In ODI crickеt, thе rolе of a battеr at thе pivotal No. 4 position holds significant weight, acting as thе lynchpin bеtwееn thе top ordеr and thе middlе ordеr. This position demands a delicate balance of stability and aggression.
Batters need to consolidate innings while also accelerating the scoring rate. And some batters found the perfect balance to aggregate runs more consistently.
So, let’s take a look at the top batters with the most ODI runs at the No. 4 batting position.
Most ODI Runs at No. 4
| Player | Innings | Runs | Average | High Score | 100/50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ross Taylor (NZ) | 182 | 7690 | 51.26 | 181* | 19/46 |
| Mahela Jayawardene (SL) | 219 | 6947 | 35.08 | 128 | 9/48 |
| Arvinda de Silva (SL) | 197 | 6870 | 39.25 | 145 | 10/48 |
| AB de Villiers (SA) | 125 | 5736 | 53.11 | 176 | 15/32 |
| Javed Miandad (PAK) | 160 | 5678 | 43.34 | 119* | 7/41 |
| Inzamam-ul-Haq (PAK) | 147 | 5175 | 40.42 | 123 | 6/37 |
| Mohammad Azharuddin (IND) | 137 | 4605 | 40.39 | 153* | 3/33 |
| Mohammad Yousuf (PAK) | 121 | 4421 | 43.77 | 129 | 7/31 |
| Mushfiqur Rahim (BAN) | 118 | 4372 | 42.03 | 144 | 8/29 |
| Michael Clarke (AUS) | 111 | 4223 | 46.40 | 130 | 5/32 |
Key Insights on Leading Run Scorers at Number 4 in ODIs
All-Time ODI Batting Performance Records at No. 4
New Zealand’s Ross Taylor has scored the most runs at the No. 4 position in ODIs. He aggregated 7690 runs in 182 outings at an impressive average of 51.26.
Taylor’s run tally includes 19 centuries and 65 fifty-plus scores, the most by a No. 4 batter in ODIs. (Check the top century-makers at each batting position in ODIs here.)
South Africa’s AB de Villiers (15) and Sri Lanka’s Aravinda de Silva (10) are the other No. 4 batters to score 10 or more centuries at No. 4 in ODIs.
Aravinda de Silva (58) and Mahela Jayawardene (57) are the other batters with more than 50 fifty-plus scores in this slot in ODIs.
Taylor has also scored the most fours and sixes in this position, with 623 fours and 127 sixes to his name.
Jayawardene (13) and De Silva (12) have also bagged more than 10 ducks at No. 4 in this format. (Check the batters with the most ducks in ODIs here.)
Taylor’s 4716 runs resulted in New Zealand’s win, making it the most by a No. 4 batter in winning causes in ODIs.
Eoin Morgan scored 3396 runs in 83 innings at No. 4 for Ireland and England in ODIs. Of those, he aggregated 3334 runs while leading England, the most by a captain at No. 4 in ODIs.
Mushfiqur Rahim scored 3840 of his 4372 runs as a designated wicketkeeper at No. 4, the most by a keeper-batter in that slot in ODIs.
Venue-Based Record at No. 4 in ODIs
Taylor scored 3684 of his 7690 runs in New Zealand, the most by a No. 4 batter at home in the ODI format.
Taylor’s 2574 runs came at the home of the opposition, making it the most by a No. 4 batter in overseas ODIs.
Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim has scored the most ODI runs at a single ground while batting at No. 4. He scored 1653 runs in 41 innings at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka.
Best Average and Strike Rate at No. 4 in ODIs
Netherlands’ Ryan ten Doeschate has the highest batting average at No. 4 in ODIs (minimum 1000 balls faced). He scored 942 runs at an average of 67.28 in 19 innings.
Aiden Markram (South Africa), AB de Villiers (South Africa), Eoin Morgan (England), Shreyas Iyer (India), and Daryl Mitchell (New Zealand) are the five No. 4 batters with a strike rate above 90 in ODIs (minimum 1000 balls bowled).
Best Batting Knocks by No. 4 Batters in ODIs
Viv Richards has recorded the highest individual score at No. 4 in ODIs. The former West Indies batter racked up an unbeaten 189 from 170 balls against England in the 1984 Manchester ODI.
Richards is the only batter with two 180-plus knocks while batting at No. 4 in ODIs, with his other score being 181 off 125 balls against Sri Lanka in the 1987 World Cup.
Richards 181 is the highest individual score by a No. 4 batter in the ODI World Cup.
Series, Opponent, and Year-wise Performance Records at No. 4
Australia’s George Bailey has scored the most runs at No. 4 in an ODI bilateral series. He aggregated 478 runs in the 2013 seven-match series in India.
Aravinda de Silva scored 1585 of his 6870 runs against Pakistan, the most by a No. 4 batter against an opponent in ODIs.
Viv Richards has scored the most runs as a No. 4 batter in a calendar year in ODIs. He collected 1180 runs in 24 innings in 1985.
Aravinda de Silva is the only No. 4 batter to aggregate 1000-plus runs at No. 4 in two years – 1088 in 1996 and 1023 in 1997.
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