Top 5 ODI batsmen with most runs in winning causes

For nearly five decades, ODI cricket has seen several great batsmen come and go, making a huge impact on its history. A number of these batsmen have scored a plethora of runs throughout their respective careers and have dominated the finest of bowlers.

Scoring a lot of runs is a wondrous achievement but seeing those runs contribute to the team’s victory is always a greater achievement for a player. After all, that’s the motive of every batsman, to score runs and help his team win the match.

Over the years, there have been many batsmen who have scored a lot of runs in winning causes in ODIs.

Here are the top 5 ODI run-scorers in winning causes.

#5 Jacques Kallis - 8036 runs

The greatest South African cricketer of all time, Jacques Kallis scored 11579 runs throughout his ODI career. Out of those, Kallis scored 8036 (69.4%) from 198 innings in a winning cause, averaging 51.18. 5399 of those came while batting at No.3. Those are the third most number of runs scored by any No.3 ODI batsman in a winning cause.

Most of Kallis’ finest ODI knocks resulted in South Africa winning the match. 13 of his 17 ODI centuries came in a winning cause. Kallis’ highest ODI score of 139 against West Indies at Johannesburg in 2004 also came in a winning cause. In ICC ODI tournaments, both of Kallis’ centuries came in a winning cause.

#4 Kumar Sangakkara - 8301 runs

Sanga has more ODI runs in a winning cause than any keeper-batsman

The greatest Sri Lankan cricketer of all-time, Kumar Sangakkara scored 14234 runs throughout his ODI career. Out of those, Sanga scored 8301 (58.3%) from 201 innings in a winning cause, averaging 48.54. This is the most number of runs scored by any keeper-batsman in a winning cause in ODIs. 5604 of those runs came while batting at No.3. Those are the second most number of runs scored by any No.3 batsman in a winning cause in ODIs.

Most of the legendary southpaw’s finest ODI knocks resulted in Sri Lanka winning the match. 18 of Sanga’s 25 ODI hundreds came in a winning cause. Sangakkara’s highest ODI score of 169 against Sri Lanka at Colombo in 2013 also came in a winning cause. In ICC ODI tournaments, 5 of Kumar Sangakkara’s 6 centuries came in a winning cause including three at the 2015 World Cup.

#3 Sanath Jayasuriya - 8873 runs

Jayasuriya has more ODI runs in a winning cause than any Sri Lankan cricketer

One of the most explosive batsmen of his time, Sanath Jayasuriya 13430 runs throughout his ODI career. The Matara Mauler scored 8873 of those (66.08%) in a winning cause, averaging 41.26. His strike-rate is also pretty impressive at 96.58. Jayasuriya scored 8628 of those runs as an opener. These are the second most number of runs scored by an opener in a winning cause in ODIs.

Jayasuriya was one of the most feared batsmen in the world during his time and most of his greatest ODI innings resulted in a Sri Lanka win. 24 of Jayasuriya’s 28 ODI centuries came in a winning cause. His highest ODI score of 189 against India at Sharjah in 2000 also came in a winning cause. In ICC ODI tournaments, all of Jayasuriya’s 4 hundreds saw Sri Lanka winning the match.

#2 Ricky Ponting - 10726 runs

Punter has more ODI runs in a winning cause than any Australian batsman

One of the greatest batsmen in the history of the game, Ricky Ponting scored 13704 runs throughout his ODI career. Out of those, Punter scored 10726 (78.27%) from 254 innings in a winning cause, averaging 49.20.

The greatest skipper of all-time holds the record for the most number of runs scored by an ODI batsman in any position in a winning cause, having scored 10051 runs at No.3.

Ponting was the nucleus of Australian batting throughout most of his career and many of his finest ODI knocks resulted in an Aussie win. 25 out of Punter’s 30 ODI hundreds came in a winning cause. Unfortunately, Ponting’s highest ODI score isn’t one of them.

The Aussie’s highest score in a winning cause is 145 against Zimbabwe at Delhi in 1998. In ICC ODI tournaments, 4 of Ponting’s 6 centuries came in a winning cause. This included his massive 140 against India in the 2003 World Cup final at Johannesburg.

#1 Sachin Tendulkar - 11157 runs

Tendulkar has more ODI runs in a winning cause than any batsman

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Sachin Tendulkar takes the top spot here. The Master Blaster scored 11157 of his 18426 ODI runs (60.55%). He scored 9414 of them from 231 innings as an opener which is the most number of runs by an opener in a winning cause in ODIs, averaging 56.63.

India’s talisman throughout his cricketing career, most of Sachin Tendulkar’s finest ODI knocks saw India winning the match. 33 of Tendulkar’s 49 ODI hundreds came in a winning cause. This should shut the mouths of all those who say “India loses when Sachin scores a hundred.”

Tendulkar’s highest ODI score of 200 against South Africa at Gwalior also came in a winning cause. In ICC ODI tournaments, 4 of Sachin’s 7 ODI hundreds came in a winning cause.