2018 has been quite a year for spinners in ODI cricket – six of the top 10 wicket-takers this calendar year and four of the top five are spinners. However, this list doesn’t take just wickets taken into consideration. MyNation brings to you the five best ODI bowlers, all spinners, in 2018. Take a look.
The year 2018 has been a year of spinners in One Day Internationals. Some of the best batsmen were troubled by the guile of the tweakers.
MyNation brings to you the five best ODI bowlers, all spinners, in 2018. Take a look.
Currently ranked number two in the list of ODI bowling rankings by the ICC, Rashid’s jaw-dropping strike rate of 22.2 in 20 matches he played this year gives a hint of the skill and temperament of the Afghanistan leggie. Rashid has taken 48 wickets this year in only 20 innings, with a very low economy rate of 3.89. He has two five-wicket hauls this year and one occasion on which he took four wickets. The Afghanistan bowler has been a constant for his national team. The 20-year-old in Asia Cup this year picked up 10 wickets in five matches and eventually finished as the joint leading wicket-taker in the entire tournament.
Kuldeep is second on the list. Kuldeep, a rare breed of chinaman bowlers, has revived the dying art. With 45 wickets from 19 innings, and a five-for to his credit, the youngster has had a good year. Kuldeep, along with Rashid, and Mustafizur Rahman were joint leading wicket-takers in the Asia Cup. His best performance this year came against England in Nottingham, with him taking six wickets from his 10 overs and giving away only 25 runs. Kuldeep ends 2018 at No 3 on the ICC ODI bowling rankings.
English leg-break bowler Rashid comes in at No 3.He took the all-important wickets of Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik and Suresh Raina and was adjudged the Man-of-the-match, as England completely surpassed India in the third ODI of the bilateral series this year. Since the 2015 World Cup ended, he is the second leading wicket-taker in ODI cricket with 116 wickets (as of December 15, 2018). The 30-year-old has taken 42 wickets this year from 23 innings, at an economy of 5.41.
Being a former junior chess champion, Chahal is smart bowler. He bowls the slower ones, the googlies and flights the ball. He makes the batsman attack him and that’s what makes him different. In 17 ODI matches this year, Chahal has bagged 29 wickets with best figures of 5/22. The magical Chahal and Kuldeep spin duo will be instrumental behind the success of Indian team in next year’s World Cup in England.
Afghan teenager Mujeeb Ur Rahman has been perhaps the find of 2018 and has taken 37 wickets this year in 20 matches that he has played this year, at an economy rate of 3.84. Mujeeb also became the youngest bowler to claim five wickets in an ODI this year surpassing Pakistan great Waqar Younis.
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