Top 5 Cricketers With 13,000 Runs in ODIs
Virat Kohli (BCCI)
In the ever-evolving ODI genre of cricket, records are shattered and rewritten with each passing game. However, an elite few individuals have managed to etch their name in the format’s rich history with their batting excellence.
For starters, the 13,000-run club in ODIs is as exclusive as it is illustrious, and yet, five batting charismatics have breached the landmark figure with sheer brilliance. Their penchant for accumulating runs, coupled with their love for crafting match-winning masterpieces have left an indelible mark in the hearts of 50-overs enthusiasts worldwide.
After Virat Kohli became the latest member of this elusive batting club, here at OneCricket, we look at all cricketing stalwarts who have breached the 13,000-run milestone in ODIs.
5 ODI Cricketers with 13,000 runs to their name
| Batters | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike-Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | 452 | 18,426 | 44.83 | 86.23 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | 380 | 14,234 | 41.98 | 78.86 |
| Ricky Ponting | 365 | 13,704 | 42.03 | 80.39 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | 433 | 13,430 | 32.36 | 91.20 |
| Virat Kohli | 267 | 13,024 | 57.62 | 93.85 |
1. Sachin Tendulkar - 18,426 runs
Sachin Tendulkar (Twitter)
Back in 1989, at a tender age of 16, Sachin Tendulkar made his Test debut with a baptism of fire in Pakistan. The following month, the cricketer took his first step for India at the ODI stage. Little did he, or anyone else knew, that the youngster would go on to become the format’s most celebrated player of all time.
Apart from holding most 50-overs international centuries to his name, Tendulkar also made history by being the pioneer to cross the 10,000-run mark in ODIs, and continued this remarkable trend with each subsequent thousand runs until he concluded his illustrious journey with a staggering 18,426 to his name.
Notably, the batting legend crossed the 13,000-run barrier back in March 2004, becoming the first and the fastest to do so (321 innings). After holding the record for nearly two decades, Tendulkar finally found his milestone usurped by another batting genius from his own country.
2. Kumar Sangakkara - 14,234 runs
Kumar Sangakkara (Twitter)
Turning up for Sri Lanka, ICC and Asia a staggering 404 times in ODI cricket, Kumar Sangakkara amassed 14,234 runs between the years 2000 and 2015. Moreover, in his final year of international cricket, the stylish wicketkeeper-batsman conjured enough energy to unleash the best of his ODI calibre.
However, it was merely months prior to his ODI retirement that the cricketer scaled the 13,000-run mark, becoming only the fourth in history and the third fastest (363 innings) at the time to do so.
Overall, Sangakkara’s run tally of 14,234 stands second only to Sachin Tendulkar’s 18,426.
3. Ricky Ponting - 13,704 runs
Ricky Ponting (AP)
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting piled up 13,704 runs between his 1995 debut and his 2012 exit from the game. To date, he remains Australia’s only representative with career ODI runs in five digits.
He completed 13,000 runs during a 2010 ODI at The Oval in the 341st innings of his glittering career, i.e., 20 innings slower than Sachin Tendulkar to become the second quickest to the milestone at the time.
Ponting charted 30 tons in the format, and stands alongside Rohit Sharma as the third-joint highest century-maker in ODIs. The former Australian batter scored his runs at above 42, with additional 82 fifty-plus scores to his name.
4. Sanath Jayasuriya - 13,430 runs
Sanath Jayasuriya (Twitter)
Sri Lankan legend Sanath Jayasuriya raced to the 13,000-run mark during the twilight of his glittering ODI career. The cricketer achieved the feat off his 416th innings, coming in his 428th ODI appearance during a match against India in January 2009 at Dambulla.
Jayasuriya’s southpaw diligence fetched him 13,430 runs in all, and nearly 100 fifty-plus scores (96) to his name. While the legendary opener may have been the slowest of the four to get to 13,000 runs in terms of innings at the time, he certainly was the quickest to get to the landmark figure in terms of balls face during his playing days, doing so at an attacking strike-rate of over 91.
5. Virat Kohli - 13,024 runs
Virat Kohli (AP)
The latest entrant in the list and the only contemporary player to hold over 13,000 ODI runs, Virat Kohli is also the fastest, in terms of innings and in terms of balls to breach the coveted figure.
The cricketer achieved the feat in his 267th ODI innings, thus making him 54 innings quicker than all-time great Sachin Tendulkar and a staggering 149 innings faster than Sanath Jayasuriya.
Virat Kohli also holds the highest strike-rate among all batters with more than 13,000 runs to his name, with his 93.85 placing him higher than even Jayasuriya’s 91.20 and Tendulkar’s 86.23 striking ability.
If his never-ending stats are any indication, the modern-day batting legend might near, or even overcome, Tendulkar’s run-tally and century record by the time of his ODI retirement.
 "Aakash Saini")
