Virat Kohli was named the cricketer of the decade for the 2010s by Wisden Almanack, a cricket reference book annually published in the United Kingdom. Wisden is actually celebrating 50 years of one-day international cricket. The have announced one cricketer each for each of the decades from 1971 to 2021. Three of these five ‘player of the decade’ awards went to Indian cricketers. Read the entire article to know who the other four cricketers are.
2011-2021: Virat Kohli – The current Indian captain has announced himself in some fashion in this past decade. He has scored more than 11,000 runs and managed to pile on 42 centuries. He has won a Cricket World Cup in 2011, Champions Trophy in 2013 and has not exited any ICC tournament before the Semi-Final stage.
2001-2010: Mutthaiah Muralitharan – The Sri Lankan off spinner was a difficult customer to face. He picked up 335 wickets in the ten years which is more than any other bowler in any decade. Muralitharan reached the cricket world cup final in 2007 and also in 2011. He was Sri Lanka’s go to spinner in all conditions.
1991-2000: Sachin Tendulkar – The man who changed the course of ODI cricket in the 90s, the man who defined what it is to make use of power-play, the man who demolished all the great bowlers who came in his way, Sachin Tendulkar is the play of the decade of the 90s. In 1998 alone, he made eight hundreds, which is more than any other player in a calendar year.
1981-1990: Kapil Dev – The Indian captain, who won India its first World Cup in 1983 and changed the sport in the subcontinent, has won the award for the 80s. Kapil Dev was the quintessential all-rounder. He picked up the most number of wickets in that decade and also scored with the highest strike rate.
1971-1980: Vivian Richards – If Test cricket belonged to Sir Don Bradman, ODI cricket was the realm of the West Indian Viv Richards. He is named the best player of the 70s, the first decade in cricket. In this decade, West Indies won two World Cups and Richards was one of the most important part of that WI team.
So these were the five cricketers who won the Wisden Almanack’s Top 5 ODI Cricketers of all time! I think there shouldn’t be any qulams about the selection as they are chosen by the ‘Bible of Cricket’.