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Former Indian opening batsman Virender Sehwag has revealed the first five players he would pick if given the unenviable task of building a dream ODI lineup for this edition of the World Cup. Known as one of the most explosive batsmen of his time, Sehwag played a key role in India’s 2011 World Cup triumph. The 44-year-old picked two of his former teammates when asked to choose his first five players in a dream ODI XI. Additionally, he also included a third player from his home country.
Sehwag picked Indian captain Rohit Sharma, senior batter Virat Kohli, and ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah. The other two picks were Australian opener David Warner and New Zealand’s middle-order batter Glenn Phillips. Notably, Rohit Sharma was a straightforward pick given his record in World Cups and even his overall ODI numbers.
The Indian skipper scored five centuries and a whopping 648 runs, almost single handedly carried India to the semifinals in the 2019 edition of the World Cup. The Indian captain, who boasts of an amazing ODI record, has scored 9922 runs in 248 games at an average of 48.9 and a strike rate of 90.1.
Talking about the former India skipper Virat Kohli, for Sehwag it came as an obvious pick, as his numbers speak for himself. The star batsman has 12,902 runs in ODI cricket at an average of 57.1 and a strike rate of 93.6, which is beyond impressive. On picking Jasprit Bumrah, Sehwag cited that he has led Indian bowling right from his debut. The pacer has taken 121 wickets in his 73 ODIs so far.
Among overseas players, Sehwag picked David Warner, a batter who plays with the same aggression and fearlessness as the Indian himself. The left-hander is Australia’s leading run-scorer in the ODI World Cup, having amassed 992 runs in 18 games at an average of 62, including four centuries.
I n a surprise pick, Sehwag named hard hitting Glenn Phillips as his fifth choice. The Kiwi has scored a modest 351 runs in 16 ODIs at an average of 31.9 and a strike rate of 90.7 so far.
