There have been quite a few batsmen who have enthralled spectators with their exceptional hitting. We will have a look at the most capable batsmen that have played one day cricket.
1. Vivian Richards
Inarguably the greatest one day batsman of all time. Nobody in the history of one day cricket has ever hit the ball as hard as Viv Richards did and maintained an average of 47 with a strike rate in excess of 90. Viv Richards had only one style of playing cricket and that is to hit the ball hard irrespective of the situation of the game. Some batsmen in the recent times could manage higher average than Viv did, but they do not measure up to him in terms of strike rate. Viv had a strike rate in excess of 90 at times when a strike rate of 70 was considered awesome.
2. Adam Gilchrist
His amazing ability to hit the ball cleanly and frequently separates him from the rest. One of only few batsmen to have a strike rate of more than 90. His ability to rise to the occasion sets him apart from most of the rest. His hard and clean hitting was one of the reason for Australia's dominance for most part of the last two decades. He played one of the most enthralling and match winning innings in the 2007 World cup final against Sri Lanka, and played significant part with the bat in the finals of two previous editions of World cup competition. He is easily one of the five cricketers of all time.
3. Michael Bevan
A one day specialist and a busy batsman. Michael Bevan guided Australia to umpteen victories from a losing position. He has played many marvels chasing the targets playing in the lower middle order. His ability to remain calm under pressure, picking gaps at will, and hitting well-timed boundaries made him an asset to the Australian cricket team that dominated during the later half of 90s and most part of 2000s. Coming lower down the order he boasts of an average in excess of 50 in one day format of the game.
4. Sanath Jaysurya
Sanath Jaysurya's fearless hitting in the 1996 World cup was one of the main reason for the Sri Lankans becoming the World Champion in 1996 even though he failed in the finals. It was his hard hitting that transformed the team from a mediocre side to one of the top teams in the world. His batting in 1996 World cup not only won Sri Lanka the World cup, but enhanced the confidence and consequently the performance of his other teammates. It was Jaysurya at the top who transformed the fortunes of the Sri Lankan team. He batted down the order for initial part of his career, and that has affected his average, but he maintains an strike rate of above 90.
5. Javed Miandad
No batting list can be ever complete without the indomitable Javed Miandad. May be it was his batting style and approach that has inspired the later batsmen like Michael Bevan, Inzimam-ul-Hq, Steve Waugh, and more recently Mahendar Singh Dhoni to play the way they play under pressure and orchestrate the innings. Javed Miandad knew no pressure and adversity brought best out of him. He stood up for Pakistan whenever chips were down, and like Michael Bevan in the recent times, won many games for Pakistan from a losing situation.
6. Dean Jones:
Dean Jones was phenomenal in one day cricket. He was aggressive and had unique attractive style of batting. He was exceedingly effective in one day format of the game. He used to play delightful shots to all parts of the ground. He looked better than Brian Lara when he executed those exquisite boundaries for fours and sixes. He was swift between the wickets.
7. Yuvraj Singh: For sheer talent, Yuvraj Singh should be at #3 in this list. But because of the significant contribution by those batsmen above him, Yuvraj is pushed down this list. Easily the most talented batsman India has ever produced. Tendulkar and Sehwag are great batsmen, but Yuvraj is exceptional. Like Vivian Richards and Adam Gilchrist, Yuvraj Singh can hit the ball to the cleaners at will and with equal ease. His ability to excel under pressure also makes him superior to his other Indian counterparts. He has anchored many chases for Indian team with Dhoni.
8. Zaheer Abaas: An average of 47.62 with a strike rate of 84.80 speaks volumes about Zaheer Abbas' ability as a one day batsman. Very few batsmen have a higher average in one day cricket than Zaheer Abbas' 47.62, and of those few batsmen who have a higher average than Zaheer Abbas' 47.62, only a couple of them have a higher strike rate than Zaheer Abbas' strike rate of 84.80. If ever anybody wanted to know how Brian Lara looked batting if he was a right hander watch Zaheer's batting. The high back lift, the magic and elegance of Zaheer are mirrored in Brian Lara's batting.
