Top 10 most prolific left handed openers in ODI cricket

Over the last three decades, one-day cricket has brought about a complete change in how the gentleman’s game is played. Teams have started playing cricket with an aggressive mindset to draw results in their favour.

Batting was no longer confined to just seeing off sessions and playing out attacks. Batsmen were instructed to score runs at a brisk pace and help their teams set daunting targets.

Openers became a key asset to any team’s batting order and had a clear-cut role to provide the initial thrust up the order and establish a strong platform for the middle order to build upon. Over the years, many quality openers have enthralled audiences with their scintillating stroke play in white ball cricket.

The likes of Tendulkar, Jayasuriya, Ganguly, Sehwag and Gilchrist come straight to mind when we think of world class openers. While a majority of openers have been right-handers, lefties too have been second to none in booking a place among the elite list of ODI openers.

So let us have a look at the most prolific left-handed openers in ODI cricket:

In this analysis, we have only considered those batsmen who played as openers for the majority of their ODI careers. Batsmen who have scored above 4000 runs as openers have been considered for this list. For ranking the batsmen, run-scoring pedigree, ability to score tons and strike rates have been considered as the main parameters.

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#10 Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan has been one of India's best openers

Shikhar Dhawan has been one of the best openers in ODI cricket for over the last five years. Dhawan is an aggressive batsman who likes to take on the bowlers in the power plays. ‘Gabbar’ launches an early onslaught against bowlers and then looks to play the run accumulator's role as the innings progresses.

Dhawan has been pretty consistent for India amassing over 4000 runs at a healthy average of nearly 45. Much of India’s success in recent times has been built around a stable opening partnership of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan.

Shikhar Dhawan Record as an Opener

Matches: 104; Runs: 4481; Avg: 45.72; 100s: 13

#9 David Warner

David Warner is a power packet opener

David Warner has been one of the most dangerous openers in ODI cricket. The Australian dasher is an explosive batsman with his power-packed hitting and destructive stroke-making ability.

Warner is a natural stroke maker who looks to attack the opposition with his wide array of shots. The diminutive opener is particularly severe against quick bowling and likes to cut and pull on pacy and bouncy tracks.

Given the aggressive style in which he bats, Warner has been pretty consistent averaging over 40 in ODIs. Warner has provided stability to the Australian batting order by forming a dependable opening duo with Aaron Finch.

David Warner Record as an Opener

Matches: 106; Runs: 4343; Avg: 43.22; 100s: 14

#8 Gary Kristen

Gary Kristen was a technically sound batsman

Gary Kristen was one of the finest openers to have graced the game. The South African batting ace was a consistent run accumulator for the Proteas all through the 90s. Kristen had a compact technique and sound temperament to build an innings and provide the stability to their batting.

The former Indian coach often played second fiddle to his more flashy partners like Herschelle Gibbs and Andrew Hudson. Gary was a workhorse in the true sense and was South Africa’s batting mainstay along with Jacques Kallis under Hansie Cronje captaincy.

Gary Kristen Record as an Opener

Matches: 185; Runs: 6798; Avg: 40.71; 100s: 13

#7 Graeme Smith

Graeme Smith was a leader supreme

Graeme Smith has been South Africa’s most successful opener, both in Test and ODI cricket. Smith was an aggressive opener who liked to play his shots, especially through the leg side. The left-handed batsman wasn't the most stylish of players but had the zeal and combative instinct to survive the best of bowling attacks.

Much like his brilliant captaincy skills, Smith had the tenacity and untiring zeal which made him succeed as a world-class opener. Smith made South Africa into a formidable batting unit by forging successful opening partnerships with both Herschelle Gibbs and Hashim Amla.

Graeme Smith record as an Opener

Matches: 197; Runs: 6989; Avg: 37.78; 100s: 10

#6 Matthew Hayden

Matthew Hayden played the sweep shot with ease

Matthew Hayden was Australia’s frontline opening batsman during their highly successful period under Ricky Ponting. ‘Haydos’ with his imposing physique was a bludgeoner of the red cherry. The big and burly opener could flay attacks with utter disdain and change the course of any match.

Hayden had the knack of stepping down the crease and dispatching good length deliveries for boundaries. The Australian great had all the shots in his kitty and usually got massive scores once he got his eye in.

