India's top 5 ODI opening batsmen of all time

#4 Gautam Gambhir

The left-hander played a crucial role in India’s 2011 World Cup victory

It is rare to see the opening batsman from Delhi smile, but it isn’t rare to see him perform with the bat. Gambhir redefined the art of playing spin bowling, which has been the biggest asset to his game.

Gambhir has the ability to play the aggressive game as well as the waiting game, and the 35-year old has proved that he is the man for big occasions many times in his career.

(Video Courtesy: Star Sports YouTube Channel)

Indian fans will remember the platform he laid for India after the loss of two early wickets during the 2011 World Cup final. Certainly one of the best knocks played in a World Cup final.

The elegant left-handed batsman has piled on 5238 runs with 11 ODI centuries to his name at an average of 39.68. While the numbers may pale in comparison to other batsmen, his impact as an opening batsman was huge. Despite the fact, that his ODI career has reached a saturation point, his services for Indian cricket has been immense and he will surely go down as one of the best ODI opening batsmen for India.