Cricket World Cup History: Top 5 Batsmen with highest strike rate

The ICC World Cup has been witness to a plethora of spectacular performances over the years, be it with the willow or with the ball. The extraordinary bowling displays of the likes of Glenn McGrath, Wasim Akram and Muttiah Muralitharan have been perfectly complemented by the sumptuous batting performances from Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara and many more.

Thus, one can definitely say that the tournament has provided the ultimate cricketing spectacle and unsurprisingly, fans wait with bated breath to watch their favourite superstars fight it out for the biggest cricket prize on the globe every four years.

However, akin to every aspect of life, cricket too has undergone an evolution. An evolution which has improved the game considerably. While the emphasis in the formative years of the competition was on building an innings and keeping wickets in hand, the upcoming World Cup is gearing up for fearless hitting and gigantic scores.

Hence, it is only fitting that before the start of the most explosive World Cup, we relive some of the batsmen who have conjured the highest batting strike rates in the tournament’s history.

Without further ado, here is a look at them:

(Criteria: The player must have played a minimum of five innings and accumulated more than 300 runs)

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#5. Kapil Dev (India) – 115.14

Kapil Dev on his way to an unbeaten 175 in the 1983 World Cup

Kapil Dev made his World Cup bow for India in the 1979 edition and went on to represent the nation in five such competitions.

The former skipper played a total of 26 games and ensured he left a lasting image by the time he was done in 1992. After all, ‘Kapil’s devils’ were the ones who taught India to dream big and his importance to the emergence of the Men In Blue as a cricketing superpower can’t be overstated enough.

Though the all-rounder would be fondly remembered for his charismatic leadership, he wasn’t too shabby with the bat either.

Kapil was a belligerent batsman during his career and he made a mockery of many a bowling attack.

In the World Cup, the right hander struck at an impressive strike rate of 115.14 with a highest score of 175*. That innings came against Zimbabwe in 1983 and it acted as a catalyst for what India would go on to achieve further in the tournament.

Moreover, he boasted of a healthy average of 37.16, meaning that he was a reliable and aggressive option in the lower middle order.

Thus, it comes as no surprise that the former Indian captain makes the list at No.5.

#4. AB De Villiers (South Africa) – 117.29

AB De Villiers is one of the outstanding batsmen of our generation

The South African was a joy to watch throughout his stint as an international cricketer and he pulverised bowling line-ups for fun. Though he bid adieu to the international game a few summers back, he is still a sight to behold in franchise cricket.

AB De Villiers brought his astronomical batting abilities to the fore on the World Cup stage as well and blasted 1207 runs in 1029 deliveries, giving him a strike rate of 117.29 runs per 100 balls.

De Villiers represented South Africa in three World Cups with his journey starting from the Caribbean adventure in 2007 and culminating with the heartbreak at Auckland. Through the course of the three editions, he notched up four centuries and an average of 63.52.

The pick of his superlative bunch arrived at the 2015 World Cup when he smashed his way to the fastest ever 150 in ODI cricket against West Indies. The South African was simply unstoppable on that day, similar to many other occasions on the biggest stage.

Hence, ‘Mr.360’ just had to find a place in a list comprising of the highest strike rates in World Cup cricket.

#3. David Warner (Australia) – 120.20

Warner was superb for Australia in the 2015 World Cup

David Warner made his World Cup debut in the 2015 edition and gave a pretty good account of himself. The opener ended up scoring in excess of 300 runs over the course of the tournament and enjoyed providing the momentum at the top of the Aussies’ innings.

His highest score of 178 came against Afghanistan at Perth. The innings was laced with 19 fours and 5 sixes. While Warner sparkled only intermittently post that game, the knock had reminded the whole world what he was capable of producing.

Thus, with him returning to the international fold after a year out, courtesy the infamous sandpaper gate, one can expect him to be raring to portray his attributes on the grand stage.

Moreover, the highways in England, also sometimes called cricket pitches, would aid the Aussie in his stroke-making and enable him to scale an even higher strike rate this time around.

Hence, one shouldn’t be surprised if Warner finds himself higher on this list come the end of the tournament in England.

But, for now, he has to settle for the 3rd spot.

#2. Brendon McCullum (New Zealand) – 120.84

McCullum thrilled everyone with his batting

The former New Zealand captain enthralled the audiences throughout his cricketing career. Playing at the top of the order, Brendon McCullum’s brand of bold batting captured everyone’s imagination and it rubbed off on the rest of his teammates as well.

The 2015 World Cup was a prime example. On countless occasions, the opener went ballistic from the outset, helping the other batsmen settle down and play their natural game, the merciless assault on Dale Steyn in the semi-final at Auckland being a classic illustration.

However, McCullum was as effective in the other editions as well. In 2011, he scored his only World Cup century against Canada while he was a part of the New Zealand set-up in 2003 and 2007 as well.

The opener came into his own at a time when his nation was looking for a new direction and he provided that in abundance. After all, the style of cricket he professed nearly took New Zealand to their maiden World Cup crown.

Thus, with his attacking approach acting as the beacon for several other cricketers from his country, it is only fitting that he finds himself at the runner-up slot in a list that rewards aggressive batting.

#1. Lance Klusener (South Africa) – 121.17

Lance Klusener boasts the highest strike rate among all batsmen in World Cup cricket

Lance Klusener will always be remembered by the world for his infamous mix-up and subsequent run-out with Allan Donald in the 1999 World Cup semi-final against Australia. After all, had the pair kept their cool, South Africa would’ve found themselves in their 1st World Cup final.

Unfortunately, nothing of the sort materialised and Klusener etched his name into cricketing history in the worst possible manner.

However, the same World Cup also saw the all-rounder produce several pyrotechnics before that game. His innings against Pakistan highlighted his calm persona to the tee while he was at his marauding best in the match against Sri Lanka.

Though Klusener only scored 372 runs in 11 innings, he scored those runs at important junctures and was the spark South Africa required in the middle order.

Additionally, he boasts of an astounding average of 124, indicating that he very rarely let his team down and stayed till the end to finish the job at hand.

Thus, the all-rounder was certainly one of the best finishers to have ever graced the game and he rightly finds himself at the perch of our list.