5 Players With Most ODI Runs In 2024

Bhargav Dixit∙ Updated: Dec 25 2024, 6:00 PM

Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka have been among the runs this year. [Source: @SriLankaTweet/X]Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka have been among the runs this year. [Source: @SriLankaTweet/X]

In simple words, the names of five highest ODI run-scorers of 2024 are pretty straightforward. It’s a classic case of the more you play, the more you score. While the first three are Sri Lankan cricketers, the fourth and fifth spot belongs to lesser-known names from two North American teams.

Having played (18) and won (12) the most number of ODIs throughout the year, Sri Lankan batters doing well shouldn’t be a surprise. The fact of the matter is that their win/loss ratio in the format in one year had never been 4 in the past.

Before anyone gets astonished at the sight of finding a Canadian batter’s name in the below mentioned list, it is worth mentioning that Canada’s 15 ODIs are the second-highest this year. Furthermore, it is the first time in the history of the sport that they’ve won eight ODIs in a calendar year.

Harsh Thaker (Canada)

Having batted in each of his team’s matches this year, right-handed batter Harsh Thaker scored 553 runs at an average of 46.08 and a strike rate of 71.17 including two centuries and half-centuries each. It is the first time ever when a Canadian batter has crossed the 550-run mark in a year.

Thaker, who started the year on an ordinary note on during the tour of Nepal, upped his game by scoring consecutive centuries against UAE and Scotland during ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 in Dubai. While he scored a half-century against USA in August, he fell short by just seven runs to become the first Canadian batter to have three ODI centuries to his name the following month.

Keacy Carty (West Indies)

West Indies batter Keacy Carty had scored just two half-centuries before the start of 2024. By the end of the year, in which he managed 560 runs at an average and strike rate of 62.22 and 88.05 respectively, he has a century and five half-centuries under his belt.

In what was his first ODI outing of the year, Carty scored 88 (108) which ended up becoming the highest individual score by a West Indian player during a tour of Australia where most of their batters struggled to create any sort of impact.

While the right-handed batter didn’t get going during the tour of Sri Lanka, he came back strongly scoring 379 runs at an average and strike rate of 94.75 and 98.95 respectively against England and Bangladesh back home.

Charith Asalanka (Sri Lanka)

Sri Lanka white-ball captain Charith Asalanka excelled both as a captain and a batter in 2024. In his 16 ODI innings, 605 runs were scored at an average of 50.41 and a strike rate of 97.11 including a century and four half-centuries.

Asalanka, who kick-started the year with a third ODI century against Zimbabwe at home, further scored a home half-century against Afghanistan, another nervous ninety score against Bangladesh away from home and two home half-centuries against West Indies.


Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka)

Fifth-highest ODI run-scorer in 2023, Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka finished 2024 as the second-highest run-scorer amassing 694 runs at an average and strike rate of 63.09 and 106.44 respectively. While his strike rate is the highest among all batters with a minimum of 400 ODIs runs this year, his three centuries are the joint-highest alongside Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Pakistan’s Saim Ayub. Additionally, his 86 fours are also the highest with no other batter hitting even 80.


Much like his captain, 26-year-Nissanka also started the year with a bang. A maiden ODI double-century saw him tonking Afghan bowlers enroute 210* (139). Centuries against Bangladesh and Afghanistan in alternate ODIs witnessed him crossing the three-figure mark thrice within five innings. In the second half of the year, the right-handed batter registered a half-century each against India and West Indies.

Kusal Mendis (Sri Lanka)

One of the two batters to have batted 17 times in this format this year, it is fitting for Sri Lanka wicket-keeper batter Kusal Mendis to be the top-scorer for scoring 742 runs at an average of 53 and a strike rate of 90.59 including one century and six half-centuries.

Mendis’ consistency can be assessed from the fact that he scored at least one 50+ score in each series this year. Facing New Zealand at home last month, Mendis put on board a career-best 143 (128) at a strike rate of 111.71.