India's top 5 left-handed batsmen of all time in ODIs

India has been a batting powerhouse in ODI cricket for the last few decades. The country has consistently produced some of the greatest ODI batsmen of all time: Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma to name a few.

Most of the batting records in ODIs belongs to the Indian batsmen. From the highest run-scorer to the scorer of the highest individual score in an ODI, it is the Indian players who top the all-time list.

Although most of the Indian batting greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rahul Dravid, and MS Dhoni are all right-handed batsmen, there have been some glorious exceptions also.

In this article, we will take a look at India's best five left-handed ODI batsmen of all time.

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#5 Suresh Raina

Matches: 226, Runs: 5615, Highest Score: 116*, Average: 35.31, Centuries: 5

In his long and illustrious ODI career, Suresh Raina has been a pillar for the Indian middle order in ODIs. Along with Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni, he formed one of the best Indian middle orders of all time. He has been a matchwinner for India in ODIs.

Raina always had the ability to bat according to the situation. He rotates the strike very well in the middle overs. In the death overs, he unleashes his big shots at will against any bowler in the world. He also has the ability to build big partnerships and chase down big scores.

However, his weakness against swing bowling was a big blot in his career. That is why he remained a good player, but couldn't become an excellent player.

#4 Gautam Gambhir

Matches: 147, Runs: 5238, Highest Score: 150*, Average: 39.68, Centuries: 11

Though no more in the current ODI setup, Gautam Gambhir has been one of the finest opening batsmen for India in ODIs. He has played some memorable innings against the top bowling attacks of the world. His innings in the 2011 World Cup Final against Sri Lanka was instrumental in ensuring India's victory.

Gambhir has been equally comfortable against pace and spin bowling. His sound technique has helped him to score runs in all conditions. With Virender Sehwag, he formed one of the best opening pairs for India.

However, in the later stages of his career, he lost his form and hence lost his place in the ODI side. Gambhir is one of the most gifted left-handed batsmen India ever had.

#3 Shikhar Dhawan

Matches: 109, Runs: 4808, Highest Score: 137, Average: 47.13, Centuries: 15

Shikhar Dhawan is one of the best ODI batsmen in world cricket at present. In only 109 ODI matches, he has already scored almost 5000 runs. In the process, he has hit 15 hundreds and 25 fifties. His batting average is an astonishing 47.13. His consistency in ODI cricket is just remarkable.

Dhawan's fluent batting at the top of the order has helped India in achieving huge totals while batting first in recent years. His opening partnership with Rohit Sharma is presently the best in the world. The way the two are playing, they might end up being one of the all-time best-opening partners.

Dhawan is one of the biggest matchwinners for India in ODIs. He still has a long way to go in his career. If he is able to carry on his present form, he can achieve many more things in his career.

#2 Yuvraj Singh

Matches: 304, Runs: 8701, Highest Score: 150, Average: 36.55, Centuries: 14

Yuvraj Singh has been the most charismatic left-handed batsman for India in ODIs. Though out of the national reckoning now, he has been one of the best middle order batsmen of his generation. He has been one of the biggest matchwinners in the history of Indian cricket.

He has played many memorable ODI knocks in his long and illustrious career and has single-handedly won many matches for India. His partnerships with MS Dhoni in the middle order will remain etched in the minds of all the cricket fans.

Yuvraj is also one of the biggest hitters of the cricket ball and his huge sixes have been a treat to watch. He is once in a generation cricketer, and his achievements make him one of the icons of the game.

#1 Sourav Ganguly

Matches: 311, Runs: 11363, Highest Score: 183, Average: 41.02, Centuries: 22

The Prince of Kolkata- Sourav Ganguly is arguably the greatest ever left-handed batsmen to play for India in ODIs. He was a great match winner and was considered to be one of the best ODI batsmen of his era.

Ganguly was one of the best Indian openers in ODIs and with Tendulkar, he formed one of the best ODI opening pairs of all time. As an opener, he often outscored even the great Sachin Tendulkar.

With his trademark sixes against spinners and cover drives against pacers, he was one of the most stylish batsmen of his generation. He is still India's second highest run scorer in ODIs after Sachin Tendulkar.

Without an iota of doubt, Ganguly is one of the best Indian ODI batsmen of all time.