Cricket is a highly challenging game that needs a cricketer to have a great deal of concentration to score runs and, at the same time, not lose his wicket. This is more specifically true in ODI cricket, where the need for game awareness is paramount, as this format requires the skills of both Test and T20I cricket. You need to know when to attack, like in the shorter format, or play defensively, like in Tests.
So in this article, we will celebrate players who have shown their capabilities to absorb pressure when it comes to chasing targets in the ODI format and help their team cross the line. This is the aspect of the game that defines an individual batter. More often, the formula to construct innings while chasing is hard to imbibe for a batter, as the pressure at times is damn too high.
Here are the top 10 batsmen with the most ODI runs in successful run chases.
Most ODI Runs in Successful Chases
| Player | Innings | Runs | Average | High Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli (IND) | 96 | 5786 | 90.40 | 183 |
| Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 124 | 5490 | 55.45 | 134 |
| Rohit Sharma (IND) | 93 | 4294 | 64.08 | 152* |
| Ricky Ponting (AUS) | 104 | 4186 | 57.34 | 126 |
| Jacques Kallis (SA) | 100 | 3950 | 56.42 | 139 |
| Adam Gilchrist (AUS) | 90 | 3750 | 46.87 | 131 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) | 103 | 3633 | 39.92 | 152 |
| Brian Lara (WI) | 78 | 3498 | 68.58 | 153 |
| Desmond Haynes (WI) | 91 | 3321 | 46.77 | 133* |
| Sourav Ganguly (IND) | 73 | 3289 | 56.70 | 135* |
(You can check out in-depth stats related to chasing here.)
Key insights from the above stats
124: Sachin holds the record for the most number of appearances in the most successful run-chases in ODI cricket. Sachin batted in 124 innings while chasing a successful target.
5700: Virat Kohli has scored 5700+ runs in successful run chases for India, and this is the most by any player in the history of ODI cricket. Known as the chase master, Virat averages a whopping close to 90 in successful run chases, and the champion Indian batter has scored over 20 centuries in them. Virat’s highest ODI score of 183 came in a run-chase against Pakistan in 2012 at Mirpur.
102.71: Though Virat’s average hovers around 90 in India’s victorious games while chasing, the holder of the highest-ever average in such games belongs to MS Dhoni, who averages 102.71 in 75 innings with 2876 runs.
5490: Sachin Tendulkar’s tally in successful run-chases for India, and he did so in 124 innings. The master blaster held this incredible record for a long time with a stunning average of 55.45 until it was surpassed by the current best ODI batter and former teammate Kohli. Sachin scored 14 of his 49 ODI tons in successful run-chases for India.
Also Read | 10 Unbreakable Sachin Tendulkar Records
3750: Ponting’s long-time deputy in international cricket across formats for Australia, Adam Gilchrist, also finds a place here in this elite of players with the most runs in successful run-chases. This is the most runs scored by a wicketkeeper-batter in successful chases in ODIs. The legendary wicketkeeper-captain also made 8 centuries from the 90 innings he played, and it came at an average of just under 47.
105.96: To go along with his incredible stats, Gilchrist scored these at a strike rate of 102.76 (the 2nd highest with min. 2000 runs) and is only bettered by Virender Sehwag (2664 runs), who has a strike rate of 105.96 in 71 knocks.
