Top 5 Fastest Batters To Complete 2,000 Runs In ODI Cricket

Babar Azam in action for Pakistan (PCB)

In the grand stage of ODI cricket, where every stroke of the bat and dash between the wickets unfolds a captivating narrative of skill and strategy, there exists an exclusive group of prodigious talents who have graced the format like meteoric batting phenoms.

Some of those exceptional batting athletes have achieved the remarkable milestone of amassing 2,000 runs at an astonishing pace, etching their legacy as the fastest batters to grace the landmark figure in 50-overs internationals.

Here at OneCricket, we take a look at five fastest batters, who have blazed their way to over 2,000 ODI profile runs in the least number of innings.

Five Fastest Batters To Score 2,000 ODI Runs:

1. Shubman Gill - 38 innings

Shubman Gill shattered multiple batting records throughout the year 2023, thus re-affirming his spectacular rise in international cricket. Having first graced the ODI format back in January 2019, it took him just 38 innings to mint the first 2,000 runs of his glittering 50-overs international profile.

Gill’s golden run with the bat brought him tickets to India’s World Cup 2023 squad, where he unleashed a match-winning fifty against Bangladesh and blazing starts against Pakistan and New Zealand. As it turned out, his 26-run effort against the ‘Black Caps’ not only laid out a foundation of a clinical Indian win, but also took him past Hashim Amla to become the fastest batter in the world to get to 2,000 ODI runs.

Remarkably, the burly right-hander from Punjab minted 208 of those runs through a single innings from January 2023, and his match-winning double ton in Hyderabad ended up decimating New Zealand in a high-scoring shootout.

2. Hashim Amla - 40 innings

For over a decade, South African batting heavyweight Hashim Amla held the prestigious milestone of having scored over 2,000 runs in record time. The dashing opener made his ODI debut in March 2008, and it took him just 40 innings to get to the landmark figure in less than three years’ time at St George’s Park during a match against India.

To this date, Amla continues to remain the fastest to 3,000 and 4,000 ODI runs, as well as to 6,000 and 7,000 runs in the format. The Proteas star eventually retired with over 8,000 runs in his profile, and played the last of his 181 ODI matches for South Africa at the 2019 Cricket World Cup in England.

3. Babar Azam - 45 innings

One of the linchpins of Pakistan’s batting line-up across all formats, Babar Azam launched himself to stardom not long after making his ODI debut in 2015. Not only is he the third quickest man to get to 2,000 runs in the format, but he is also the fastest in the world to have scaled 5,000 runs, achieving the latter of the two feats in less than 100 innings.

Babar’s elegant cover drives and impeccable timing make him an endearing figure among purists, and by leading his nation with composure and authority, the cricketer has further enhanced his reputation as a formidable ODI player.

4. Kevin Pietersen - 45 innings

It took Kevin Pietersen just 45 innings to sprint to 2,000 career ODI runs since his debut in November 2004. Remarkably, the cricketer attained the milestone the quickest among all, at least time-wise, reaching the figure in just two years and 144 days since his first appearance in the format for England.

The former English star stunned one-and-all in his initial years, especially with his thunderous batting spectacles in South Africa and against Australia during the 2005 home season. Pietersen’s early years as a potential ODI juggernaut pretty much solidified his legendary status on the global 50-overs stage, even though he played the last of his 136 ODIs for England in September 2013 to have his career abruptly cut short by a couple of seasons.

5. Rassie van der Dussen - 45 innings

Much like Shubman Gill, South Africa’s Rassie van der Dussen also made his ODI debut in January 2019, and much like the Indian opener, the Proteas star raced to 2,000 runs in October 2023 during the 2023 World Cup in India.

In his first 45 innings, the cricketer minted 2,008 runs with five tons and 12 additional fifty-plus scores to his name. Currently serving South Africa as team’s regular top-order batter, one can expect the burly right-hander to reach the subsequent few 1,000-run milestones in record time as well within the next couple of seasons.

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