Four Indian players feature in ESPNCricinfo’s ODI XI of 2018

The ODI team of the year 2018 announced by ESPNCricinfo is dominated by Indian players led by none other than the Indian skipper Virat Kohli. He has also been handed the captaincy role of the ODI team along with his regular one-down spot in the batting order. He showed tremendous form all throughout the year 2018 scoring 1202 runs at a massive average of 133.55.

Another Indian run machine Rohit Sharma is slotted at the opening position. He made 1030 runs at an average of 73.57 in the last calendar year. Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav are two Indian bowlers who feature in the XI. While Yadav picked up 45 wickets at an average of 17.77, Bumrah claimed 22 at 16.63 in 2018.

To partner Rohit Sharma to open the innings, Englishman Johny Bairstow has been picked in the team as a specialist batsman as he was another batsman who touched the 1000 run-mark in last calendar year. He scored 1025 runs at an average of 45.69. After Kohli at number three, Kiwi batsman Ross Taylor is at the fourth position in the batting order as he performed handsomely for New Zealand scoring 639 runs at 91.28 runs per innings.

The team also features a lone West Indian in Shai Hope who was drafted in, as he made 875 runs last year at a great average of 67.30. Two more players in Josh Butler and Chris Woakes from England are slotted at number six and seven. Butler has also been given the added responsibility of keeping the wickets. Woakes is the lone fast bowling all-rounder in the team as he pocketed 19 wickets last year along with scoring 205 runs at an average of 41.

Afghanistan's Rashid Khan along with Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rehman complete the best eleven of 2018. While Rehman got 29 wickets last year, Khan impressed everyone by picking up 48 wickets at an average of 14.45.