Top 10 Best Left-Handed Batsmen Of All-Time In ODI Cricket
Kumar Sangakkara and Sanath Jayasuriya (Twitter)
Gifted left-handed batters in cricket have always been synonymous with elegance and artistry. Their graceful stroke-play and unique flair in run-making have not only enthralled audiences for decades, but have also enhanced the grandest of cricketing stages, especially ODIs.
From an ocean of sinistral legends of this game, a selected group of elite individuals have wielded their bats with enough finesse to leave a lasting mark in 50-overs international history.
Celebrating the artistry and sheer brilliance of such cricketing luminaries, here at OneCricket we look at top 10 batting artists whose southpaw diligence have fetched them the most ODI career runs in their journey.
1. Kumar Sangakkara
Kumar Sangakkara (AP)
Kumar Sangakkara stands the tallest among all left-handers who have graced the ODI game with their willow. Moreover, this dynamic stumper is second only to Indian great Sachin Tendulkar in terms of most runs scored overall in the format.
Having represented Sri Lanka 404 times in ODI cricket, Sangakkara racked up 14,234 runs at an astonishing average of 42. Out of his 25 tons, the cricketer slapped four of those in succession at the 2015 World Cup in Australia.
2. Sanath Jayasuriya
Sanath Jayasuriya (AP)
Former Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya pummelled the best of bowling attacks with utmost ease throughout his 445-ODI journey. His cuts, pulls and flicks did not just fetch him loads of runs, but also demoralised his opponents. Jayasuriya’s 91-plus strike-rate as an opener, primarily in the 1990s, played an influential role in modernising aggressive intent with the bat from the outset.
Overall, the Matara Mauler piled up 13,430 runs at over 32, with 28 tons and 68 fifties to his name.
3. Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly (Twitter)
Not a single left-hander in memory held a better off-side flair than Sourav Ganguly. The former Indian captain featured in 311 ODIs and left 11,363 runs in his wake. Smashing 22 hundreds and 72 fifties in his 15-year ODI career, Ganguly also maintained a 41.02 average, despite often coming across the Australian and Pakistani attacks of the 90s.
4. Chris Gayle
Chris Gayle (AP)
West Indies batting barbarian Chris Gayle, unsurprisingly, holds the best strike-rate among all left-handers with over 10,000 ODI runs. At the 2015 World Cup in Australia, the legendary batter became the first southpaw to slap an ODI double hundred, doing so against a hapless Zimbabwe side.
Overall, Gayle’s sinistral force fetched him 10,480 runs at an average of 37.83, all while striking at 87.19.
5. Brian Lara
Brian Lara (Twitter)
While some might argue that Brian Lara was a Test purist, his 50-overs stats make him one of the most proficient batters from ODI folklore. The former West Indies captain stood tall throughout his 299 appearances, slamming 10,405 runs at a strike-rate of nearly 80. Lara’s batting style also added a Caribbean flair to the format, especially in the early 2000s.
6. Adam Gilchrist
Adam Gilchrist (Twitter)
Opening the innings for one of the greatest cricket teams of all time, Adam Gilchrist often batted his opponents out of the game in the first 10 overs itself. The southpaw hammered 9,619 runs in 287 ODIs, with 16 tons and 55 half-centuries. Having made his debut in the format in 1996, Gilchrist reserved his best during the twilight of his celebrated career when his 149 against Sri Lanka won Australia their third successive World Cup in 2007.
7. Saeed Anwar
Saeed Anwar (Twitter)
Saeed Anwar was one of the rare batters who provided electrifying starts at the top without employing brute force in his stroke-play arsenal. The Pakistani great spent the majority of his 247-ODI career for his country as an opener, and stacked up 8,824 runs while doing so. One of the finest timers of the cricket ball, Anwar’s 194 against India in an ODI from 1997 remained the format’s highest individual score for more than a decade.
8. Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (AP)
A textbook batsman, Shivnarine Chanderpaul was never expected to shine in ODIs as his name resonated with Test cricket since the launch of his career. However, this Guyana star went on to become one of the biggest 50-overs international legend through proficient run-making for West Indies. Striking over 70 before the era of T20, Chanderpaul silently harvested 8,778 runs with the bat, while the limelight often hogged upon his flashier teammates Chris Gayle and Brian Lara.
9. Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh (AP)
Unlike many others in this list, Yuvraj Singh was not just a match-winner, he was a tournament-winner. The cricketer unleashed one clutch performance after the other during the 2011 World Cup, and played decisive hand in many remarkable ODI series wins for India. Singh bludgeoned 8,701 runs while striking above 87, and slapped 66 fifty-plus scores in his career, converting 14 of them into hundreds.
10. Tamim Iqbal
Tamim Iqbal (AP)
At a tender age of 18, Tamim Iqbal made his ODI debut in 2007 just weeks prior to the World Cup in West Indies. The Bangladesh star instantly hit his stride and fittingly earned a ticket to the Caribbean, where his tense 51 against India knocked the cricketing powerhouse out of the competition.
Iqbal took giant strides in his career thereafter as he now stands at the top of his country’s run-making charts, having piled up over 8,000 of them.
.png)
.jpg "Shakib speaks before Asia Cup")
 "Aakash Saini")
