Tilakaratne Dilshan’s All-time ODI XI
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Former Sri Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dilshan has named his all-time ODI XI, with Sachin Tendulkar being the only Indian to qualify for the same. While Dilshan has selected three Sri Lankans, Australia’s two-time World Cup-winning skipper Ricky Ponting has been picked to lead the side.
One of the most exciting batsmen of his time, Tillakaratne Dilshan, who with his relentless aggression became the perfect Sanat Jayasuriya prototype, amassed over 8000 ODI runs to become a Sri Lankan great. However, the short attention span of the world somehow propelled him to the brink, with his name, despite being the highest run-scorer in the 2011 World Cup, often slipping under the radar.
But when he was asked to pick his all-time ODI XI, there was no bitterness, no angst but he finalised a team that is quite radical. While the scope of the time frame is unclear, most of the players he has picked were from the ones he had played with or against, with the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma not finding places. The only Indian who made it to the XI was Sachin Tendulkar, who was the second-highest run-scorer in the 2011 World Cup next to Dilshan.
While the Mumbaikar opens with Jayasuriya, Brian Lara, Mahela Jayawardene and Ricky Ponting take the next three positions with two South Africans, Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers, filling the remaining two positions for the batsmen. The latter will also double up as a wicket-keeper. While Courtney Walsh and Wasim Akram are the two full-time pacers in the side, with Kallis to support them, Dilshan picked the two highest wicket-taking spinners in the Test format – his compatriot Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne.
Tillakaratne Dilshan’s all-time ODI side: Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka), Sachin Tendulkar (India), Brian Lara (West Indies), Mahela Jayawardena (Sri Lanka), Ricky Ponting (captain) (Australia), Jacques Kallis (South Africa), AB de Villiers (South Africa), Wasim Akram (Pakistan), Courtney Walsh (West Indies), Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) and Shane Warne (Australia).
