ODI 2019, Standout player, best team – Rohit dominates England’s fairytale year

Standout player – Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma’s year started with a bang, with a century in Australia and then two half-centuries on New Zealand soil. He then hit five centuries in the World Cup – the most by anyone in a single edition – including three on the trot. He then had another excellent series against West Indies at home, and finished with the most hundreds in a year (7) for anyone barring Sachin Tendulkar’s 9 in 1998.

Standout team – England

Eoin Morgan led team began 2019 with a draw against West Indies, a win against Ireland, and then a brilliant showcase (4-0) against Pakistan. The highlight, of course, was the World Cup – the first in their history. The final, probably the greatest ODI in history, was decided on boundaries after both the match and the Super Over were tied. With 14 wins and 5 defeats, England finished as the most successful ODI team of the year.

Room for improvement – Afghanistan

The rise of Afghanistan has been one of the most talked-about aspects of cricket in recent past. They started this year with two drawn series against Ireland and a series win against Scotland, and were expected to be a surprise element in the World Cup; unfortunately, they failed to win a single match. A whitewash against West Indies followed, and they finished with 4 wins in 20 matches.

Standout Quote

“At the end of the day nothing separated us, no one lost the final, but there was a crowned winner and there it is.”

Kane Williamson after losing to England in World Cup Final, 2019.