ODI: Almost every cricketer plays for his country in order to perform well. Some get success, while some end up with not much success. But only a few went on to reach a stage where they are considered the legends of the game. In this article, we will cover the list of players who have scored over 12,000 runs in ODI cricket.
Notably, there are only six batters in the history of the game that have reached this landmark. But here we will talk about the fastest among those. There are two Indian batters at the top of this list. So let’s check all those players who have scored 12,000 ODI runs.
5. Sanath Jayarsuriya (Sri Lanka) – 379 innings
Former Sri Lanka skipper and aggressive opener Sanath Jayasuriya is the fifth fastest overall. The southpaw played for 22 years for his country. He made his ODI debut in December 1989 against England. He took 379 innings to complete 12,000 ODI runs. Overall, in his career, he played 433 innings and scored 13430 runs at an average of 32.36, with 28 centuries and 68 half-centuries. He also took 323 wickets in his career.
4. Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) – 336 innings
Next on the list is another former Sri Lankan skipper, Kumar Sangakkara, who is the fourth fastest overall. The left-hander was the backbone of the Sri Lankan batting and was their most consistent performer. Sangakkara made his ODI debut in July 2000 against Pakistan at Galle, and it took him 336 innings to reach the milestone of 12,000 ODI runs. In his career, he played 380 innings and scored 14234 runs at an average of 41.98 with 25 centuries and 93 half-centuries.
3. Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 314 innings
Two-time World Cup-winning captain Ricky Ponting is third on the list. The legendary captain made his ODI debut in December 1995 against Sri Lanka in Perth. He completed 12,000 ODI runs in 314 innings in his career. Ponting made 13704 runs in 375 matches he played at an average of 42.03 with 30 centuries and 82 half-centuries. He is the only Australian on the list.
2. Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 300 innings
The legendary Indian batter, Sachin Tendulkar, is the second fastest overall. Sachin ended his career with almost every batting record. Some of his records in ODIs are impossible to touch for any batter. He completed 12,000 ODI runs in his 300th innings. Overall, he ended up with the most games, most centuries, and most runs in this format. Sachin made 18426 runs in 452 innings at an average of 44.83, with 49 centuries and 96 fifties.
1. Virat Kohli (India) – 242 innings
Virat Kohli is considered a modern-day great in the game. He has been performing consistently for India across formats for the last decade. Virat has already broken many records in his career and is the fastest batter to complete 12,000 ODI runs. He has taken 58 innings fewer than Sachin and has reached the milestone in 242 innings overall. So far, Virat has scored 12344 runs in 253 innings at 57.68 with 43 centuries and 64 half-centuries.
List of Fastest 12000 Runs in ODI Cricket
| Player | Against | Match Date | Debut | Time | Mts | Inns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli (IND)* | Australia | 2 Dec 2020 | 18 Aug 2008 | 12y 106d | 251 | 242 |
| Sachin Tendulakr (IND) | Pakistan | 1 Mar 2003 | 18 Dec 1989 | 13y 73d | 309 | 300 |
| Ricky Ponting (AUS) | England | 2 Oct 2009 | 15 Feb 1995 | 14y 229d | 323 | 314 |
| Kumar Sangakkara (SL) | Pakistan | 20 Dec 2013 | 5 Jul 2000 | 13y 168d | 359 | 336 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) | Australia | 28 Apr 2007 | 26 Dec 1989 | 17y 123d | 390 | 379 |
| Mahela Jayawardene (SL) | India | 9 Nov 2014 | 24 Jan 1998 | 16y 289d | 426 | 399 |