9. Mahender Singh Dhoni
He has the ability to his the ball as hard like some of the names mentioned above and at the same time can play anchor role like a Michael Bevan or Javed Miandad. Indian captain has anchored many an Indian innings to fashion victories for the Indian team. He orchestrated many Indian chases winning the tough games for Indian team. May be by the end of his career will move up in this list.
10. Martin Crowe
One of the greatest one day batsmen of all time. Martin Crowe could play all shots in the book and could score runs briskly in the middle order. He was adept against both pace and spin bowling. He carried the New Zealand hopes on his shoulders. He was at his peak in the 1992 World cup and could have seen the New Zealand team its maiden World cup success, but for an unpredictable Pakistan team in Semi-Final stole the limelight from Martin Crow.
11. Brian Lara:
12. Sachin Tendulkar
Prodigiously talented batsman who excelled across all formats of the game and against all kinds of bowling. Sachin Tendulkar batting in the middle order in the initial stages of his career and contributed significantly with his bat. His full talent came to the fore when he was promoted to open the innings in one day format of the game by then Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin. Sachin Tendulkar had not scored a single hundred in his 80 games batting in middle order, but since he became the opener, he kept on churning 100 after 100 in possibly every 10th game. He now has the highest number of test hundreds to his name, way ahead of the second entry on the list.
13 Saeed Anwar: Saeed Anwar was a poetry in motion when he batted. He would have been the first to 200 in one day cricket if he restrained from his penchant for getting the milestones off a six. He tried to hit a six when he was on 194 and was caught just short of the ropes. Saeed Anwar was one of the finest one day batsmen that has ever played the game. During that innings of 194 he almost destroyed Anil Kumble with his onslaught of the bowler. Saeed Anwar was effortlessly swashbuckling.
1. Vivian Richards
Inarguably the greatest one day batsman of all time. Nobody in the history of one day cricket has ever hit the ball as hard as Viv Richards did and maintained an average of 47 with a strike rate in excess of 90. Viv Richards had only one style of playing cricket and that is to hit the ball hard irrespective of the situation of the game. Some batsmen in the recent times could manage higher average than Viv did, but they do not measure up to him in terms of strike rate. Viv had a strike rate in excess of 90 at times when a strike rate of 70 was considered awesome.
2. Adam Gilchrist
His amazing ability to hit the ball cleanly and frequently separates him from the rest. One of only few batsmen to have a strike rate of more than 90. His ability to rise to the occasion sets him apart from most of the rest. His hard and clean hitting was one of the reason for Australia's dominance for most part of the last two decades. He played one of the most enthralling and match winning innings in the 2007 World cup final against Sri Lanka, and played significant part with the bat in the finals of two previous editions of World cup competition. He is easily one of the five cricketers of all time.
3. Michael Bevan
A one day specialist and a busy batsman. Michael Bevan guided Australia to umpteen victories from a losing position. He has played many marvels chasing the targets playing in the lower middle order. His ability to remain calm under pressure, picking gaps at will, and hitting well-timed boundaries made him an asset to the Australian cricket team that dominated during the later half of 90s and most part of 2000s. Coming lower down the order he boasts of an average in excess of 50 in one day format of the game.
4. Sanath Jaysurya
Sanath Jaysurya's fearless hitting in the 1996 World cup was one of the main reason for the Sri Lankans becoming the World Champion in 1996 even though he failed in the finals. It was his hard hitting that transformed the team from a mediocre side to one of the top teams in the world. His batting in 1996 World cup not only won Sri Lanka the World cup, but enhanced the confidence and consequently the performance of his other teammates. It was Jaysurya at the top who transformed the fortunes of the Sri Lankan team. He batted down the order for initial part of his career, and that has affected his average, but he maintains an strike rate of above 90.
