Raining runs: Top 5 batsmen with most ODI runs in a single year

It is not an easy task to maintain consistency for a prolonged period of time. With the amount of analysis that goes into the game nowadays, bowlers often find out the weaknesses of the batsmen and figure out various ways to get the better of them. However, there are some batsmen who did the unprecedented.

They managed to keep consistency for an entire year and registered the most ODI runs in a single year. Had someone told that something of this sort could be achieved before these cricketers did it, no one would have really believed it. Here are five of the batsmen who returned with most ODI runs in a single year:

5. Matthew Hayden

Hayden is one of the finest openers Australia ever produced. The left-hander was a perfect mixture of class and aggression. He was at his best back in 2007. Hayden mustered 1601 runs that year at an average close to 60. He registered five centuries in the year and played a massive role in Australia winning the World Cup 2007. He retired the next year after the tri-series against Sri Lanka and India.

4. Sachin Tendulkar

If there is a record list and it doesn’t feature Sachin Tendulkar, it is the loss of that record as Harsha Bhogle once said in a century in Lord’s context. The highest run-scorer in ODI cricket, Sachin, plundered 1611 runs at an average of nearly 54 back in 1996. He smashed 6 centuries that year coupled with 9 fifties in 32 innings. Facing the likes of some of the best bowlers in World cricket, this was quite a commendable achievement.

3. Rahul Dravid

Dravid also features on this list as he got 1761 runs in a year back in 1999. ‘The Wall’ was absolutely brilliant in that season and half of his ODI centuries came in that year alone. He averaged 46.34 and even scored 461 runs during the 1999 World Cup including two centuries. By the time Rahul retired from ODI cricket, he had nearly 11000 ODI runs in his tally.

2. Sourav Ganguly

The former Indian captain, also proudly features on this list. Dada edged past Rahul Dravid in 1999 just by a whisker. He scored 1767 runs that year, just 6 runs more than the No.3 batsman. Ganguly hit four centuries and ten fifties in the year apart from registering his highest ODI score of 183 runs.

1. Sachin Tendulkar

Following up on the heroics of 1996, Sachin Tendulkar was once again at his best in 1998. The ‘Master Blaster’ scored 1894 ODI runs at an average of 65.31. This includes 9 centuries and 7 half-centuries. Sachin’s ‘Desert Storm’ also came in this year.