3 openers with most international runs in a calendar year

Opening the batting is a job that not many have mastered over the years. It requires an extra amount of skill and indomitable technique to excel at any level of cricket, irrespective of the format of the game. It is the opening batsman who gets to face the bowlers in their first burst when they are expected to be most lethal during their entire spell of bowling. An opener is always thrown into the deep waters to see off the new ball and protect the rest of the batting order from getting exposed against the shiny cherry.

However, the flip side of the coin presents an opportunity for any opener to perform and make hay before any other batsman in the entire line-up. He might be up against a menacing attack but the ability to control instincts and show composure offers a chance to succeed more often than not.

Some of the batsmen have shown the ability to dominate the bowlers as openers. Here we take a look at 3 batsmen who did exceedingly well to emerge as the highest run-getter in a calendar year as openers across all formats.

#3 Virender Sehwag – 2355 runs in 2008

Virender Sehwag

One of India’s greatest assets in Test cricket, Virender Sehwag, was occasionally put in the same bracket as the great Sunil Gavaskar, only because of the kind of impact that he had on the game. Sehwag played Test cricket in T20 style and re-defined how Test match batting was perceived in India.

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He introduced his style of attack and allowed India to win more Test matches during his stint as an opener. 2008 was a year that was a stepping stone for the ‘Nawab of Nazafgarh’ as he claimed his highest international score of 319 against South Africa in Chennai. The Indian opener was at the heart of India’s success at home and was one of the rare batsmen who could win matches as an opener.

He notched up 2355 runs at an average of 52.33 including 14 fifties and four centuries in 2008.

#2 Sanath Jayasuriya – 2387 runs in 1997

Sanath Jayasuriya

Sri Lankan legend Sanath Jayasuriya was in prime form during the late 1990s. He was the backbone for his side and helped Sri Lanka to single-handedly win matches with his attacking stroke-play as an opener. Jayasuriya had a tremendous impact in the ODIs and his ability to bat out oppositions in those days was quite remarkable.

His batting was largely based around taking more risks and inducing fear in the mind of the bowlers. He was one of the most explosive openers during his time and led the charge at the onset.

In 1997, the southpaw was at the peak of his powers as he scored a total of 2387 runs in the entire calendar year. He was miles ahead of most of the contemporary openers so much so that the next best opener was Indian great Sourav Ganguly, who scored nearly 1000 runs less than Jayasuriya. Jayasuriya's record for most runs by an opener stood for 22-long years before Rohit Sharma surpassed it this year.

#1 Rohit Sharma – 2442 runs in 2019

Rohit Sharma

The Indian vice-captain has witnessed a purple patch in the limited-overs format throughout the entire year in 2019. He was in top form as he registered most runs in ODIs in 2019. His seven centuries in one-day cricket were the most by any batsman this year.

Rohit counted upon the opportunities even in Test cricket and made sure that he didn’t leave any stone unturned when he was asked to open in the red-ball format. He made twin centuries to mark his debut as an opener in a Test against South Africa.

Rohit Sharma's great run of form continues as he notches up yet another FIFTY in ODIs.Live - https://t.co/kK8v4xbyB7 #INDvWI pic.twitter.com/GLNdxFz9Hq

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 22, 2019

His tally of 2442 runs across formats eventually turned out to be the second-best for any batsman after Virat Kohli. Rohit created history as he went past Jayasuriya’s tally for most runs in a calendar year as an opener. This year, Rohit has registered a jaw-dropping ten centuries, along with ten fifties to his name.