Gavaskar hit just one boundary en route as his side lost the match 202 runs. But such days are long gone as the bats have become bigger and fatter which is helping batsmen achieve huge strike rates. Indian batsmen who were known to be slow and steady have suddenly sprung into the limelight with their power hitting.

We look at the five highest strike rates of Indian batsmen outside the country in One-Day Internationals:

#5 Ravichandran Ashwin – 92.98 SR

A surprising entry into the list is off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin who has recently come up by leaps and bounds with regards to his batting. He recently struck a century (113) in the first Test against West Indies in Antigua. Outside India Ashwin’s strike-rate is a whopping 92.98 but he has only able to notch 2 fifties.

He has scored 477 runs from 63 matches so far. He started off his career as an opening batsman in junior-level cricket but then took his bowling seriously and got picked for Tamil Nadu. He made his debut for the state in 2006 and was made the skipper of the team the following season. In the IPL he featured for the Chennai Super Kings where he sometimes came in handy with his stroke-making too. He was also part of the Indian squad that won the 2011 Cricket World Cup.

#4 Kapil Dev – 93.08 SR

Kapil Dev was probably the greatest all rounder that India has ever produced. He was captain of India when they lifted the 1983 World Cup. He was named by Wisden as the Indian Cricketer of the Century in 2002. Kapil had an astonishing strike-rate of 93.08 outside India. He played in 140 matches and scored 2435 runs with 175 not out as his best.

The Indian scored 1 hundred and 8 fifties in overseas conditions was a natural striker of the ball and could easily smash well known fast bowlers to the ropes.

Dev was an aggressive batsman and played crucial knocks when his side needed him the most. He was nicknamed the ‘Haryana Hurricane’ as he represented the Haryana cricket team in domestic competitions. He retired from international cricket in 1994.

#3 Suresh Raina – 95.15 SR

How can Suresh Raina be far way from a list that includes highest strike-rates? The elegant left-handed batsman made his ODI debut in 2005 and since then has gone on to make a huge name for himself in the limited overs format.

He plays for Uttar Pradesh in all forms of domestic cricket and is the captain of Gujarat Lions in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The batsman has a stupendous strike rate of 95.15 and has amassed 3534 runs in 142 matches at an average of 34.99.

Raina has even led the Indian cricket team in ODIs and is the second youngest to captain India. He is only one of the two Indian willowers to have scored a century in each format of the game. Even though he has been a stupendous player in the limited-overs format his Test career never quite took off. He was a part of the victorious 2011 Indian World Cup squad.

#2 Yusuf Pathan – 102.87 SR

Yusuf Pathan came into the limelight in the 2007 T20 World Cup final as Mahendra Singh Dhoni handed him his debut in a high-voltage game against Pakistan and he hammered a six of the first ball he faced. He went on to cement a spot in the One-Day International XI but then could not quite live up to his reputation.

Outside India, his strike rate is 102.87 from 39 matches. He scored 465 runs with his highest score being 105 runs. Pathan has to his credit 1 ton and two fifties.

After spending three seasons with Rajasthan Royals where he had huge success, Pathan made a move to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the year 2011. He could not quite replicate the same success he had with the Royals but delivered in times of crisis.

#1 Virender Sehwag - 103.37 SR

“No matter how good or experienced you are, he can kill your attitude,” Australian speedster Brett Lee once said about Virender Sehwag. The lad from Delhi was a prolific run-getter during his prime and he could murder any opposition single handedly with his stroke-making. ‘Viru’, as he was lovingly called, played for the national team from 1999 to 2013 and in these 14 years bowlers rarely could tie him down.

He boasts of a strike rate of 103.37 outside India from 154 matches. He has also scored 5055 runs with the highest score of 175. He averaged a healthy 35.10 with 10 hundreds and 24 fifties. He played for the Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

One of Sehwag’s greatest abilities was that he was able to smash his way to high scores at great speed. He holds the record for the highest runs scored by an Indian in an Test innings, 319. Outside India Sehwag 24 fifties and 10 hundreds. He came to his side’s rescue more often than not in overseas conditions despite his limited footwork against moving deliveries.

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