Most balls faced in international cricket
Facing world-class and high-quality brilliant bowlers is not an easy job for a batter. To score runs and win matches for his side is what a batter always looks to do in any particular format and any series. Over the years, a few legendary cricketers have scored mountains of runs across formats and have also faced a number of deliveries in their respective careers.
Let’s take a look at the batters who have faced the most balls in international cricket: (Top 3)
3.Jacques Kallis (45346)
Former legendary South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis faced 45346 deliveries in his international career which is the third-most by any cricketer. He played 519 matches in a career spanning 19 years between 1995 and 2014. In 617 innings, the right-handed batter struck 25534 runs at an average of 49.10 and a strike rate of 56.30 with 62 centuries and 149 half-centuries. 97 times he remained unbeaten with the highest score of 224.
2.Rahul Dravid (46564)
Nicknamed ‘The Wall’, former India batter and current coach of the team Rahul Dravid faced the second-most deliveries by a player in international cricket. One of the greatest batters of all time, Dravid appeared in 509 matches and faced 46546 deliveries in a career that spanned 16 years from 1996 to 2012. In 605 innings, the technically correct batter scored 24208 runs at an average of 45.41 and a strike rate of 51.98 with 48 centuries and 146 fifties. 72 times he remained not out with the best score of 270.
1.Sachin Tendulkar (50817+)
The list was always going to be incomplete without the name of master blaster Sachin Tendulkar. Having smashed the most runs across formats, Tendulkar also holds the record for facing most deliveries (50817+) in international matches. He made his debut way back in the year 1989 and featured in a staggering 664 games. The batting maestro struck 34357 runs in 782 innings at an average of 48.52 and a strike rate of 67.58* with 100 tons and 164 fifties. 74 times he remained unbeaten with the highest score of 248*.
