Gavaskar, Hayden pick India's most impactful player of the decade in ODIs

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Bengaluru, December 10: The legendary Sunil Gavaskar and former Australia opener Matthew Hayden made their picks for the most impactful Indian player in the past decade in ODIs.

There are several contenders when it comes to ODI cricket in the last 10 years, including the likes of Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Rohit Sharma among many others.

Gavaskar believes current skipper Kohli has been the most impactful player for India in the last 10 years, considering the number of games that he has won for the country in this span of time.

Kohli, who made his India debut in 2008, has emerged as one of the best batsmen in all formats of the game in the past decade. He recently became the fastest cricketer to score 12,000 ODI runs, breaking the record of cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli has scored 12,040 runs in 251 ODIs with an incredible 43 centuries to his name.

"I think if you look as an individual, then certainly it's got to be Virat Kohli, because if you look at the number of matches he's won for India when India has been chasing big scores," Gavaskar said on Star Sports show 'cricket connected'.

"I look at the impact a player has had, and not just the runs or wickets that he has taken, and in that aspect, you have got to say that in this decade it really has been Virat Kohli who has had the most impact on the matches that India has won."

Meanwhile, former Aussie and Chennai Super Kings star Hayden feels it is former skipper MS Dhoni, who has been the most impactful player in ODIs for India in this decade.

MS Dhoni, who announced his retirement from international cricket in August this year, has scored 10377 runs in 350 ODIs. The former skipper also led the Indian team to the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup.

"I think it's really important and significant that MS Dhoni has won a World Cup and a Champions Trophy. That World Cup for me, that's a real big milestone," said Hayden.

"I have mentioned it before we have played loads of cricket in the one-day format and I just feel that when it comes to being ready for a World Cup, you not only got to have a good leader but you also need to have a calm strong player in the middle order like he has."

(With PTI inputs)