Cricket World Cup: A look at highest-run scorers in tournament history

New Delhi: The upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup is less than a month away, and fans are anticipating high-quality cricketing action from teams and players. Many batters are in good form, and teams will hope to display their prowess on the biggest stage of cricketing action.

Over the years, batters have let their willow speak at the highest level to guide their team to match-winning and, many times, trophy-winning performances. Players value their sustained consistency in World Cups.

Here is a look at the top run-scorers in ICC Cricket World Cup history:

1) Sachin Tendulkar (India)

The Indian batting maestro is the leading run-scorer in WC history. In 45 matches and 44 innings, he scored 2,278 runs at an average of 56.95 and a strike rate of 88.98. He scored six centuries and 15 half-centuries in his WC career, with the best score of 152. He also has the most centuries in World Cup history. He had the most runs in the 1996 and 2003 editions of the tournament, with 523 runs and 673 runs, respectively. Tendulkar’s 673 runs in 2003 is the highest number of runs scored by a batter in a single edition of the tournament.

2) Ricky Ponting (Australia)

The Australian great and World Cup-winning skipper has played 46 World Cup matches, scoring 1,743 runs at an average of 45.86. He scored runs at a strike rate of over 79. He has scored five centuries and six fifties in his WC career in 42 innings, with the best score of 140* against India in the 2003 WC final.

3) Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)

The legendary Sri Lankan wicketkeeper won hearts all over the world with his elegant shots, especially the cover drive. In 37 World Cup matches, he scored 1,532 runs at an average of 56.74 and a strike rate of 86.55. He has five centuries and seven half-centuries in his WC career, with the best score of 124.

4) Brian Lara (West Indies)

‘The Prince of Trinidad’ did not get to play during the peak of West Indies Cricket, but he nonetheless got to enjoy some individual glory in the tournament. In 34 WC matches, he scored 1,225 runs at an average of 42.24 and a strike rate of over 86. He scored two centuries and seven fifties in 33 innings, with the best score of 116.

5) AB de Villiers (South Africa)

Since his debut in the 2007 World Cup, the original ‘Mr. 360’ set the World Cup on fire for the next three editions with his batting. In 23 matches for Proteas at this global event, De Villiers scored 1,207 runs at an average of 63.52, with a strike rate of over 117. His best score is 162*. De Villiers has scored four centuries and six fifties in his WC career.

6) Chris Gayle (West Indies)

The ‘Universe Boss’ entertained cricket fans every time they came to the stadium or turned on their TV sets. In 35 matches and 34 innings in his World Cup career, Gayle scored 1,186 runs at an average of 35.93 and a strike rate of 90.53. He scored two centuries and six fifties, with the best score of 215, the first World Cup double-century.

7) Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka)

This hard-hitting Sri Lankan all-rounder was the star of the Lankan Lions’ 1996 World Cup-winning squad. In 38 World Cup matches, he scored 1,165 runs at an average of 34.26 and a strike rate of 90.66. He scored three centuries and six fifties in 37 innings, with the best score of 120.

8) Jacques Kallis (South Africa)

Like other famous players, the legendary South African all-rounder has fans across the world. In 36 World Cup matches, he scored 1,148 runs at an average of 45.92 and a strike rate of 74.40 in 32 innings. He also scored one century and nine fifties in his WC career, with the best score of 128*.

9) Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)

Despite Bangladesh not having the best track record in WCs, Shakib, the team’s star all-rounder, is among the top ten run scorers. In 29 WC matches, he has scored 1,146 runs at an average of 45.84 and a strike rate of over 82. He scored two centuries and ten fifties in 29 innings, with the best score of 124*. His 2019 campaign, which saw him score 606 runs with two centuries and five fifties, is one of the best individual campaigns in tournament history.

10) Tilakratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka)

The dashing Sri Lankan opener played in three World Cups from 2007 to 2015. In these, he played 27 matches, scoring 1,112 runs at an average of 52.95 and a strike rate of over 92. He scored four centuries and four fifties in his WC career in 25 innings, with the best score of 161*. He was also the top-scorer in the 2011 World Cup with 500 runs in nine matches, with two centuries and two fifties.