Highest ODI run-getters in each calendar year since 1971

Three New Zealand batsmen — Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor — are the leading run-getters in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in 2015 till the end of September. Bharath Seervi lists the highest ODI run-getters of each calendar year since 1971.

In ODIs this calendar year, New Zealand batsmen top the list. Four batsmen have aggregated over 1,000 ODI runs this year, and 3 of them have been the Kiwis. Kane Williamson has 1,317 runs, Martin Guptill 1,287 and Ross Taylor 1,041. The only other one on the list is Tillakaratne Dilshan (1,003).

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New Zealand will not play any more ODI cricket this year, which means the aggregates of their batsmen won’t change. However, if one looks at the volume of ODIs left this year, it will be difficult for anyone to overcome Williamson’s tally of 1,317 runs.

Sri Lanka will play only 3 more ODIs (against West Indies at home). Dilshan will need more than 300 in these matches to eclipse Williamson. The next on the list is Hashim Amla (973). South Africa will play 5 ODIs in India, in which Amla will have to score 350; AB de Villiers will need almost 500.

If Williamson remains the highest ODI run-getter in 2015 it would be only the third time for a New Zealand batsman. Glenn Turner (359 in 6 matches in 1975) and Andrew Jones (806 in 19 matches in 1988) are the others.

Let us see the highest ODI run-getters of each calendar year since 1971.

Highest ODI run-getters in each calendar year

–          There were very few ODI matches in the early years. There was only one ODI in 1971, where John Edrich scored 82 and became highest scorer of the year.

–          Till 1978 no player played more than 10 ODI matches in a calendar year.

–          Edrich (1971), Sunil Gavaskar (1986), Andrew Jones (1988) and Misbah-ul-Haq (2013) are the only batsmen who were the highest run-getters of the respective calendar years in ODIs without a century. Edrich played only one match, Jones 19, Gavaskar 23 and Misbah 34.

Team-wise distribution of top ODI run-getters in a calendar year

–          Out of 6 instances by Englishmen 4 were in the first 4 years of ODIs (1971 — 1974) where fewer ODIs were played. The last Englishman on the list is David Gower (1983).

–          For Sri Lanka, 3 of the 4 instances were by Kumar Sangakkara.

–          South Africa started ODIs only 1992. Their first entrant was Hansie Cronje (1994), but the next one took time (Amla, 2010).

Batsmen being the highest ODI run-getter in a calendar year most times (twice or more)

–          Dennis Amiss (1972, 1973), Desmond Haynes (1984, 1985), Sourav Ganguly (1999, 2000) and Mohammad Yousuf (2002, 2003) are the only batsmen to be the highest ODI run-getters in two consecutive years.

Batsmen being among the top three highest ODI run-getters in a calendar year most number of times (thrice or more)

–          Virat Kohli is the only player to feature one among the top three highest ODI run-getters in five consecutive years (2010 — 2014). Unfortunately his sequence will most likely end this year, as he has scored only 378 runs in 15 matches this year. He will need to score around more than 700 in the 5-match series to become one of the top 3 highest run-getters for this year.

–          Ganguly had a sequence of 4 consecutive years from 1997 to 2000. Nobody else has managed a run of 3.

–          Ricky Ponting was one among the 3 highest run-getters of a calendar year for alternative years 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009.

Most ODI runs in a calendar year to not end as the highest run-getter that year (1,300 or more runs)

`-          Ganguly (1,767) was the highest run-getter in 1999. The next two were Rahul Dravid (1,761) and Mark Waugh (1,468).

–          Four batsmen crossed 1,300 runs in 2000. Ganguly was the highest with 1,579 runs.

Biggest difference between the top two highest ODI run-getters in a calendar year (difference of 150 or more runs)

–          In 2009 the top two run-getters had identical aggregates — 1,198, shared by MS Dhoni and Ponting. Both played 29 matches, scored 2 centuries each, but Dhoni averaged 70.47 and Ponting 42.78.

–          In 1985, the top two run-getters were just one run apart: Haynes scored 1,232 and Viv Richards 1,231. In 1999 the difference was 6 — Ganguly (1,767) and Dravid (1,761).

 Batting average of more than 65 by the highest ODI run-getter in a calendar year (Min. 5 matches)

Batting average of less than 45 by the highest ODI run-getter in a calendar year

– There is no common batsman in the above two lists.

(Bharath Seervi is a cricket statistician who is obsessed with digging numbers, facts and records related to the game. An active member of Society of Cricket Statisticians of India, he blogs at www.cricketseervistats.blogspot.com. He can be followed on Twitter at @SeerviBharath and on Facebook here)