Jason Gillespie Reveals His Top 5 Indian Batters in ODI Cricket — Tendulkar Misses Out

Indian cricket has produced some of the finest limited-overs batters in the world. From the elegance of post-90s legends to the raw power of the current generation, the country stays bat deep and garners awe from across the globe. In a recent discussion on The Fast Bowling Cartel YouTube channel, a grand debate was ignited when former Australian speedster Jason Gillespie unveiled what he presumably considers to be the  Top 5 Indian Batters in ODI ever, very controversially, of course, with no mention of Sachin Tendulkar in that elite group. 

Embarking upon a far-fetched and rather brave verdict, that provoked discussion regarding an evolving standard of ODI cricket, and how contemporary metrics will factor into all-time rankings. 

Gillespie’s List of the Top 5 Indian Batters in ODI – A Deep Dive

Gillespie actually acknowledged the batting order of India, but he surprised many fans by placing modern-day stars ahead of India’s most successful ODI legend. Here is his 5 top list of Indian ODI batters: Shikhar Dhawan, MS Dhoni, and Virender Sehwag followed Rohit Sharma, with Kohli coming in fifth.

Winexchange brings you an opportunity to take a closer look at these picks of Gillespie’s list of Top 5 Indian Batters in ODI cricket:  

No. 5 – Shikhar Dhawan: India’s Underrated Giant

He began his Top 5 Indian Batters in ODI, calling Shikhar Dhawan, who, according to him, is against the law of unintelligible praise, so Gillespie opened his list for the first time.

Dhawan’s ODI statistics:

• Average: Above 44
• Strike Rate: 91

• So far, he has had an outstanding impact in ICC tournaments.
• He has remained consistent throughout all major series.

No. 4 – MS Dhoni: The Ultimate Finisher

Gillespie noted Dhawan’s reliability and ability to perform well in world tournaments. He was a pillar in building modern-day ODI success for India, mainly because of top dominance from the left-handed top-order batsmen. 

MS, the finalizer, ranked 4th among the Top 5 Indian Batters in ODI by Gillespie. 

Dhoni’s legacy in ODIs comprises:

• Finishing abilities, the likes of which the world has never seen before
• Staying calm in pressure situations
• Brilliant in tactics
• Unmatched game awareness

Gillespie pointed at Dhoni’s incredible ability to time an innings-the quality, he says, that can be said to be rare even among the best of the limited-overs genre.

No. 3 – Virender Sehwag: The Fearless Enforcer

Sehwag’s style of batting took a new approach to the ODI concepts of India. Primarily, Gillespie put him in at 3 because of the reason that he generally mowed through both halves of the opening 10 overs of opposition bowling.

He is a justification for the 5 greatest batsmen in ODIs of India:

• Strike Rate: 105 (unthinkable in his time)
• Position: Momentum-setter
• Influence: Match-defining powerplays

Sehwag’s aggression lay in many of India’s heavyweight victories in ODIs. 

No. 2 – Rohit Sharma: The Modern ODI Master

Gillespie’s selection of Rohit Sharma at number two did not surprise many; his accolades, however, resonated with worldwide sentiment. 

Rohit: An ODI justification-

• World Record Holder for three double tons
• Average close to 50
• Strike rate of 93
• Ability to make marathon innings

Gillespie complemented this notion by calling Rohit “a complete modern-day ODI batsman”, a reason why he comfortably makes it to the top 5 Indian batsmen in ODIs across any era.

No. 1 – Virat Kohli: The Undisputed King

Anyone in Gillespie’s frame of mind would have had Virat Kohli in the first position; this is a common best with statistics and one with global consensus.

Why Kohli is No. 1 in the Top 5 Indian Batters in ODI: 

• The greatest chase master ever
• Fitness and discipline are unmatched
• Consistency across all conditions
• Elite Strike rate + average combination

“I do believe that he is the best in the world in ODIs,” said Gillespie. 

 A bold proclamation, it should be granted, but it carries a great deal of mileage considering Kohli’s exceptional numbers.

Gillespie Leaves Out Tendulkar – The Shock That Broke the Internet

The biggest talking point? Sachin Tendulkar – the Indian with the most number of runs scored in ODIs – was not on Gillespie’s top 5 Indian batters in ODIs. 

His huge achievements include: 

• 18,426 runs in ODIs; 
• 49 hundreds; 
• 96 fifties; 
• First double hundred in ODIs. 

Fans reacted immediately with anger and incredulity. 

Why did Gillespie omit Tendulkar?

He explained thus: 

• Modern rankings applied to ODIs in this case
• Strike rates and impact per innings mattered more 
• Tendulkar was up there in sixth position 

Gillespie again declared the greatness of Sachin but argued that the metrics used to evaluate ODI batting have changed.

Quick Table: Gillespie’s Top 5 Indian Batters in ODI

Rank	Player	Key Reason
1	Virat Kohli	Elite consistency & chasing mastery
2	Rohit Sharma	Three ODI double centuries
3	Virender Sehwag	Strike-rate revolution
4	MS Dhoni	Greatest finisher
5	Shikhar Dhawan	Tournament consistency
—	Sachin Tendulkar	Ranked 6th (per Gillespie)

 

The Larger Debate — Can Anyone Truly Surpass Sachin?

Gillespie’s counting holds one of the oldest contests in cricket:

Where would Sachin Tendulkar stand in the realm of all-time greats?

Modern statistics may judge by strike rates and impact; legacy and longevity will still contribute immensely.

But then again, this is the outlook of Gillespie, where ODI cricket has gone toward scoring faster, risk-taking, and Match-winning roles.

Catch every fireworks of cricket news, ranking debate, and expert analysis at Winexch.

FAQs

1. Who’s the best as per Jason Gillespie in his top 5 Indian batsmen in ODI?

     Virat Kohli comes first.

2. Why Sachin did not have a place in top five?

     The use of modern ODI criteria by Gillespie, when they prioritized strike rate and impact.

3. Who was ranked at number two?

     Rohit Sharma because of his outstanding ODI records.

4. Which Indian keeper made the list?

     MS Dhoni was fourth on that list.

5. Where can fans read more about ODI cricket analysis?
     Visit Winexch also known as Winexchange to get detailed information and expert coverage in cricket updates.