In the 2000s, Hayden formed a highly successful opening combination with Adam Gilchrist to provide Aussies with some fireworks up the batting order. A late entrant into international cricket, Hayden turned into a prolific ODI opener with over 6000 runs at a healthy batting average.

Matthew Hayden record as an Opener

Matches: 161; Runs: 6133; Avg: 43.81; 100s: 10

#5 Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle is the best T20 player ever

Chris Gayle has etched his name as one of the most destructive ODI openers. The Jamaican opener has played some absolute blinders to win matches for the ‘Maroon Brigade’. The tall and well built Gayle makes striking the ball look effortless with his brute power and rapid bat swing. When the ‘Gayle Storm’ strikes in full force, the opposition seems to be hiding for cover.

The maverick Windies opener has been quite prolific with his run-scoring exploits in one day cricket. Gayle became the first player ever to score a double ton in the ICC World Cup. Gayle is West Indies' second highest run scorer behind Brian Lara and tops the list for the most centuries made by a West Indian opener.

Chris Gayle Record as an Opener

Matches: 284; Runs: 9727; Avg: 36.98; 100s: 23

#4 Saeed Anwar

Saeed Anwar

Saeed Anwar has been hailed as Pakistan’s finest opener in ODI cricket. The stylish left-hander was a delight to watch with his elegant strokeplay and wristy shot making. Anwar looked a class apart with exquisite timing, good footwork and a terrific hand-eye coordination.

Anwar had a penchant to score big hundreds and more often than not took his team across the finishing line. In the mid and the late 90s, Anwar forged a formidable opening pair with fellow southpaw Aamir Sohail. With over 8000 runs and 20 tons, Anwar is Pakistan’s second highest run scorer in one day cricket.

Saeed Anwar Record as an ODI opener

Matches: 247; Runs: 8824; Avg: 39.22; 100s: 20

3. Adam Gilchrist

Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden formed a destructive pair up top

An absolute entertainer in the true sense, Adam Gilchrist was arguably the most destructive wicketkeeper-batsman to have graced one day cricket. Gilchrist packed a punch with his belligerent hitting and got Australia off to some explosive starts at the top of the order. He formed a lethal opening partnership with Matthew Hayden which plundered the best of bowling attacks in the first half of the new millennium.

Gilchrist’s batting was based on superb hand-eye coordination and sublime timing. A fierce cutter and puller, he was severe on any delivery which was short or overpitched. More importantly 'Gilli' reserved his best at major ODI tournaments and handsomely contributed to Australia’s treble titles at the ICC World Cups.

Gilchrist Record as an Opener

Matches: 287; Runs: 9619; Avg: 35.89; 100s: 16

#2 Sourav Ganguly

Dada was the god of offside

Sourav Ganguly was one of the most successful left-handed openers in ODI cricket. Ganguly looked a class apart with his exquisite timing and elegant strokeplay. Few could match the regal touch of his majestic off-side strokeplay. ‘Dada’ was a prolific run-getter in ODI cricket notching over 11000 runs with 22 centuries.

The 'Prince of Kolkata' had the ability to build an innings and then launch into the opposition with some big hitting. Be it those booming cover drives or tonking spinners for huge sixes, Ganguly became India’s batting lynchpin with his seasoned opening partner Sachin Tendulkar.

Ganguly stepped up his game during major tournaments like the World Cups and more often than not ended up among the leading run scorers.

Sourav Ganguly Record as an Opener

Matches: 311; Runs: 11363; Avg: 40.73; 100s: 22

#1 Sanath Jayasuriya

Sanath Jayasuriya was the highest scoring left-handed opener in ODIs

Sri Lanka’s destructive batsman Sanath Jayasuriya was arguably the most feared openers in ODI cricket. Jayasuriya could torment the best of attacks with his swashbuckling strokeplay. The diminutive opener along with his partner Romesh Kaluwitharana wreaked havoc among oppositions with their much-famed pinch-hitting at the 1996 World Cup.

Jayasuriya had quick reflexes and iron like forearms to really give his shots a whiplash effect. He was particularly strong square of the wicket and got plenty of runs with his cut. He could also hit boundaries at will with his trademark shot arm pull. The 'Matara Mauler' became a highly successful opener in ODIs by scoring over 13000 runs with 28 tons.

Sanath Jayasuriya Record as Opener

Matches: 445; Runs: 13430; Avg: 32.13; 100s: 28