5 highest run scorers in ODIs in 2017

2017 is about to end and we have seen some great cricketing action over the past year. New stars have emerged while some of the older ones have returned to stamp their authority. It has truly been an exciting year for all cricket fans.

Cricket today is truly a batsman's game and everything seems to be loaded in their favour. The batsmen did have a wonderful time in ODIs in 2017 with two of them plundering over a 1000 runs in the calendar year. With only a handful of matches left in the year, it would not be a bad time to find out the top run-getters. Who are the top 5 run scorers of this calendar year? Are there any surprises on the list? Let's find out!

Here is the list of the five highest run scorers in this calendar year:

#5 Upul Tharanga

The stylish left-hander from Sri Lanka made a comeback and cemented his place in Sri Lanka's ODI set up this year. He was made the captain for the tri-series in Zimbabwe, a position that he retained after the then regular skipper Angelo Mathews was ruled out of the 2017 series against South Africa.

He has scored 916 runs in the calendar year till now at an average of 45.80, including five fifties and two hundreds. He became the first batsman for Sri Lanka, and the first captain overall, to carry his bat in an ODI after he scored an unbeaten 112 against Pakistan, albeit in a losing cause.

After a successful return to the Sri Lankan team, Tharanga would be hoping for an even better 2018.

#4 Quinton de Kock

South African wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock

Ever since his debut at the fag end of 2012, Quinton de Kock has been a mainstay of the South African top order. His ODI record is exemplary and he has a terrific conversion rate: out of the 28 times he has passed fifty, he has gone on to make a century thirteen times.

2017 was no different. He scored 956 runs in the calendar year in only 19 matches, with a terrific strike rate of 94.84. His best performance of the year came in the ODI series against Bangladesh, where he scored an unbeaten 168, in an unbroken opening partnership of 282 runs with Hashim Amla. This was the highest ODI stand for South Africa and also the highest ever partnership in One-Day Internationals without the loss of a wicket.

This young talent has been going from strength to strength and he will be looking to raise the bar even higher in 2018.

#3 Joe Root

Joe Root in action

Joe Root is part of the so-called "Fab Four" which also includes Virat Kohli, Steven Smith and Kane Williamson - four of the finest batsmen of the modern era. However, only two of them were able to make this list and Root is one of them.

England have enjoyed a remarkable run in limited-overs internationals since their 2015 World Cup debacle and Joe Root has played a significant role in this. The ever consistent Englishman ended the year with 983 runs at a staggering average of 70.21, studded with seven half-centuries and two centuries. His contributions sometimes go under the radar as some of his more flamboyant teammates like Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy and Alex Hales tend to provide more eye-catching performances.

But Root is the glue that binds them together, providing a calmness and stability at one end, allowing the other players to express themselves at the other end.

Root would look to continue this form further and lead his team to glory in the 2019 World Cup.

#2 Rohit Sharma

The only batsman in the world with three double-hundreds in ODIs

Ever since MS Dhoni's masterstroke of asking Rohit Sharma to open the batting for India in 2013, he has been unstoppable in the shorter format of the game. He likes to build his innings, bides his time and sees off the new ball before then exploding in the later stages of the innings. When in full flow there are few batsmen in world cricket who can match him in terms of elegance and power hitting.

2017 was no different for this ODI legend. He has plundered 1286 runs at a stunning average of 75.64 and a strike rate of 100. What's more impressive is his conversion rate - he has six hundreds and five fifties in this period. He also became the first batsman in history with three double hundreds in One Day Internationals after scoring an unbeaten 208 against Sri Lanka. To put this into perspective, there have been seven double hundreds in ODIs till now and three of them are by Rohit.

Another interesting stat: Ro-HIT-man Sharma has also hit the most number of sixes this year -45. The next on the list is Hardik Pandya, 15 behind.

With one game still to go in the Sri Lanka series, Rohit is only 174 runs from the top spot. In the form he is in there is every chance come the end of the year he will be the one standing at the top of the mountain.

#1 Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is already a legend of the game

Any surprises? I don't think so. The only question should be how far away from the chasing pack is this superhuman? Tests, ODIs or T20s whatever the format, Kohli goes on scoring runs like his life depends on it. In limited-overs cricket, he is considered to be the unprecedented king especially while chasing. His records are so astonishing in ODIs that perhaps he has already achieved the status of a legend.

To the stats now. He has plundered 1460 runs this calendar year with six hundreds, five fifties and a highest score of 131. If not for his wedding who knows how many more he would have got. His average of 76.84 is the highest this year for all players with over 600 runs.

The era of King Kohli has only begun. Who knows how long it will last?