ICC Awards 2018: Top 5 contenders for ODI Player of the Year

The ICC Awards have honored some of the biggest names in men's and women's international cricket. The inaugural edition of ICC awards ceremony was held in England on 7 September 2004.

England are the No.1 ranked team in One Day Internationals. Virat Kohli is the No.1 batsman in ODIs at the moment while Jasprit Bumrah takes the top spot in bowler rankings. Shakib Al Hasan is the top-ranked ODI all-rounder.

AB de Villiers has won the ODI Player of the Year Award on most occasions, 2010, 2014, and 2015. Virat Kohli stole all the limelight last year when he won the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Cricketer of the Year and also took the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year award.

2018 has witnessed some stunning ODI cricketing action so far. Asia's top nations are currently fighting for supremacy in the 2018 Asia Cup and rest of the year looks completely packed up.

Honorable Mentions: Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Jos Buttler, Jason Roy, and Adil Rashid.

#5 Kuldeep Yadav, India

England v India - 2nd ODI: Royal London One-Day Series

The slow left-arm chinaman bowler from Uttar Pradesh is one of the best limited-overs bowlers in world cricket at the moment. He was sublime for India over the last 12 months and played a huge role in their 5-1 series win over South Africa, away from home.

He took 17 wickets in the tournament and finished on top of the wicket-takers list. He troubled some of the best batsmen in the world with his clever variations and picked up wickets on a consistent basis.

In 2018, the 23-year-old has picked up 29 wickets in just 12 matches at a stunning average of 17.13. He produced a few match-winning spells and was unplayable on occasions. Though he has only an outside chance, he has done exceedingly well throughout 2018.

#4 Virat Kohli, India

England v India - 3rd ODI: Royal London One-Day Series

This list would certainly be incomplete without his name on it. Though he has only played nine ODI games in 2018, he has made it count. With 558 runs in just six games at a breathtaking average of 186, the Indian captain was simply sensational during the tour of South Africa. He scored three hundred and a fifty in the tournament and was rightly given the Man of the Series award.

In 2018, Virat Kohli has scored 749 runs at an average of 124.83. He has scored three hundreds and three fifties in nine games this calendar year and his lowest ODI score was 45. The 29-year-old is arguably the best batsmen in world cricket at the moment and deserve every accolade that he is getting.

#3 Joe Root, England

England v India - 3rd ODI: Royal London One-Day Series

The England Test captain is at the peak of his cricketing career right now. Though he wasn't at his best in T20 cricket, he has been one of the most solid and consistent performers in ODIs and Test matches.

The 27-year-old has been in exceptional form this calendar year and is scoring heavily. In 2018, Joe Root has scored 800 runs in One Day International at an average of 61.53 from 19 innings.

With three hundreds and four fifties, Root has been a pillar in the aggressive and young English batting lineup. The Yorkshire man is the also the second highest run-getter in ODI cricket for 2018 and one of the key reasons behind England's No.1 status in ICC ODI rankings.

#2 Rashid Khan, Afghanistan

Fastest to 100 ODI wickets

The 20-year-old sensation from Afghanistan is arguably the best spinner in limited-overs cricket at the moment. Rashid Khan has been in phenomenal form for the past couple of years and is performing consistently at the highest level. The leg-spinner has picked up a lot of wickets for his national team across formats and also in various T20 leagues.

In 2018, Rashid Khan has picked up 45 wickets in 18 ODI games at an exceptional economy rate of just 3.83. He has performed extremely well in various conditions and matured a lot as a bowler. He is currently the highest wicket-taker in ODI cricket for 2018 and also the No.2 bowler in ICC ODI rankings. He is also the fastest bowler to take 100 ODI wickets.

#1 Jonny Bairstow, England

England v India - 3rd ODI: Royal London One-Day Series

Jonny Bairstow is the highest run-getter in One Day Internationals for 2018. The wicket-keeper batsman has been in scintillating form this calendar year and scored a lot of runs as an opening batsman. The 28-year-old has finally cemented his place in the ODI team, having made his debut way back in 2011.

Bairstow has scored 970 runs in 2018 at an average of 51.05. He has maintained a strike rate of 121.09 in 19 innings and that has helped England to pile a lot runs in ODI cricket. With four hundreds and two fifties this year, Jonny Bairstow is in the form of his life at the moment. He has a great chance to win the coveted ODI Player of the Year award in ICC Awards 2018.