From Sachin Tendulkar to AB de Villiers | Most Runs in Cricket World Cup History
Sachin Tendulkar slammed 2,278 runs in six World Cups [Source:]
In totality, there have been 13 editions of the Cricket World Cup, since the inaugural one in England way back in 1975. Over the years, the change in rules, regulations, and the advent of T20 cricket, batting in One-Day International (ODI) have changed considerably.
From the era of blocking, and playing out overs, to hitting the ball out of the park from the get-go, batters, too, have evolved and that has been quite evident for teams that have won World Cup titles.
In this list, we take a look at the top 10 run-getters in World Cup history:
Most Runs in Cricket World Cup
Sachin Tendulkar
The man, the myth, the legend - SRT (Twitter)
India's Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for scoring the most runs in world cup history, having featured in as many as six editions between 1992 and 2011. The maestro became a household name during the 1996 editions, scoring 523 runs, since then showed no signs of slowing, eventually winning the title in this sixth and final World Cup appearance.
In 45 matches, Tendulkar amassed 2,278 runs with six centuries and 15 fifties.
Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting [Source: Twitter]
A contemporary of Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting shone as a batter in the 2003 edition of the World Cup. Ponting, who displayed his class in parts during the 1999 edition, first featured for Australia in 1996, and finished in 2011, managing to score 1,743 runs which include five tons and six half-centuries.
Apart from batting, Ponting also captained the Kangaroos to their third and fourth World Cup titles in 2003 and 2007.
Kumar Sangakkara
Kumar Sangakkara (Twitter)
One of the most elegant wicket-keeper batters, Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara came perilously close to claiming the World Cup trophy on two occasions (2007 and 2011) editions, finishing as second-best. As the backbone for Sri Lanka, Sangakkara played his maiden World Cup in 2003 and played until 2015.
Sangakkara, who scored 1,532 runs in 37 WC matches, hit five centuries and seven fifties, including four-consecutive 100s in the 2015 edition.
Brian Lara
Lara is regarded as the greatest from Trinidad (Twitter)
West Indies' Brian Charles Lara played ODI cricket with style and ended up bringing an element of flare to his batting. The Windies legend carried forward the legacy of great batters from the Caribbean and played between 1992 and 2007.
Lara managed 1,225 runs in 34 World Cup games and scored two centuries and seven half-centuries, which is much below what is expected of the batting great.
AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers (Twitter)
South Africa's AB de Villers changed batting in the early 2010s with his devastating approach. Feared by bowlers all over, de Villers' ability to strike in any position on the ground, made captains keep open fields, where the batter excelled and took advantage of with his 360-degree batting.
The 2015 semi-finalists, de Villiers played 23 World Cup matches between 2007 and 2015, and stockpiled 1,207 runs at an astounding average of 63.52 with four hundred and six fifties.
Chris Gayle
Chris Gayle (Twitter)
Undoubtedly, one of the most destructive openers in world cricket, West Indies's Chris Gayle instilled fear in bowler's heart. Gayle took over charge from Chanderpaul and Lara, as West Indies' leading batters playing World Cups between 2003 and 2019.
In 35 matches, Gayle slammed 1,186 runs with six centuries and two half-centuries, including a first-ever double ton in World Cup in 2015.
Sanath Jayasuriya
Sanath Jayasuriya (Twitter)
A game-changer in the world of One-Day Cricket, Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya redefined batting during the 1996 WC, which his side won. Known as 'Matara Mauler', Jayasuriya's ability to intimidate bowers became a benchmark for future generations.
Between 1992 and 2007, Jayasuriya played 37 World Cup and scored 1,165 runs with three tons and six fifties.
Jacques Kallis
Jacques Kallis is regarded as one of the best all-rounders (Twitter)
With five World Cups under his belt, South Africa's Jacques Kallis is an all-rounder, who could be fitted into any side. An exquisite batter, Kallis in helpful conditions could make life difficult for batters, with his disciplined bowling.
In 36 WC matches, Kallis scored 1,148 runs with just one century, and nine half-centuries between 1996 and 2011, apart from claiming 21 wickets.
Shakib Al Hasan
Shakib Al Hasan [Source: Twitter]
Bangladesh's maverick Shakib Al Hasan reached the pinnacle of his batting skills during the 2019 World Cup, amassing 606 runs at an average of 86.57 with two tons and five fifties, and picking 11 wickets.
Before 2019, Shakib just scored 540 runs in three World Cups between 2007 and 2015. Overall, in 29 WC appearances, the 36-year-old scored 1,146 runs with two centuries and 10 half-centuries.
Tillakaratne Dilshan
Tillakaratne Dilshan during 2015 World Cup (Twitter)
A member of Sri Lanka's legendary batting trio, Tillakaratne Dilshan complimented the likes of Kumar Sangakarra and Mahela Jayawardene. Dilshan showcased fearless cricket, and toyed with bowlers on his own terms, allowing batters around him to settle down.
At a healthy average of 52.95, Dilshan in 27 World Cup games, accumulated 1,112 runs with four hundred and as many fifties between 2007 and 2015.
.jpg "Kaif on India")
 "Vishal Mehra")
