Who Reigns Supreme? A Decade of ODI Cricket Duos Compared

(Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma during the 2023 ODI World Cup)

The last decade of cricket was full of exciting matches, breathtaking moments, bowlers dominating, and batters scoring runs fluently which gave every cricket fan some memories to cherish. The ICC Tournaments always got the better of some teams and gave them the chance to showcase their best possible game to the fans. However, just like in the old times, the teams were dependent on their best 2 players again to make them compete in the tournaments like for India in the previous decade, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid used to be at the top while for the Australian team, the duo of Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden made the things easier for them.

Comparing the top duos of each cricketing country in all formats

When we think about the best cricket teams, there are always some players who make a big difference. In this review, we'll look at the top batters from each team who have been the stars of the show from January 1st, 2014, to March 30th, 2024. These players have consistently performed well, making significant contributions to their teams' success. Their batting skills have been unmatched, dominating the charts and earning them recognition as some of the best in the game. From elegant strokes to powerful hits, these players have shown what it takes to excel in cricket, captivating fans worldwide with their performances.

1. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma - India

The first duo that has been ruling the cricketing world since 2013 is the drug of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma who have been absolute nightmares for their opponents when they are on full song. Both these players have ruled the last decade with their batting and have been above par in the ICC Tournaments too. In bilateral series, they have absolutely dominated their opponents and this is the reason why this Indian team has been successful in recent years of cricket.

(Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma during an ODI match for the Indian team)

Coming to Virat Kohli, he has been an absolute beast in the ODI and T20 Cricket and has been the Player of the Tournament in the 2014 and 2016 T20 World Cups combined with a Player of the Tournament in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Since 1st January 2014, the ODI Format has been his best one and has scored 8694 runs from the 162 matches played while in the T20 format, he has got 3450 runs from just 90 innings at a strike rate of 139.56 for the team. Seeing the Test format, he has got 7341 runs from the 91 matches played and averages more than 50.00.

Format	Span	Innings	Runs	Average	100s	50s
Test	2014-2024	21	927	46.35	3	4
ODI	2014-2024	62	3631	61.54	12	13
T20	2014-2024	31	1165	37.58	3	5

(Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s partnership stats in all formats)

When talking about Rohit Sharma, everyone knows about his timing and the perfection that he brings while being on the cricket field. Since 2013, he has been ruling the betting charts after he was made opener by MS Dhoni, and coming to the ODI Format, he has got 7535 runs by playing just 146 matches while his T20 stats have been brilliant too as he has posted 3435 runs while batting in 115 matches for the Indian team till 2024. In the test format, he hasn’t played much and has registered just 3804 runs from the 55 matches averaging 44.23 with the bat.

2. Steve Smith and David Warner - Australia

When it comes to Australia, they always have been a side that has produced some of the best batters and with the retirement of Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist, the team was in need of a duo who could take their legacy forward. And this is where the team got David Warner and Steve Smith who have been the best pair for the team and have given them so many wins with the bat by performing together for the team during tough situations and hence are at the second position in the list now.

(David Warner and Steve Smith during the 2019 ODI World Cup)

While considering Steve Smith, one should know that he started his career as a leg spinner and later came out as a proper batter to handle the number 3 spot for the Australian team. Named as the best Problem Solver of the game, Steve Smith has looked solid for the team in tough conditions and was the highest run-scorer for the team in the 2015 ODI World Cup which Australia won. Besides this, he got a 774 runs campaign in the 2019 Ashes and has been the “Test Player of the Decade” which shows how good he has been for the team.

Format	Span	Innings	Runs	Average	100s	50s
Test	2014-2024	32	1741	54.40	5	9
ODI	2014-2024	47	2110	45.86	5	11
T20	2014-2024	11	373	37.30	1	3

(Steve Smith and David Warner’s partnership stats in all formats)

Steve Smith's partner in crime, David Warner has been termed as one of the best opening batsmen in International cricket because of the way he has dominated the bowling attacks. Being the Player of the Tournament in the 2021 T20 World Cup and the highest run scorer for the team in the 2019 and 2023 ODI World Cup, David Warner has looked brilliant for the team with his batting skills. In the last 10 years, he has got 6894 runs in 86 Test matches while has registered 5899 runs with an average of 50.42 in the 121 matches played by him.

3. Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor - New Zealand

From the land of Blackcaps, Brendon McCullum has been a superstar of the game who used to play with an aggressive approach and his motive was to just get maximum boundaries from an over. However, with his retirement, the New Zealand team needed someone in the middle order who had the skill of ticking the scoreboard well along with having the intent to attack accordingly. This is where the duo of Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor made their presence felt and got New Zealand a World Test Championship mace as an ICC Trophy in the last decade.

(Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson during the 2019 ODI World Cup for New Zealand)

One of the most successful captains of the New Zealand team, Kane Williamson has been the player who has given enough reasons to the New Zealand fans to celebrate. Between the 2016 to 2023 periods, he made sure that New Zealand at least reached the knockout stage of all the ICC events and with his class batting, things were made easier. Since 2014, he has been New Zealand’s best batter to grace the game and has got 5535 runs from the 115 ODIs played while his test career has seen him getting 6949 runs from the 71 matches played for the team.

