in the world. The Indian skipper led the batting charts in 2018 with 1205 runs at a godly average of 120.5 and an excellent strike rate of 102.11.
The skipper also scored six hundreds and three fifties in the calendar year and ensured a historic ODI series win in South African soil with his batting masterclass.
The only Indian batsman closer to Kohli’s heroics was Rohit Sharma, who also crossed the 1,000 run barrier in 2018, but was not as consistent as King Kohli. Unsurprisingly, Kohli is also the skipper of our dream team.
Middle Order (4-7)
Ross Taylor/New Zealand (Vice-Captain)
Without any hint of doubt, it's Ross Taylor who thoroughly deserves to feature in our eleven, credits to his magnificent run with the bat in 2018.
Taylor scored 920 runs with the bat in 2018 which 320 runs more than the second-highest run-getter for the Kiwis in 2018. Those runs came at an outstanding average of 92.00 and a strike rate of 92.74.
Taylor was super- consistent and influential for the Kiwis throughout the year. In the thirteen innings where he came to bat, he ended up with either a century or a half-century nine times. He also remained out thrice in those innings.
Shimron Hetmyer/West Indies (BAT)
Having played most of his career matches in 2018, Shimron Hetmyer impressed everyone with his destructive and fabulous batting for the Windies.
Hetmyer scored a total of 727 runs at a mild average of 40.39, striking at the rate of 106.91 in 2018, which included three centuries and two half-centuries.
Although Shai Hope totaled more runs than Hetmyer in 2018, the new Royal Challengers Banglore man edges his compatriot at the fifth position due to his superb strike rate which provides evidence of his amazing power-hitting abilities.
Marcus Stoinis/Australia
Choosing a suspended player over those who've sweated hard throughout the year would be unethical to do. So, Marcus Stoinis clearly gets a spot in our XI, as he was heads and shoulders above everyone, in terms of impact and performances across the departments.
Stoinis, who scored 423 runs with the bat, also picked 13 wickets in 2018. While Shaun Marsh and Aaron Finch had more runs than Stoinis, none of the Aussie bowlers could overtake him in terms of the number of wickets in 2018.
Marcus Stoinis is indeed handy as an all-rounder and a good death-hitter towards the end of the innings. The expectations will surely be high from a player of his caliber in the upcoming World Cup tournament.
Thisara Perera/Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's Thisara Perera gained all the hype after he produced one of the greatest ODI knocks of all time, against a strong Kiwi side.
Perera rescued Sri Lanka when the team score was just 128 at the loss of seven wickets, chasing a huge total of 319 runs. Perera's 140 runs off just 74 balls comprised of 13 sixes and eight fours, but he, unfortunately, couldn’t win the match for his struggling team.
Perera has been proving himself as the best Sri Lankan player in ODIs since the start of 2018 and also provides a great option of a finisher and pinch-hitter in the death overs in our team. Moreover, Perera’s ability with the ball makes him even more valuable.
Perera had a magnificent 2018 as he bagged 25 wickets at an incredible average of 20.72 and a strike rate of 21.48, conceding less than six runs per over.
With the bat, he amassed a total of 415 runs at an excellent strike rate of 115.60 in 2018. Perera already has 224 runs in 2019 at an average of 74.67 and a fantastic strike rate of 157.75.
Bowlers
Shadab Khan/Pakistan
Pakistan's young prodigy, Shadab Khan, was impressive in 2018 as he grabbed 23 wickets at an average of 24.65 and a strike rate of 33.70. While Pakistan's pacers were not at their best in 2018, Shadab Khan saved Pakistan with his fine bowling skills several times.
Neither of the Pakistani batsmen looked flawless in 2018; Fakhar Zaman looked promising with big knocks, but those were against Zimbabwe.
When it was his turn to face stronger teams in the Asia Cup, he failed miserably, didn't he?
Thus, Shadab Khan earns his spot in the XI, given that the rest of the Pakistani players weren't as impressive as he was.
Rashid Khan/Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s most valuable player in the team easily makes it to the XI, thanks to his impeccable skills with the ball in hand.
Rashid has emerged out as one of the best, if not the best, leg-spinner in the world, since his international debut.
Rashid Khan's magical spells throughout the year 2018 earned him 48 wickets at an outstanding average of 14.46 and an unbelievable strike rate of 22.25.
The expectations from the ace spinner are high from everyone and we can surely expect him to deliver in the upcoming World Cup tournament.
Lungi Ngidi/South Africa
Although Kagiso Rabada bowled exceptionally well in the past year 2018, Lungi Ngidi edged him with his even more penetrating bowling, especially in the powerplay overs.
Making his ODI debut in 2018, Ngidi picked up 26 wickets, boasting a wonderful average of 23.04 and grabbing a wicket in every 25 balls. As a matter of fact, Ngidi was a better new ball bowler than Rabada by a fair margin, wasn't he?
Any bowler from one end would feel boosted watching Ngidi bowl from the other end.
Will Ngidi live up to the expectations? Time will give us the answer we're looking for.
Jasprit Bumrah/India
The final selection in our XI is Jasprit Bumrah, the best ODI pacer at present; no way we could miss him in our team.
Although Bumrah was rested for several matches due to injury concerns, he was invincible in the matches he played, batting 22 wickets for India at an awesome average of 16.63, a strike rate of 27.5 and an economy rate of just 3.62.
Bumrah was clearly the best new ball bowler for team India in 2018, and one of the very bests in the world. The versatile skills, pace, accuracy, and consistency possessed by Bumrah while bowling has made him the spine of the Indian bowling attack.
Final Playing XI: Jonny Bairstow (wk), Tamil Iqbal, Virat Kohli (c), Ross Taylor, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Thisara Peters, Shadab Khan, Rashid Khan, Jasprit Bumrah, Lungi Ngidi
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