3 Best men's ODI knocks for India in 2022 

Team India played their last ODI of 2022 earlier this month when they trounced Bangladesh by a huge margin of 227 runs in the third game in Chattogram.

Despite the win, India failed to win the three-match series as Bangladesh bagged the first two ODIs in Dhaka and clinched the series by a 2-1 margin.

It capped off what was an ordinary year for India as far as ODIs were concerned. With 2022 being the year of the T20 World Cup, there weren't too many ODIs played between the full-member nations.

India, too, rested senior players during a number of ODI series throughout the year, with Shikhar Dhawan leading the side on several occasions.

In 2022, the Men in Blue participated in eight ODI series, playing 24 games in total. Out of those, India managed to win 14 encounters while losing eight. Two games in New Zealand ended in no result due to rain.

Amidst all this, Indian cricket fans witnessed some fine knocks from the Men in Blue throughout the year.

On that note, here are three of the best men's 2022 ODI knocks for India.

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#3 Axar Patel - 64* off 35 vs West Indies in the 2nd ODI in Trinidad

Axar Patel made his highest individual ODI total against West Indies earlier this year. [Pic Credit: ICC]

The second of the three ODIs between West Indies and India went down to the wire, with all-rounder Axar Patel playing an immaculate knock of 64* off 35 balls to help his side win the contest by two wickets.

After winning the toss, Windies skipper Nicholas Pooran opted to bat first and the hosts posted 311/6. Openers Shai Hope and Kyle Mayers (39 off 23) provided a flying start, with the former registering a magnificent ton (115 off 135). Pooran also played a key role, scoring a 77-ball 74. Shardul Thakur was the pick of the Indian bowlers with three crucial wickets to his name.

For India, all batters except Shikhar Dhawan (13 off 31) and Suryakumar Yadav (9 off 8) chipped in with crucial contributions. Shreyas Iyer scored 63 (71 balls) while Sanju Samson also smashed 54 (51 balls) at a brisk rate.

However, both Iyer and Samson lost their wickets in quick succession as Axar entered the crease. Coming to bat at No. 7 when India still needed 107 runs in the last 11 overs, the left-hander batted extremely well under pressure.

He milked a few singles and doubles before targeting particular bowlers to smash three fours and five maximums.

With 32 needed off 24 balls, Axar slammed two consecutive fours off Shepherd to bring up his maiden ODI fifty in just 27 deliveries. While the team required eight runs off the last over, the all-rounder sealed the deal with a six down the ground on the fourth ball.

It was certainly one of the best innings by a lower-order Indian batter in ODIs in recent times.

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#2 Ishan Kishan - 210 off 131 vs Bangladesh in the 3rd ODI in Chattogram

Ishan Kishan became only the fourth Indian to score an ODI double century [Pic Credit: BCCI]

Ishan Kishan stunned the world during India's last ODI of 2022 against Bangladesh earlier this month when he scored a majestic 131-ball 210.

Bangladesh skipper Litton Das won the toss and asked the visitors to bat first. The home team started well as they dismissed Shikhar Dhawan early in the innings. The Men in Blue were 17/1 after the end of five overs.

What followed was sheer domination shown by Kishan, who was aggressive right from the word go. He picked gaps sumptuously inside the power-play and unsettled the Bangladeshi spinners with his lofty strokes in the middle overs.

Pacing his innings to perfection, the southpaw reached his maiden ODI ton in 85 balls before bringing up his 150 in a total of 103 balls. His next 50 runs, however, came in just 23 balls, registering a mind-boggling double century in just 126 balls.

An imperious innings, consisting of 24 boundaries and 10 maximums, Kishan's 210-run knock helped his team post a mammoth 409/8 in their 50 overs. Virat Kohli, too, chipped in with his 44th ODI ton, mustering 113 runs off 91 balls.

Riding on Kishan's knock, India won the encounter and avoided a series whitewash. Bangladesh won the first two ODIs to clinch the three-match series with a scoreline of 2-1.

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#1 Rishabh Pant - 125* off 131 vs England in the 3rd ODI in Manchester

England v India - 3rd Royal London Series One Day International

The best ODI innings of 2022 for India came when Rishabh Pant single-handedly guided his team to a famous win in the series-deciding third ODI against England at Old Trafford in Manchester.

After winning the toss, Rohit Sharma asked England to bat first. Mohammed Siraj provided India with a wonderful start, picking Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root in his very first over, the second of the innings.

Jos Buttler (60) and Moeen Ali (34) steadied the ship for England before Hardik Pandya brought the visitors back into the game with two quick scalps. Pandya's effective bowling contained England to a manageable total of 259 in the first innings.

Chasing 260, Team India found themselves in dire straits when they lost Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, and Suryakumar Yadav with just 72 runs on the board.

Pandya and Pant then came together to construct a match-winning partnership of 133 runs. With the series on the line, Pant stood like a warrior for the visitors and took India over the line with his maiden ODI ton.

Unlike his customary fashion, Pant cautiously tackled the English bowlers in the early part of his innings. He paced his innings with utmost maturity, reaching his fifty in 71 balls. As the target got closer, the left-hander swiftly changed gears to add his next fifty in just 35 balls.

Pant smashed the opposition bowlers to all parts of the ground, clobbering 16 fours and a couple of maximums.