The knockout matches in the ICC tournament carry a lot of significance, and for obvious reasons. So players get satisfaction from winning those high-stakes games. And if they perform at their best in such do-or-die matches, it’s like a cherry on the cake.
We have seen many batters deliver consistent performances in ICC events, going past the 50-run mark quite often. And to do so in the knockouts certainly adds to their batting credibility.
In this article, we’ll see the top 10 batters with the most fifty-plus score in ICC knockout matches.
Most Fifties in ICC Knockout Matches
| Player | Inns | 50+ Scores | ODI WC | T20 WC | CT | WTC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli (IND) | 23 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 3 | – |
| Steven Smith (AUS) | 12 | 6 | 4 | – | 1 | 1 |
| Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 14 | 6 | 4 | – | 2 | – |
| Jacques Kallis (SA) | 11 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | – |
| Kane Williamson (NZ) | 15 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Kumar Sangakkara (SL) | 18 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | – |
| Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI) | 11 | 4 | 2 | – | 2 | – |
| Sourav Ganguly (IND) | 8 | 4 | 1 | – | 3 | – |
| Chris Gayle (WI) | 12 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | – |
| Ricky Ponting (AUS) | 18 | 4 | 2 | – | 2 | – |
More “ICC Tournaments” Records
Most Runs as Captain in ICC Tournaments
Most Runs in Knock-Out Matches of ICC Tournaments
Highest Batting Average in ICC Tournaments
Most Fifties in ICC Tournaments
Most Fifties in Knock-Out Matches of ICC Tournaments
Most Centuries in ICC Tournaments
Most Centuries in Knock-Out Matches of ICC Tournaments
Most Wickets in ICC Tournaments
Most Wickets in in Knock-Out Matches of ICC Tournaments
Most Man of the Match Awards in ICC
Most Wins by Players in ICC Tournaments
Key Insights
9: Virat Kohli has scored the most fifties in ICC tournament knockout matches. He has amassed nine 50-plus scores in 20 matches. Five of those scores came in T20 World Cup knockouts, again the most by any batter.
1: Six batters have smashed at least one 50-plus score in all three ICC white-ball knockout matches. Kohli, Jacques Kallis, Kumar Sangakkara, Chris Gayle, Yuvraj Singh, and Rohit Sharma have scored fifties in the knockouts of the ODI World Cup, T20 World Cup, and Champions Trophy. Kohli is the only batter with multiple fifties in each of those tournament knockouts.
3: Over 25 batters have smashed three or more fifties in ICC tournament knockout matches. Three of them – Sourav Ganguly, Ricky Ponting, and Saeed Anwar – scored three centuries each.
100: And interestingly, Anwar is the only batter to have converted all his fifties into hundreds in the ICC knockouts. He scored an unbeaten 113 against New Zealand in the 1999 World Cup semi-final before hitting back-to-back centuries in the 2000 Champions Trophy quarter-final (105* vs SL) and semi-final (104 vs NZ).
2: Kane Williamson and Yuvraj Singh have scored three fifties each against India and Australia, respectively, in ICC knockouts. This is the most 50+ scores against an opponent in the ICC knockouts.
5: Speaking of centuries, five batters have slammed two each against an opponent. Three of them – Ponting, Travis Head, and Steven Smith (all Australians) – have done so against India. Rohit Sharma is the other batter (against Bangladesh) apart from Anwar (versus New Zealand) with two tons against a team.
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