Top 5 Batters To Fastest 5000 ODI Runs
Babar Azam reached 5,000 ODIs run in 94 innings [X.com]
Since the advent of One-Day Internationals (ODIs), fans have largely focused on batsmanship and celebrated records which have revolved around batters more than the bowling aspect of the sport.
Over the years, the game has gotten in favour of batters, which in turn sees several records being broken and rewritten quite occasionally, creating icons across eras, which have now become benchmarks in scoring runs — most and quickest — being the most followed.
In this article, we list down the batters, who have breached the 5,000 ODI-run mark the fastest in terms of innings.
Top 5 Batters To Fastest 5,000 ODI Runs
| Batter | Innings |
|---|---|
| Babar Azam | 97 |
| Hashim Amla | 101 |
| Vivian Richards | 114 |
| Virat Kohli | 114 |
| Shai Hope | 114 |
Babar Azam
Babar Azam is the fastest to 5,000 ODI runs [X.com]
Pakistan's Babar Azam is steadily moving forward on his path to becoming one of the best in his time and era. Azam, already known for being technically sound, has exhibited his talent and skills across all formats, mainly in ODIs, where the batter has broken several batting records.
Azam is the fastest batter to 5,000 ODI runs, taking just 94 innings, having played his first match in 2015. The 29-year-old is also the holder of third fastest 3,000, second-fastest to 4,000, and joint third-fastest 2,000 ODI runs, respectively highlights his consistency.
Hashim Amla
.jpeg)
Hashim Amla scored 5,000 ODI runs in 101 innings [X.com]
One of the pillars of South Africa's batting in the 2000 and 2010s Hashim Amla is no stranger to batting records. Considered a Test specialist, Amla displayed great prowess in ODIs as well as shifting gears at will, making other attacking batters around him play freely.
Amla is second on the list of fastest 5,000 ODI runs, taking 101 innings, having first played in coloured clothing in 2008. At one point Amla held the record for fastest 3,000, 4,000, 6,000, and 7,000 ODI runs, eventually ending his ODI career with 8,113 runs from 181 matches in a career spanning 15 years in 2019.
Sir Vivian Richards
Vivian Richards scored 5,000 ODI runs in 114 innings [X.com]
In an era where batters occupied the crease and churned out runs at a snarly pace, West Indies Sir Vivian Richards broke the norm and illustrated aggressive and fearless cricket. Richards with his stroke-play and swag annihilated opposition batters to bits, and craved a new pathway for batters who wanted to express themselves and become showmen.
Richards, a key contributor to West Indies' consecutive World Cup triumphs in 1975 and 1979, reached the landmark of 5,000 ODI runs in 114 innings, having first played white-ball cricket in 1975. Overall, in 187 ODIs, Richards the original 'master blaster' amassed 6,721 runs with 11 centuries and 45 fifties for West Indies, making him a cultural icon for generations to come.
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli scored 5,000 ODI runs in 114 innings [X.com]
A man on a mission, India's Virat Kohli exhibited no signs of stopping during his hay days. A modern-day batting maestro, Kohli wrote various records and broken milestones at will, which include scoring 5,000 ODI runs in 114 innings.
The top-order batsman is known for his anchor-type innings while displaying aspects of both, calculative and clinical hitting. Kohli, 35, whose career has spanned from 2008, has already scored 13,848 runs, with 50 hundred and 72 half-centuries, while already being the fastest to 8,000, 9,000, 10,000, 11,000, 12,000, and 13,000 ODI runs.
Shai Hope
Shai Hope reached 5,000 ODI runs in 114 innings [X.com]
In times when West Indies cricket is on the decline, and batters are preferring T20s, current white-ball skipper Shai Hope is making his name in the 50-overs format. Hope has been the Windies' most consistent batter in the past few years, enabling the opener-turned-middle-order batter to reach 5,000 ODI runs in 114 innings, which draws level with the likes of Richards and Kohli.
Known for his stylish and sound batting, the 30-year-old since 2016 has risen through the ranks and played 119 ODIs, scoring 5,049 runs with 16 centuries and 24 fifties at an impressive average of 51.52.
 "Vishal Mehra")
