Opening batsmen are the players that start the batting innings for any cricket team. They play with the new ball and face the starting attacks by the fast bowlers of the opponent team. Opening batsmen possess great hand-eye coordination along with a great technique to give a befitting reply to ferocious fast bowlers. Besides, they also have a variety of shots in their hands to give the initial boost to any batting side. They are also known to score big runs if they stick to the pitch for the first few spells in the ODI match. And, here goes our exclusive list of the best opening batsmen in ODI cricket.
Best Opening Batsmen in ODI Cricket Right Now | 2024 Updates
Content Summery
Starting from Sachin Tendulkar to Don Bradman, several great cricketers have made their names as the opening batsman of their respective teams. Most of the top run-scorers in the world usually play in the opening position as they get the most amount of time while batting. And, here goes our list of the best opening batsmen in 2024. Happy reading, folks!
10. Tamim Iqbal
Bangladeshi cricketer Tamim Iqbal currently plays as the opening batsman of the Bangladesh national cricket team. Besides, he also plays for several other domestic teams such as Chittagong Division, Peshawar Zalmi, Comilla Victorians, and Nangarhar Leopards.
One of the best left-handed batsmen of current cricket, Tamim, also played for the Indian Premier League side Pune Warriors. Tamim Iqbal was the first cricketer from Bangladesh to cross the 6,000-run milestone in ODI cricket.
Besides, he also recently played his 200th ODI match during the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup against India. He won the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack best cricketers Award in 2011.
And since then, he has constantly achieved his place among the top 50 in the ICC ODI batting ranking.
9. Martin Guptill
One of the best opening batsmen in ODI, Martin Guptill, currently plays for the New Zealand national cricket team. Besides, he also bowls right-arm off break occasionally.
He plays domestic cricket for Auckland and Worcestershire. Besides, he also plays for the Indian Premier League club Sunrisers Hyderabad. He recently signed a new contract with the New Zealand team in 2018 before making his appearance in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Martin Guptill has achieved his place among the very few batsmen to score a double century in ODI cricket. Besides, he has also made his name one of the best cricketers the Kiwis have ever produced.
He scored more than 180 runs in a single match three times till now. That record still stands among the cricketers of New Zealand.
8. Shikhar Dhawan
One of the best hard hitters in cricket, Shikhar Dhawan, currently plays as the opening batsman of the Indian national cricket team. Besides, he also plays for the Delhi team in domestic cricket.
Moreover, he also plays for the Indian Premier League side Delhi Capitals. He previously played for several other IPL teams such as Delhi Daredevils, Mumbai Indians, Deccan Chargers, and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Shikhar Dhawan has achieved his place in the ICC World ODI XI in 2013. Besides, he won the CEAT international batsman of the year in 2018. He also scored the most number of runs in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Moreover, he also scored the most number of runs in the 2018 Unimoni Asia Cup. He also holds the record for the fastest batsman to reach 1000-run in ICC Cricket tournaments.
7. Jonny Bairstow
One of the greatest wicketkeepers of all time, Jonny Bairstow, currently plays as an opening batsman for the England national cricket team. Besides, he also plays county cricket for Yorkshire.
Moreover, he also plays for the Indian Premier League side Sunrisers Hyderabad. He previously played for the PSL side Peshawar Zalmi from 2016 to 2018 before joining IPL in 2019.
Jonny Bairstow holds the current world record for 70 dismissals as a wicketkeeper in a single calendar year. He also holds the record for the most runs by a wicketkeeper in a single calendar year.
He has achieved his place in the ICC World ODI XI in 2019. Besides, he played a crucial role in the winning journey of England in the recent 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.
6. Imam-ul-Haq
One of the best opening batsmen in ODI, Imam-ul-Haq, currently plays for the Pakistani national cricket team. Besides, he also plays for PSL side Peshawar Zalmi and domestic side Balochistan.
Moreover, he also previously played for several other teams such as Lahore Shalimar and Habib Bank Limited. He recently became a part of the Pakistani team that participated in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Imam-ul-Haq holds the record for being the second batsman to score a century in his debut match. Recently during the 2018-19 cricket season, he signed a central contract with PCB.
Besides his name as a good opening batsman, he is also the nephew of former Pakistani captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq. He recently also made his debut in the Twenty20 International in a match against England.
5. Aaron Finch
The current captain of the Australian ODI team, Aaron Finch, made his name as one of the best opening batsmen in ODI. He also plays domestic cricket for Victoria and county cricket for Surrey.