Format	Span	Innings	Runs	Average	100s	50s
Test	2014-2021	51	2701	61.38	8	11
ODI	2014-2021	55	3283	61.94	13	13
T20	2014-2021	13	299	23.00	0	2

(Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor’s partnership stats in all formats)

Partner of Kane Williamson in the tough times of the New Zealand team, Ross Taylor has been the player who has made things easier for the team with his batting skill and determination. In his test career from 2014, he went on to score 3549 runs from the 59 matches played and had an average of 41.75 while coming to his ODI stats, the batter was able to score 4689 runs from the 107 matches and was able to do well for the team in his career.

4. Joe Root and Ben Stokes - England

Coming to another duo who has been brilliant for the England team is Ben Stokes and Joe Root who have carried the England team well in all the formats. Being a test dominant side, they have been the glue to that middle order and hence both the players have always performed when the team is in a difficult position. Being the winners of the 2019 ODI World Cup together, this duo has been the one on whom the England team has always relied to win the matches.

(Joe Root and Ben Stokes with the 2019 ODI World Cup)

Joe Root, one of the members of the Fab 4 is the best player of the England team in the last decade and his numbers speak for himself. Being a part of the team that won the 2019 ODI World Cup, he played a major role by making the number 3 spot his own. Since 2014, he has got 5896 runs from the 151 matches played while coming to Test cricket, he has got the most runs among the active members with 10781 runs at an average of 51.13 from the 125 matches played.

Format	Span	Innings	Runs	Average	100s	50s
Test	2014-2024	63	2226	35.55	7	10
ODI	2014-2023	29	1009	38.80	2	5
T20	2014-2019	7	135	22.50	0	1

(Joe Root and Ben Stokes partnership stats in all formats)

Just like Joe Root, Ben Stokes has been a complete package for the England team during their tough times and he has shown it during the 2019 Ashes, 2019 ODI World Cup Finals, and in the 2022 T20 World Cup Finals where England needed someone to step up and he delivered it accordingly. From the 99 test matches played by him, he has got 6116 runs while averaging 35.55 with the bat while in his ODI career, he has got 3376 runs from the 104 games played by him.

5. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan - Pakistan

While talking about the two best players of each country, the Pakistan team has also made their way into the list as they have got two promising batters, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been exceptional for the team and they have handled this team clearly well. Both the batters have always played according to the situation which shows that they have brilliant game-reading capability and hence have made many match-winning partnerships for the Pakistan team.

(Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan during the 2021 T20 World Cup)

Often referred as one of the best batsmen of the modern era, Babar Azam has been a player who has scored runs against every opponent that the Pakistan team has faced. Starting from the 2019 ODI World Cup to the 2021 T20 World Cup, he has done well for the Pakistan team in this period. From the 117 ODI matches since 2014, he has made 5729 runs along with scoring 19 hundreds while in the test format, he has got 3898 runs from the 52 matches played by him.

Format	Span	Innings	Runs	Average	100s	50s
Test	2016-2024	16	656	43.73	2	4
ODI	2016-2023	21	1179	58.95	3	7
T20	2019-2024	65	3095	49.12	10	13

(Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan’s partnership stats in all formats)

Talking about Mohammad Rizwan, he got a late start to his career as earlier he was batting in the middle order but as soon as he started opening the batting for the team in the T20 format, the Pakistan fans got to know about his talent and the skill which makes him a perfect candidate at the top for the team. In the ODI’s, he has got 2088 runs from the 74 matches played while his T20 career has seen him getting 3180 runs from the 96 innings played at a strike rate of 128.33 for the team.

6. Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan - Bangladesh

A duo who has been known to carry the Bangladesh team for more than 17 years, the partnership between Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan has been brilliant for the team and they are the reason why this team has tasted success in the International circuit. Both the players were part of the 2007 ODI World Cup group that defeated India in the group stage and are still going strong for the team while getting things done in the favour of Bangladesh’s team.

(Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan playing for Bangladesh in the 2023 ODI World Cup)

Coming into the Bangladesh team in 2005, Mushfiqur Rahim was a batsman who had a mix of batting and wicket-keeping skills. He has been the perfect player down the order and with the ability to finish the matches well, he has got a reputation of being a problem solver for the Bangladesh team. In the test format since 2014, he has got 3598 runs from the 52 matches played and has done well for the team. Coming to the ODI format, he has made 5343 runs from the 149 innings and averages 45.27 for the team.

Format	Span	Innings	Runs	Average	100s	50s
Test	2014-2024	33	1561	47.30	3	6
ODI	2014-2023	56	2336	44.07	5	16
T20	2014-2024	26	543	20.88	1	1

(Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan’s partnership stats in all formats)

Just like the batting of Mushfiqur Rahim, Bangladesh has got another middle-order batter who has been brilliant for the team in his career. Shakib Al Hasan has been the number 1 all-rounder for the team and his contribution has been immense to the team’s success where he made 606 runs from the 8 innings in the 2019 ODI World Cup while batting at the number 3 position. Coming to his figures from 2014 in the Test format, he has made 2400 runs from the 35 matches played while talking about the ODI format, he has got 3882 runs from the 118 matches and an average of 39.61 speaks about his performance in this format.