Top 10 Highest Run Scorers In ODI

Combining the strategy and endurance of Test cricket with the excitement and fast-paced action of T20 cricket, One Day Internationals are the happy medium for cricket fans who wish to watch quality cricket but lack the time or the patience that spans five days. ODI cricket is also a format in which batsmen thrive, and we have been fortunate enough to witness some truly remarkable careers over the years.

This list of the top 10 highest run scorers in ODI cricket will take you through some of the true legends of the game, so get ready for a trip down memory lane.

Top 10 Highest Run Scorers In ODI

1. Sachin Tendulkar (India, 18,246 runs)

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Tendulkar played at number four for the majority of his Test career, but switched to opening in ODIs, where he unleashed his attacking side and put bowlers to the sword with great regularity. Between 1989 and 2012, Tendulkar played a whopping 463 ODI matches, scoring an astounding 18,426 runs at an average of 44.83. These include 49 centuries and 96 fifties as well as the first-ever double century scored in an ODI.

2. Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka, 14,234 runs)

Around 4,000 ODI runs behind Tendulkar sits Sri Lankan stalwart Kumar Sangakkara, who racked up 14,234 ODI runs in 404 matches at an average of 41.98. The elegant left-hander usually came in at one down for his side and also kept wickets for most of his ODI career, which makes his appearance at number two on this list of the top 10 highest run-scorers in ODI cricket even more impressive.

3. Ricky Ponting (Australia, 13,704 runs)

A true legend of Australian cricket, Ricky Ponting is not just his country’s highest-scoring batsman in ODI cricket but also one of its most successful captains. Ponting came in at number three for most of his 375 ODIs, scoring 13,704 runs at an average of 42.03 in the process, which were adorned with 30 tons and 82 fifties. He was also part of three World Cup wins for Australia, two of which came under his leadership.

4. Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka, 13,340 runs)

Widely regarded as one of the most destructive opening batsmen ever to play the game, Sanath Jayasuriya was a near ever-present at the top of the Sri Lankan batting order from his debut in 1989 to his retirement in 2011.

During this time, he played 445 ODIs, scoring 13,340 runs at an average of 32.36. Jayasuriya also had another string to his bow in the form of his left-arm off spin, which earned him an impressive tally of 323 wickets, making him one of the best all-round performers ODI cricket has ever seen.

5. Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka, 12,650 runs)

The third Sri Lankan in the top five on this list, Mahela Jayawardene was another mainstay of the Lankan batting lineup from his debut in 1998 to his retirement in 2015. A stylish middle-order batsman equally comfortable against pace and spin, Jayawardene scored 12,650 runs in 448 ODI matches at an average of 33.37.

6. Virat Kohli (India, 12,311 runs)

The only player on this list of the top 10 highest run-scorers in ODI cricket who is still playing, Virat Kohli is firmly on track to finish up as one of the game’s true greats. At the time of writing, the former Indian skipper has played 260 matches, the fewest on this list by a long way. However, he has amassed 12,311 runs (and counting) since his debut in 2008, scoring them at an incredible average of 58.07.

He also happens to be in the running to end up with the most centuries in ODI cricket, with his tally of 43 currently six behind Sachin Tendulkar’s 49 ODI tons. It will definitely be interesting to see how far up this list Kohli finishes when he finally decides to call it a day.

7. Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pakistan, 11,739 runs)

One of a large number of elegant strokemakers to emerge from Pakistan, Inzamam-ul-Haq scored 11,739 runs at an average of 39.52 in his 378 matches. The long-time Pakistan skipper was blessed with the gift of timing and generated immense power in his shots with seemingly minimal effort.

8. Jacques Kallis (South Africa, 11,579 runs)

One of the greatest all-rounders to have ever graced the game, South Africa’s Jacques Kallis is the only man to have scored over 10,000 runs and taken over 250 wickets in both Test and ODI cricket. Kallis came in at one down for the Proteas and scored 11,579 runs in 328 matches at an average of 44.36 for his side. Add to that his 273 ODI wickets and the couple of hundred catches that he also pouched as a tremendous slip fielder, and you have one of the most complete cricketers of all time.

9. Saurav Ganguly (India, 11,363 runs)

Saurav Ganguly is well known as one of India’s most elegant batsmen and legendary captains, having served his side well in both areas. The sight of Ganguly using his feet to come down the track and deposit the ball several rows behind the boundary rope is one that is firmly imprinted in the mind of many a cricket lover. Over the course of his 311 matches, the left-handed Ganguly scored 11,363 runs, most of them while opening the batting alongside Sachin Tendulkar.

10. Rahul Dravid (India, 10,889 runs)

Although not regarded as an ODI player in the initial stages of his career, Rahul Dravid proved the doubters wrong and established himself as one of the most effective batsmen in the shorter format of the game. In his 344 ODI matches, Dravid racked up 10,889 runs at an average of 39.16, with a large majority of those coming at his customary number three position. Dravid also added another dimension to his game by occasionally donning the wicket-keeping gloves when required.