The No. 3 batter in ODI cricket has a highly crucial and demanding role. This player occupies a pivotal position in the batting lineup and should have the ability to hold one end together. They have the responsibility to stabilise the innings and then build partnerships, ensuring that the team doesn’t lose quick wickets.
They should have the ability to play the new ball and the versatility to play according to the needs of the game. They should look to play time and take the innings deep to lay a solid foundation for the batters to follow.
There are several legendary players in ODI cricket who have made a name for themselves by showing all these traits and succeeding at the international level. As mentioned, No. 3 is somewhere a batsman has a chance to make huge scores more often, and we will see which 10 batters have accumulated the most in their career.
Here are the top ten batsmen with the most ODI runs at the No. 3 batting position.
Most ODI Runs at No. 3
| Player | Innings | Runs | Average | High Score | 100/50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli (IND) | 244 | 12676 | 61.53 | 183 | 47/67 |
| Ricky Ponting (AUS) | 330 | 12662 | 42.48 | 164 | 29/74 |
| Kumar Sangakkara (SL) | 237 | 9747 | 44.71 | 169 | 18/66 |
| Jacques Kallis (SA) | 200 | 7774 | 45.72 | 139 | 13/57 |
| Kane Williamson (NZ) | 140 | 6504 | 51.61 | 148 | 13/44 |
| Babar Azam (PAK) | 116 | 5811 | 57.53 | 158 | 20/31 |
| Dean Jones (AUS) | 131 | 5100 | 43.58 | 145 | 7/39 |
| Joe Root (ENG) | 114 | 5092 | 51.95 | 166* | 14/33 |
| Brian Lara (WI) | 106 | 4447 | 45.84 | 169 | 12/26 |
| Steven Smith (AUS) | 95 | 4369 | 52.01 | 164 | 11/27 |
| Marvan Atapattu (SL) | 120 | 4142 | 38.35 | 132* | 4/33 |
| Rahul Dravid (IND) | 109 | 4000 | 38.83 | 153 | 7/27 |
Key Insights on Leading Run Scorers at No. 3 in ODIs
Milestone Records for Batters at No. 3 in ODIs
Virat Kohli surpassed Ricky Ponting to lead the run chart at No. 3 in ODIs. Kohli and Ponting are the only two batters to aggregate 10000-plus runs in this position.
Kohli has also scored the most centuries at No. 3 in ODIs, with him being the only batter with more than 30 hundreds. (Check the top century-makers at each batting position in ODIs here.)
Kohli and Ponting are the only No. 3 batters to score more than 100 knocks of 50 or more runs in ODIs.
Kohli has also earned the most ducks at No.3, with him and Ponting being the only ones with more than 15. (Check the top-order batters with the most ducks in ODIs here.)
Kohli and Ponting are the only No. 3 batters to hit more than 1000 fours and more than 150 sixes in ODIs.
Individual Performance and Batting Averages at No. 3 in ODIs
Zimbabwe’s Charles Coventry has struck the highest individual score at No. 3 in ODIs. He scored an unbeaten 194 off 156 balls against Bangladesh in the 2009 Bulawayo ODI.
Kohli has the highest batting average and strike rate at No. 3 in ODIs, with him being the only one to average above 60 and his strike rate close to 94 (minimum 1000 balls faced).
Kohli has aggregated the most runs as a No. 3 batter in an ODI bilateral series. He netted 558 runs in six innings in the 2018 series against South Africa.
Rahul Dravid has scored the most runs at No. 3 in a calendar year in ODIs. He aggregated 1663 runs in 39 innings for India in 1999.
Dravid’s 1663 runs included six centuries, the joint-most by a No. 3 batter in a year in ODIs.
Kohli is the other batter to smash six hundreds in this position in a year, and that too in three different years – 2017, 2018, and 2023.
Venue-based Performance at No. 3 in ODIs
Ponting scored 1903 of his 12662 runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the most by a No. 3 batter at a single ground in ODIs.
Kohli and Ponting are the only two No. 3 batters to score more than 5000 runs in their respective home countries in ODIs.
Opponent, Wicketkeeper, and Captain Records at No. 3 in ODIs.
Kohli has scored 2415 of his runs against Australia, the most by a No. 3 batter against an ODI team.
Kumar Sangakkara scored 9631 of his 9747 runs as a wicketkeeper-batter at No.3 in ODIs.
Ponting aggregated 8314 of his 12662 runs as Australia’s captain at No. 3 in ODIs.
Ponting’s 10051 runs came in Australia’s wins, the most by a No. 3 batter in ODIs.
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