Table of Contents
As India’s preparations for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2027 have officially begun and many were talking about the hopefuls, the former Indian fast bowler Mohit Sharma recently picked his greatest ODI players, teams, and moments.
Mohit Sharma has given special mention to one of the greatest batters of all time, Sachin Tendulkar, and one of the finest bowlers, Zaheer Khan. He also hailed Australia as the greatest team in the format.
Mohit Sharma names Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan as ODI's greatest legends
When asked about the greatest ODI player of all time, the former India pacer has picked the legendary Indian batting icon Sachin Tendulkar without taking a second. He also named Tendulkar as the greatest Indian ODI cricketer ever. The Master Blaster remains the undisputed legend of ODI cricket.
The Indian legend scored a record 18,426 runs in 463 ODI matches at an average of 44.83 with the help of 49 centuries and 96 half-centuries. He became the first cricketer to reach 10,000 ODI runs and later created history again by becoming the first male player to score a double century in ODI cricket with his unbeaten 200 against South Africa in 2010.
Mohit Sharma has picked the former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan as the best ODI bowler. He hailed Zaheer's ability to perform in an era when bowlers had to work with only one ball throughout an innings, and the former bowler made his mark with skill, control, and cricketing intelligence.
Mohit Sharma said on Cricbuzz: “If we go to personal choices, I would say that Zaheer Khan was the best ODI bowler for me. At that time, the biggest thing was that there were no two balls. You had to play with one ball. Yes, I know there was a reverse factor. But at the same time, when the ball gets old, you can't even bowl all the yorkers. You have to put a length ball.”
Mohit Sharma picks NatWest 2002 Final over India's 2011 World Cup triumph as the greatest ODI match
The former CSK fast bowler picked India's famous NatWest Series final victory against England at Lord's in 2002 as the greatest ODI match, overlooking the team’s historic 2011 World Cup triumph.
Mohit explained, “For me, where emotions went up and down a lot, I would say the 2002 NatWest Series final was the biggest game. Because it was the national pride. The way Andrew Flintoff came to India and took off the T-shirt and celebrated.
And then when we chased 325 in the Net West, we made it 326. In the beginning, Dada, then Kaif bhai, then Yuvi. The way the whole team played, and after that, the celebration was on the balcony of the Lord’s. I can never forget that.”
When it came to the best ODI all-rounder, Mohit named the South African legend Jacques Kallis. He praised Kallis for his incredible contributions with both bat and ball to South African cricket. He said, “All the talent and work he has done for his country, I think it is commendable.”
Mohit Sharma picks Australia as the Greatest ODI Team; reveals best ODI moment
Meanwhile, Mohit Sharma said that the team that has dominated for a long time in ODI cricket is Australia. He recalled how they dominated the 2003 World Cup and went on to lift the trophy and continue their dominance with several titles.
The former Indian pacer’s favourite ODI moment was Zaheer Khan’s opening spell during India's victorious 2011 World Cup campaign. He shared, “I remember Zaheer Khan’s spell, which was the final of the 2011 World Cup. We were bowling first, and he opened the spell and bowled 5 overs, where three overs were maiden, gave away 6 runs, and scalped only one wicket.”
Mohit signed off by saying, “So, he set up the tone from there. And I still remember the wicket that Virender Sehwag caught in the slip. So yes, for me, it was a moment where I was like, what could be better than this? So that spell was the best for me.”
