- Kapil, Jadeja, Kumble, Zaheer, Bumrah complete the bowling.
Former Indian batsman Robin Uthappa has stirred up a massive debate among cricket enthusiasts after revealing his all-time Indian One-Day International (ODI) playing eleven. During a popular ‘This or That’ challenge on Instagram, the 2007 World T20 winner made several bold calls. The most surprising of them all was the omission of current Indian captain Rohit Sharma, arguably one of the greatest limited-overs openers the game has ever seen.
Instead of the “Hitman,” Uthappa chose to roll back the years by backing a classic, legendary opening combination at the top of the order.
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Shocking Omission of Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma’s exclusion from the XI has raised many eyebrows. Statistically, Rohit is India’s third-highest run-scorer in ODI history, boasting over 11,000 runs and more than 30 centuries. More importantly, he remains the only player in world cricket to smash three double-hundreds in the 50-over format, alongside holding the record for the highest individual ODI score of 264.
However, Uthappa decided to go with the iconic and historically proven duo of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly as his openers. Statistically, Tendulkar (18,426 runs) and Ganguly (11,221 runs) form one of the most successful and feared opening partnerships in ODI history, which makes Uthappa’s preference highly defensible, even if it meant dropping a modern-day titan like Rohit.
Star-Studded Middle Order
Uthappa’s middle order is a perfect blend of aggressive strokeplay and match-winning experience:
Number 3 (Virat Kohli): The selection of Virat Kohli was a no-brainer. With over 50 ODI centuries to his name the most by any batter in history Kohli anchors the lineup.
Number 4 (Yuvraj Singh): The hero of India’s 2011 World Cup triumph was slotted at number four for his unmatched ability to dominate middle overs and provide crucial left-arm spin.
Number 5 (MS Dhoni – Captain & Wicketkeeper): Leading this dream lineup is none other than MS Dhoni, who successfully guided India to the 2011 ODI World Cup trophy.
Number 6 (Suresh Raina): To inject further dynamism and finishing power, Uthappa selected his former teammate Suresh Raina, valued equally for his finishing, handy off-spin, and world-class fielding.
Legendary All-Rounders and Bowling Attack
For the all-rounder spot, Uthappa prioritized historical impact over contemporary stars like Hardik Pandya. He chose India’s 1983 World Cup-winning captain, Kapil Dev, alongside the versatile Ravindra Jadeja as the spin-bowling all-rounder.
The bowling unit is equally formidable, combining lethal pace with masterclass spin:
Anil Kumble features as the specialist spinner, bringing his unmatched grit and legendary wicket-taking ability to the side.
The fast-bowling department is spearheaded by the legendary left-armer Zaheer Khan and modern-day spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, ensuring the team has options to dominate both the powerplay and the death overs.
Robin Uthappa’s All-Time India ODI XI:
Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni (C & WK), Suresh Raina, Kapil Dev, Ravindra Jadeja, Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan, Jasprit Bumrah.
