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    STUMP VISION                                                              JULY 24, 2026    |  The Indian Eye 46

                                                               SHUBMAN GILL

            The Prince is now writing his own

                       royal chapter in ODI cricket

                                                                                                                  finishing innings under pressure and
                                                                                                                  staying unbeaten countless times,
                                                                                                                  Dhoni  redefined  what  finishing  an
                                                                                                                  ODI chase should look like.
                                                                                                                      The list also reminds us that
                                                                                                                  greatness knows no nationality. Dar-
                                                                                                                  yl Mitchell  of New Zealand occu-
                                                                                                                  pies second place with an average
                                                                                                                  of  58.98  from  61  matches,  showing
                                                                                                                  remarkable consistency in a relative-
                                                                                                                  ly short career. Australia’s  Michael
                                                                                                                  Bevan, averaging  53.58, remains the
                      ARCHAN MEHTA
                                                                                                                  original  master  finisher  whose  calm-
                                                                                                                  ness transformed ODI cricket in the
                  s  India  plays  an  ODI  series                                                                late  1990s.  South  Africa’s  AB  de
                  against England, one statistic
            Aperfectly captures the coun-                                                                         Villiers  combined  innovation  with
            try’s dominance in the 50-over format.                                                                consistency, averaging  53.50  while
                                                                                                                  scoring  9,577  runs  and  25  centuries.
            Among players with a minimum of 50                                                                    Pakistan’s  Babar Azam  continues
            ODI matches, four Indians feature in                                                                  to  be  one  of  the  finest  modern-day
            the all-time top 10 batting averages.                                                                 ODI batters, averaging 53.43 with 20
            Shubman Gill leads the list with an                                                                   hundreds, while England’s  Jonathan
            incredible  average  of  59.09  from  64                                                              Trott built a reputation as one of the
            matches,  scoring  3,191  runs  and  9                                                                most dependable anchors of his gen-
            centuries. Right behind him is Virat                                                                  eration with an average of 51.25. West
            Kohli  with  an  astonishing  58.71  av-                                                              Indies captain  Shai Hope, averag-
            erage  across  311  matches,  accu-                                                                   ing 50.91 with 6,263 runs and 19 centu-
            mulating  14,797  runs  and  54  hun-                                                                 ries, completes this elite group through
            dreds. KL Rahul sits ninth with an                                                                    sheer consistency in an otherwise chal-
            average  of  50.73  from  96  match-                                                                  lenging period for Caribbean cricket.
            es  and  3,399  runs,  while  MS  Dhoni                                                                   As England prepare to take on
            rounds off the elite list with an av-                                                                 India, these numbers tell a story that
            erage of 50.57 over 350 ODIs, scor-                                                                   goes beyond individual brilliance.
            ing 10,773 runs. No other nation has                                                                  India has not simply produced great
            four batters in this exclusive club.                                                                  ODI batters; it has built a culture
            That is not just a statistical achieve-                                                               where consistency is expected and
            ment—it is proof that India has mas-  Every young prodigy follows a different path. Some fade away under expectation while others   excellence becomes routine. From
            tered the art of ODI batting over                                                                     Dhoni’s finishing skills to Kohli’s re-
            multiple generations.                                  build legendary careers (File photo)           lentless hunger, Rahul’s adaptability
                At the top of the list stands In-
            dia’s new leader,  Shubman Gill. Al-  the undisputed king of ODI batting.   this era. While Gill has made a sensa-  and  Gill’s elegance, every genera-
                                                                                                                  tion has passed the baton seamlessly
            ready captain in both Tests and ODIs,   Today, the prince is knocking on the   tional start, Kohli has maintained elite   to the next. That continuity is one of
            Gill has made the 50-over format look   palace door. Gill still has many years   standards across different countries,   the  biggest  reasons  India  remains a
            effortless. His technique is compact,   ahead before he can match Kohli’s   different bowling attacks and chang-  powerhouse in the 50-over game and
            his shot selection is mature, and he   longevity, but if there is one format   ing eras of the game. Beside him are   continues to enter every major ODI
            rarely looks under pressure. In just 64   that truly belongs to him, it is One-  two more Indian  greats who have   tournament among the favorites.
            matches, he has crossed the  3,000-  Day cricket.                   quietly built extraordinary ODI ca-   England may have plans for stop-
            run mark with nine centuries, averag-  Then comes  Virat Kohli, whose   reers. KL Rahul, averaging 50.73, has   ping India’s batting, but looking at
            ing 59.09, the highest in ODI history   numbers  deserve  a  chapter  of their   been India’s crisis manager, adapting   these averages, they might first need
            among players who have played at   own.  An  average  of  58.71  after  311   to different batting positions while   to figure out how to stop the calculator
            least 50 matches. What makes this   ODIs is almost impossible to compre-  also taking over wicketkeeping duties   from giving India all the top scores!
            even more fascinating is that Gill is   hend in modern cricket. Nearly 15,000   whenever required. Meanwhile,  MS
            only 0.38average points ahead of Vi-  runs, 54 centuries, countless success-  Dhoni’s  average of  50.57  after  350
            rat Kohli. The numbers have created   ful run chases and more than a de-  matches remains one of the greatest   Archan Mehta is a writer dedicated to
            one of the most exciting storylines in   cade of consistency have made Kohli   achievements for a middle-order bat-  telling compelling stories about athletes,
            Indian cricket. For years, Kohli was   arguably the greatest ODI batter of   ter. Batting lower down the order,   teams, and the world of cricket

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