Cricket is one of the most followed sport in the world. It can be termed basically as a game of runs and wickets. However it does not mean that it includes scoring runs and taking wickets only. Scoring huge amount of runs in one’s career is always considered as the hallmark of any great batsman.
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To score huge one has to survive longer on the crease and maintain one’s health in order to ensure the longevity of one’s career. With the onset of One Day cricket, more matches started to be played. And with more matches the effort on fitness and technique became more important. Several players failed to adapt to these conditions and among those who did, the ones who scored the maximum number of runs started to be considered as legends. Here we present a list of the most run-scorers in One-Day International cricket.
10.Kumar Sangakkara : Humble in victory and gracious in defeat, is what characterises Kumar Sangakkara. Often perceived as the gentleman of One Day Internationals Kumar has amassed a mammoth 11798 runs with an average of 40.
9.Inzamam-ul-Haq : Hand-picked by Pakistan’s legendary captain Imran Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq had everyone laughing when he first stepped into world cricket. However the laughter was gone when he started hitting the ball out of the stands. He wasn’t athletic nor was he fast, but he was what he was – brute force. In all he had scored over 11739 runs at an average of 39.52.
8.Jacques Kallis : Touted as one of the best all-rounders in world cricket ever, Jacques Kallis was an enigma in the form of a middle order batsman. He has played 321 matches despite being a pace bowler (noteworthy for pace bowlers have shorter lifespans) and has scored 11498 runs till his retirement in 2012
7.Mahela Jayawardene : Flamboyant Middle order batsman MahelaJayawardene is at number 8 in the list of top run getters in ODI. He has so far scored 11354 runs, with an average of 33.39 in 404 matches.
6.Brian Lara : The only West Indian in this list is Brian Charles Lara. He scored 10405 runs in 299 ODI’s at an average of 41. He was the first Windies man to score 10,000 plus runs in One Day International cricket.
5.Rahul Dravid : Legendary Indian batsman, Sunil Gavaskar once wanted his son to imbibe him instead of Sachin, and a frustrated Glen McGrath had asked him if he did meditation on the field. These are all but just a few instances of ‘the wall’. Rahul Dravid has characterised himself as the one who supported and adjusted in innings building. In doing so he made his name as the 9th most run getters in ODIs with 10889 runs. A true legend and one of all time greats of the game. Dravid also features in our list of the top 10 Batsmen in Tests
4.Sanath Jayasuriya : Buddhism is perceived to be the most peaceful and non-violent religion in the world. But then the history books don’t tell you about Sanath Jayasuriya. This ‘Buddhist’ from Sri Lanka tore apart any bowling attack with a Lion’s ferocity. He is considered to be the man who powered Sri Lanka’s World Cup triumph. When Jayasuriya ended his career in 2011 he had made 13430 runs, hitting 28 centuries and with a strike rate over 90. Astonishing!!
3.Ricky Ponting : Ricky Ponting perhaps best known for his captaincy and off field activities, almost came close to Sachin’s mark. When he closed his career, he had made 13704 runs and had 30 centuries and 82 half centuries under his belt. As they say Punter packs a punch!!
2.Sourav Ganguly : Call him as The Maharaja or The Prince of Calcutta or even the God of Offsidebut before anything do remember him as India’s second entrant into the 10,000 runs club after Sachin Tendulkar. After being un-ceremoniously axed, SouravGanguly fought back into the playing XI and then proved age, critics, pundits and a certain Greg Chappell wrong by entering the club of 10,000 runs in ODI cricket. At the end he had 11363 runs with a highest score of 183. Perhaps India’s best captain ever. As we say, we will never see someone in the field like Dada!! For the Top 3 Fastest Centuries in One Day Cricket see our list here
1. Sachin Tendulkar : We finish off the list with the Greatest Batsman of all time! Sachin Tendulkar was India’s answer to the world at a time when it was being believed that India’s sun as a cricket powerhouse was eclipsing with the imminent retirement of the old legends. The 16 year old not only filled the shoes of his seniors but also went up and became the man with the most runs in One Day Cricket. He has amassed 18426 runs on One Day Internationals at an average of 44.83. Still going strong in Tests!! Done with Batsmen? Here is the list of the Top 10 fastest bowlers in International Cricket