He previously played for several other domestic clubs such as Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Daredevils, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Lions, and recently for Kings XI Punjab.
Aaron Finch holds the record to score 10 ODI centuries by any Australian cricketer. And after his immense contribution to ODI and T20 cricket, he recently made his test debut for Australia in 2018.
He recently became a part of the Australian side that participated in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. However, they failed to deliver an impressive performance in that tournament.
4. Jason Roy
One of the best cricketers in the world, Jason Roy, currently plays for the England national cricket team. Besides, he also plays for the Surrey domestic cricket club. Moreover, he plays for Quetta Gladiators and Sylhet Sixers.
He previously played for the Indian Premier League side Gujarat Lions and Delhi Daredevils. He recently became a part of the England team that won the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Jason Roy constantly made his appearance in the ICC ODI Ranking since his debut for England. He also holds the record for scoring the most number of runs by any England batsman in ODI cricket.
Besides his opening position in ODI cricket, he now plays in the middle-order in domestic cricket. A fun fact about him is that he is the first batsman in T20 international history to declare out for obstructing the field.
3. Quinton de Kock
A wicketkeeper-batsman, Quinton de Kock, currently plays as an opening batsman for the South African cricket team. Besides, he also plays domestic cricket for Titans.
He previously played for several Indian Premier League teams such as Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Daredevils, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Mumbai Indians. He recently also became a part of the South African team that took part in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Quinton de Kock recently won the Cricketer of the Year in the 2017 Cricket South Africa award. He has made his name as the fourth player to score three consecutive centuries in ODI cricket.
Besides, he also became the fastest South African cricketer to reach 1000-run in ODI cricket. Recently in September 2016, he married his long-time girlfriend Sasha Hurly.
2. David Warner
One of the most successful cricket captains, David Warner, currently plays for the Australian national cricket team. Besides, he also plays domestic cricket for New South Wales.
Moreover, he currently plays as an opening batsman for the Indian Premier League side Sunrisers Hyderabad. He also previously played for several other domestic teams such as Delhi Daredevils and Sydney Thunder.
David Warner won the Indian Premier League, Orange Cap, three times till now. Besides, he became a part of the ICC Test Team of the Year four times till 2024. He also achieved his place in the ICC ODI Team of the Year twice.
He won the Allan Border Medal twice consecutively, in 2016 and in 2017. Moreover, he won the Australian One Day International Player of the Year award twice till now.
1. Rohit Sharma
Without any doubt, Rohit Sharma is one of the greatest batsmen the world has ever seen. He currently plays as an opening batsman for the Indian national cricket team.
Besides, he also plays for the Indian Premier League side Mumbai Indians. He previously played for Deccan Chargers from 2008 to 2010. Moreover, he also plays domestic cricket for the Mumbai state team.
Rohit Sharma displayed amazing form in the recent 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. And, he already scored more than 37 ODI centuries as of now. Besides ODI, he also showed his prominence in test and T20 International cricket.
He now holds the record for scoring three double centuries in ODI cricket. Besides his active cricket career, he also works as a campaigner for PETA.
Final Words
So, here goes our exclusive list of the best opening batsmen in ODI cricket right now. We hope that you liked this list. And, don’t forget to send us your valuable opinion about this list in the comment box below.
Best Opening Batsmen | ODI Infographics
FAQs Regarding Best Opening Batsmen
Q. Which is the best opening pair in ODI cricket?
Between 1999 and 2007, left-handed batsman Sanath Jayasuriya and right-handed batsman Marvan Atapattu opened for Sri Lanka in 79 ODIs. Together, the duo scored 3382 runs, at an average of 43.92. Additionally, the former Sri Lankan openers each scored more than 800 runs.
Q. Who opened with Sehwag in Tests?
The Sehwag-Gambhir pair went on to become the most prolific Indian opening partnership after their 2004 union. In an eight-year period between 2004 and 2012, they added 4,412 runs in 87 Tests at 52.52 – the highest average of partners who opened together in at least 70 matches.
Q. Who is an opener in cricket?
The first batter to bat in the inning (no. 1) is considered the opening batter. It is crucial that the openers get the innings off to a good start. Early wickets can impact the rest of the team psychologically, affecting their performance at the plate.
Q. Who is the God of cricket now?
Sachin is the only cricketer in the long history of Test cricket to have played 200 Test matches. He also holds the record of 100 centuries in international cricket. Sachin holds many records. That’s why most cricket fans consider him the GOD of cricket.
Last Updated On: April 2024