5. Javed Miandad
No batting list can be ever complete without the indomitable Javed Miandad. May be it was his batting style and approach that has inspired the later batsmen like Michael Bevan, Inzimam-ul-Hq, Steve Waugh, and more recently Mahendar Singh Dhoni to play the way they play under pressure and orchestrate the innings. Javed Miandad knew no pressure and adversity brought best out of him. He stood up for Pakistan whenever chips were down, and like Michael Bevan in the recent times, won many games for Pakistan from a losing situation.
6. Dean Jones:
Dean Jones was phenomenal in one day cricket. He was aggressive and had unique attractive style of batting. He was exceedingly effective in one day format of the game. He used to play delightful shots to all parts of the ground. He looked better than Brian Lara when he executed those exquisite boundaries for fours and sixes. He was swift between the wickets.
7. Yuvraj Singh: For sheer talent, Yuvraj Singh should be at #3 in this list. But because of the significant contribution by those batsmen above him, Yuvraj is pushed down this list. Easily the most talented batsman India has ever produced. Tendulkar and Sehwag are great batsmen, but Yuvraj is exceptional. Like Vivian Richards and Adam Gilchrist, Yuvraj Singh can hit the ball to the cleaners at will and with equal ease. His ability to excel under pressure also makes him superior to his other Indian counterparts. He has anchored many chases for Indian team with Dhoni.
8. Zaheer Abaas: An average of 47.62 with a strike rate of 84.80 speaks volumes about Zaheer Abbas' ability as a one day batsman. Very few batsmen have a higher average in one day cricket than Zaheer Abbas' 47.62, and of those few batsmen who have a higher average than Zaheer Abbas' 47.62, only a couple of them have a higher strike rate than Zaheer Abbas' strike rate of 84.80. If ever anybody wanted to know how Brian Lara looked batting if he was a right hander watch Zaheer's batting. The high back lift, the magic and elegance of Zaheer are mirrored in Brian Lara's batting.
9. Mahender Singh Dhoni
He has the ability to his the ball as hard like some of the names mentioned above and at the same time can play anchor role like a Michael Bevan or Javed Miandad. Indian captain has anchored many an Indian innings to fashion victories for the Indian team. He orchestrated many Indian chases winning the tough games for Indian team. May be by the end of his career will move up in this list.
10. Martin Crowe
One of the greatest one day batsmen of all time. Martin Crowe could play all shots in the book and could score runs briskly in the middle order. He was adept against both pace and spin bowling. He carried the New Zealand hopes on his shoulders. He was at his peak in the 1992 World cup and could have seen the New Zealand team its maiden World cup success, but for an unpredictable Pakistan team in Semi-Final stole the limelight from Martin Crow.
11. Brian Lara:
Brian Lara was an exceptional batsman across all formats of the game. He could dominate pace and spin bowling alike. He had the ability score runs quickly and stay at the wicket if the situation demanded him to. He probably underachieved being part of a weaker West Indian team.
12. Sachin Tendulkar
Prodigiously talented batsman who excelled across all formats of the game and against all kinds of bowling. Sachin Tendulkar batting in the middle order in the initial stages of his career and contributed significantly with his bat. His full talent came to the fore when he was promoted to open the innings in one day format of the game by then Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin. Sachin Tendulkar had not scored a single hundred in his 80 games batting in middle order, but since he became the opener, he kept on churning 100 after 100 in possibly every 10th game. He now has the highest number of test hundreds to his name, way ahead of the second entry on the list.
13 Saeed Anwar: Saeed Anwar was a poetry in motion when he batted. He would have been the first to 200 in one day cricket if he restrained from his penchant for getting the milestones off a six. He tried to hit a six when he was on 194 and was caught just short of the ropes. Saeed Anwar was one of the finest one day batsmen that has ever played the game. During that innings of 194 he almost destroyed Anil Kumble with his onslaught of the bowler. Saeed Anwar was effortlessly swashbuckling.
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