Sportskeeda Cricket Awards 2018: ODI Bowler of the Year

We have witnessed a lot of interesting matches and some sensational individual performances in the 50-over format in 2018. It is arguably the correct time to analyze the best performers of the year.

During this course of the year, there are many players who troubled the oppositions with the ball, but, only a few of them were consistent throughout the year.

In 2018, the young spinners from Afghanistan, Rashid Khan, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman have emerged as one of the best spinners in the world.

Players like Adil Rashid, Mustafizur Rahman, Yuzvendra Chahal, Moeen Ali, Lungi Ngidi, Akila Dananjaya, and Thisara Perera are having a spectacular year. They ended the year with more than 25 ODI wickets and were consistent throughout the season.

Let us take a look at the top three ODI bowlers of 2018 and the list has some interesting names that could surprise you.

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#3 Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Afghanistan has become one of the emerging teams in the limited-overs format. They are playing high standard cricket and tough to beat in the coming years.

Even though they have some good pacers in their line-up, it is Mujeeb Ur Rahman who troubled their oppositions a lot. The young sensation from Afghanistan, who has a lot of variations, has been fabulous with the ball.

He was instrumental in helping Afghanistan secure a place in the 2019 World Cup. Mujeeb began the year with a positive note when he picked up 12 wickets in just 5 games against Zimbabwe.

The 17-year-old thrashed the opponents like Scotland, Ireland, West Indies, and UAE during the ICC World Cup Qualifiers tournament. Mujeeb ended the year as the fourth leading wicket-taker in ODIs with 37 wickets in 20 games at a splendid average of 19.54 and conceded the runs at a rate of 3.84.

Despite his heroics in 2018, the chances of Mujeeb winning the ODI bowler of the Year Award is too slim.

#2 Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan is arguably the best spinner in the limited-overs cricket at the moment. He has taken 118 wickets in ODIs from just 52 matches at an average of 14.47 and an economy of 3.90.

He began the year with a positive note as he picked up 16 wickets in five games against Zimbabwe. The 20-year-old played a major role for his country in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers.

Rashid Khan had a fruitful year and was consistent throughout the year. The leg break bowler from the Asian country has picked 48 wickets from just 20 matches at an exceptional average of 14.45 and an impressive economy rate of under 4. His best bowling figure in 2018 is 5 for 24 and he struck every 22.2 balls.

Rashid, who finished the year as the leading wicket-taker in ODIs, has a little chance to bag the ODI Bowler of the Year Award.

#1 Kuldeep Yadav (Sportskeeda's ODI Bowler of the Year)

Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav is our choice for ODI Bowler of the Year for 2018. He has been tremendous with the ball throughout the year. He picked up 17 wickets in the six-match ODI series against South Africa in their own backyard.

He managed to repeat the same performance against England and bagged his first 6-fer in ODIs. Kuldeep played an important role during the Asia Cup 2018 as he picked 10 wickets against some strong spin-playing sides.

He ended the year as the second leading wicket-taker in ODIs with 45 wickets from just 19 games at an average of 17.78 and an economy of below 5.

Even though he is behind Rashid Khan in the list of leading wicket-takers this year, Kuldeep Yadav deserves the award as he picked most of his wickets against the top-ranked teams like South Africa and England while Rashid dominated the teams like Scotland, UAE, Zimbabwe and Ireland.