The World Cup is the biggest tournament in any sport. Every team and player dreams of doing well on the biggest stage. But it is not easy to perform consistently when the pressure is on. There are only two players in history who have played in six editions of the ODI World Cup.
India’s Sachin Tendulkar and Pakistan’s Javed Miandad are the ones who have played in six World Cup editions. Here, we will talk about the players with the most runs in ODI World Cup history. Sachin leads this chart and is the only player with more than 2000 runs in World Cup history. Let’s check out this elite list.
Most Runs in ODI Cricket World Cup
| Batter | Span | Mts | Runs | Hs | Avg | 50/100 |
| Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 1992-2011 | 45 | 2278 | 152 | 56.95 | 15/6 |
| Ricky Ponting (AUS) | 1996-2011 | 46 | 1743 | 140* | 45.86 | 6/5 |
| Kumar Sangakkara (SL) | 2003-2015 | 37 | 1532 | 124 | 56.74 | 7/5 |
| Brain Lara (WI) | 1992-2007 | 34 | 1225 | 116 | 42.24 | 7/2 |
| AB de Villiers (SA) | 2007-2015 | 23 | 1207 | 162* | 63.52 | 6/4 |
| Chris Gayle (WI) | 2003-2019 | 35 | 1186 | 215 | 35.93 | 6/2 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) | 1992-2007 | 38 | 1165 | 120 | 34.26 | 6/3 |
| Jacques Kallis (SA) | 1996-2011 | 36 | 1148 | 128* | 45.92 | 9/1 |
| Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) | 2007-2019 | 29 | 1146 | 124* | 45.84 | 10/2 |
| Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL) | 2007-2015 | 27 | 1112 | 161* | 52.95 | 4/4 |
5. AB de Villiers (SA) – 1207 runs in 23 games
Former South African superstar AB de Villiers played in three editions: 2007, 2001, and 2015. He played a total of 23 games and scored 1207 runs at an average of 63.52 and a strike rate of 117.29. His strike rate is better than among the other top 40 scorers on this list. De Villiers has also scored four centuries and six half-centuries.
4. Brain Lara (WI) – 1225 runs in 34 games
Former West Indian legend Brain Lara was a consistent batter for his team across formats. In World Cup events, he played 34 games between 1992 and 2007 and scored 1225 runs at an average of 42.24 and a best of 116. Lara also scored two centuries and seven half-centuries. He is one of a few players to have played in five World Cup tournaments.
3. Kumar Sangakkara (SL) – 1532 runs in 37 games
Kumar Sangakkara was probably the greatest Sri Lankan batter to play the game. He holds the record for four consecutive centuries in the ODI World Cup. Sangakkara played in four editions between 2003 and 2015 and featured in 37 games. The left-hander scored 1532 runs at an average of 56.74 and a strike rate of 86.55. He scored five centuries and seven half-centuries, for a best of 124.
2. Ricky Ponting (AUS) – 1743 runs in 40 games
Ricky Ponting, one of the most successful captains to lead a country to two consecutive World Cup wins, is second on the list. Ponting led Australia to 2003 and 2007 World Cup wins. He played in four editions, was part of 46 matches, and scored 1743 runs at an average of 45.86. His best score of 140 not out came against India in the 2003 World Cup final, which Australia won. He also scored five centuries and six half-centuries.
1. Sachin Tendulkar (IND) – 2278 runs in 45 games
The record and stats suggest that Sachin Tendulkar was the best batter to play this game in both formats. The man with the most international runs also tops this chart. Sachin played in six editions between 1992 and 2011 and retired as the World Cup winner. He played 45 games and scored 2278 runs at an average of 56.95, with six centuries and 15 half-centuries.