Ever since the first World Twenty20, in South Africa, became a grand success, the amount of 50-over cricket played has come under the scanner. Several leading voices have asked for unnecessary one-day games to be scrapped and more emphasis to be laid on the World Cup and the Champions Trophy.However, in the number of one-day games that were played in next 7 years since that event, there are a few players who have been outstanding in the 50-over format. Here’s a list of 5 players who have performed exceptionally in ODIs post the 2007 World Cup T20.
#1 MS Dhoni
Possibly the best finisher ever in the One Day International (ODI) format, the man from Ranchi has been an outstanding limited overs cricketer for India. He may not have the best technique to tackle the moving ball in Test cricket, but there is no denying that the Indian skipper is a legend in the 50-over format.
The 33 year-old averages close to 58 and has amassed 5767 runs at a strike-rate of 86 runs per 100 balls with 6 tons since 2007 and is consistently ranked among the top 5 ODI batsmen in the 50-over rankings. He even made the top spot his own for a while and has this great ability to take the game till the end and win it for his team.
#2 AB de Villiers
The man from Pretoria has had a superb last few years while playing for his country and, along with Hashim Amla, has gone on to become the batting mainstay in the South African line-up.
#3 Virat Kohli
The Delhi batsman made his ODI debut in 2008 and had a scratchy start to his career. He wasn't a permanent fixture in the team initially, but impressive performances in the given opportunities meant that he could not be kept out of the team for a long time.
#4 Hashim Amla
The bearded South African, like Kohli, made his ODI debut in 2008. In the 95 ODIs that he has played since, he has scored 4621 runs at an excellent strike-rate of 89.26 with an astonishing century tally of 15, consistently giving his team good starts at the top even on difficult batting wickets.
#5 Kumar Sangakkara
The Sri Lankan No.3 is the highest run-getter in the last 7 years with 6978 runs at a strike-rate of 80.40 with 13 hundreds in the 50-over format. Consistency has been Sangakkara's forte for a large part of his career, and the left-hander has played some match-winning innings in the last few years to enhance his reputation. Again, like Amla, he is someone in the classical mould and always seems to maintain a decent pace throughout his innings.