Top 5 Batsmen Who Dominated No. 1 Position In ODI Rankings For Most Days
Published - 15 Apr 2021, 03:19 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:44 AM
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The Pakistan captain Babar Azam has managed to end the Indian skipper Virat Kohli’s long dominance at the top of the ICC ODI rankings over the last few years. In the process of becoming the No.1 batsman, Babar Azam became the fourth Pakistan batsman to achieve the feat. He scored 239 in 3 games against South Africa which helped him to get to the top of the rankings.
Over the years, there have been only a few batsmen that have dominated the no.1 position in the ODI rankings and they have gone on to be legends of the game. They have taken the onus on themselves to perform consistently and provide the perfect platform for their team to push for the win. Here are the top 5 batsmen who dominated the no.1 position in ODI rankings for most days.
Top 5 Batsmen Who Dominated No. 1 Position In ODI Rankings For Most Days:
5. Brian Lara:
The West Indies legend Brian Lara is one of the best batsmen the world has ever seen and he still holds the record for the highest individual score in test cricket with the 400 not out he scored against England. He had a prolific ODI career too, scoring 10405 runs in 299 games at an average of 40.5 and is pipped as one of the best
Despite facing tough competition from the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Saeed Anwar, and Sanath Jayasuriya, Brian Lara managed to hold the number one position in ODI rankings for 1049 days from 9 March 1996 to 21 January 1999. He is fifth on the list of the top five batsmen who dominated the no.1 position.
4. Dean Jones:
In the early 1990s, Dean Jones did enjoy a lot of success and he was the top-ranked batsmen in the ODI rankings for a good period of time. He held the number one position in the format for 1146 days from 4 January 1990 to 22 February 1993 and he is fourth on the list of top five batsmen who dominated the number one position.
3. Virat Kohli:
The Indian captain Virat Kohli is one of the best match-winners in the world and he does exceedingly well in all three formats. He is one of the most consistent players in the world and he likes the tough challenge imposed on him. He is popularly known as the run machine and has some staggering stats in the ODI format.
He has played 254 ODI games so far scoring 12169 runs at a stunning average of 59.07. He has hit 43 centuries and 62 half-centuries despite going through a century drought in the last two years. He held the number one position in ODI rankings for 1258 days from 22 October 2017 to 1 April 2021.
2. Micheal Bevan:
He played 232 ODI games and scored 6912 runs at an average of 53.6. He stayed not out in most of the games and got the team over the finish line when in trouble. He was the rescue man for Australia and is a two-time WorldCup winner too. He has one of the best averages in 50 over cricket who has played a lot of games.
1.Vivian Richards:
Vivian Richards is one of the greats of the game who took the attack on the opponents right away without second thoughts. He had a very attacking style of play and it did reap him rewards with a lot of success in ODI and Test cricket. The West-Indian had a strike rate of more than 90 in ODIs which was a massive number at that time.
Vivian Richards played 187 ODI games and scored 6721 runs at an average of 47. He used to destroy the bowling attacks and he never wore a helmet which was the most surprising thing. He stayed in the number one position in ODI rankings for 1748 days from 8 January 1984 to 20 October 1988 which is the longest for any batsman in history.
(All Stats Updated Till 15th April, 2021)
