5 batsmen with most ODI runs under lights

Before November 27, 1978, cricket was always played under natural light and since that historic date, the sun never sets on the gentleman's game.

The concept of cricket under lights was brought to the fore by Kerry Packer in 1977 when he invited over 50 leading cricketers to play in his World Series Cricket.

However, the first day-night ODI was played at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground between Australia and the West Indies, changing the landscape of limited-overs cricket forever.

In 2012, 36 years after the first floodlit ODI was played, the International Cricket Council (ICC) paved the way to stage day-night Test matches in a bid to improve the popularity of the longest form of the game.

Australia who are currently playing their fourth D/N five-day game, made history at Adelaide Oval when they hosted New Zealand in the first-ever pink-ball Test in November 2015.

Now, let's have a look at those five batsmen, who have scored maximum runs while chasing under lights.

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#5 Tillakaratne Dilshan

Tillakaratne Dilshan, who made his ODI debut in December 1999, did not play his first day-night game until June 1, 2000. However, it was in November 2003 that the Sri Lankan came out to chase a target under the lights.

Between 2003 and 2015, Dilshan played 81 ODI innings after sundown and scored 2,898 runs at an average of 40.81. He scored eight tons and 11 fifties while batting second in a floodlit stadium.

Dilshan's highest score while chasing in a day-night game came in a nail-biting thriller against India at Nagpur in 2009.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni opted to bat and the Men in Blue posted a target of 301 for the visitors. Riding on Dilshan's 113-ball 123 Sri Lanka defeated India by three wickets with five balls remaining.

#4 Mahela Jayawardene

Out of Jayawardene's 18 ODI tons, two came under the lights

Mahela Jayawardene, who made his ODI debut in January in 1998, batted under the lights for the first time in April that year.

Between 1998 and 2015, when the former skipper retired after failing to take Sri Lanka past the quarter-final mark in the 2015 ICC World Cup, Jayawardene scored 3,079 runs in 104 innings under floodlights. Out of his 18 ODI tons, two came under the lights while chasing.

Jayawardene's highest score while chasing in a day-night came in the second innings he played after sunset.

In the 8th ODI of the Carlton & United Series at Adelaide on January 23, 1999, Arjuna Ranatunga opted to bowl first and England posted a huge total of 302. Jayawardene scored 120 off 111 balls as Sri Lanka chased down 303 with 2 balls remaining and won the match by one wicket.

#3 Kumar Sangakkara

Sangakkara was as elegant under floodlights as he was under the bright sun

A cornerstone of Sri Lanka's cricket for almost 15 years, Kumar Sangakkara was as elegant under floodlights as he was under the bright sun.

Sangakkara, who played his first ODI on July 5, 2000, featured in a day-night game four days later on the 9th against Pakistan in Colombo. In 101 innings that Sangakkara played batting second under lights, he scored 3,396 runs at an average of 38.15.

The youngest person to deliver the MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey lecture at Lord's, Sangakkara scored 25 ODI tons of which five were scored while chasing in day-night games.

The former Sri Lanka skipper's highest score under the lights came at the Oval in London during a 2013 ICC Champions Trophy group stage game against the hosts. Sangakkara won the toss and invited England to bat first as they posted a total of 293. The man with 14,234 runs in ODIs remained unbeaten on 134 off 135 balls as Sri Lanka won the match by seven wickets with 17 balls remaining.

#2 Sachin Tendulkar

Tendulkar played 107 ODI innings in a floodlit stadium and scored nine centuries

The man with most runs in the history of ODI cricket - Sachin Tendulkar, scored 4,240 out of his 18426 while chasing after nightfall.

Tendulkar, who made his ODI debut in December 1989, played his first day-night game in November 1991. However, he batted for the first time under lights in January 1992 against the West Indies in Melbourne and remained unbeaten on 57.

Between 1992 and 2012, the Master Blaster played 107 ODI innings in a floodlit stadium and scored nine centuries. Although his knocks of 134 and 143 in 1998 against Australia at Sharjah have to be his most memorable ones, his highest score after sunset came 11 years later against the same opposition.

In a 2009 ODI at Hyderabad, Ricky Ponting won the toss and while batting first posted a target of 351 for the hosts to chase.

It was another classic case of India's batting collapse as Tendulkar almost single-handedly kept the Men in Blue alive in the mammoth chase. Despite scoring 175 off 141, Tendulkar ended up on the losing side as Australia won by just three runs.

#1 Virat Kohli

Kohli produced the grittiest knock of his career to score 183 against Pakistan

These days, it seems almost impossible to not find Virat Kohli on a list that talks about the achievements of batsmen in limited-overs cricket. The 29-year-old, who is breaking records at will, has also scored the maximum - 4,502 runs in 83 ODI innings while chasing under lights.

Team India skipper, who played his first 50-over game in August 2008, has scored 32 ODI tons since then and surprisingly, 17 of them came while chasing in twilight conditions.

Over the last nine years, Kohli has played several memorable innings under the lights but the most memorable one came against arch-rivals Pakistan in a 2012 Asia Cup encounter in Dhaka.

Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss and opted to bat as his men posted 329/6 in 50 overs. Facing an uphill task, Kohli produced the grittiest knock of his career to score 183 off 148 balls as India beat Pakistan by six wickets with 13 balls remaining. At the time, this was India's highest chase in ODIs, beating their Natwest final heroics against England in 2002.