Players with most ODI hundreds in a winning cause

Consistency is one of the most important attributes in sports and more often than not, it is a parameter used to judge players. Batsmen are often judged based on the runs and hundreds they make but we often hear batsmen from around the world say ‘A hundred (or any other significant) doesn’t mean a lot if the team loses the game’.

We’ve seen a lot of players around the world who are the key to their team’s success. Thus, we look players with most ODI tons in a winning cause.

Note – All statistics are accurate as of 11th February 2018.

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#5 AB de Villiers – 21 hundreds

AB de Villiers is easily one of the best batsmen of the modern era (across formats). He has this brilliant ability to switch gears and change his style of play according to the match situation.

After having made his debut in 2005, De Villiers scored his maiden ODI ton in the 2007 World Cup. He has scored 25 hundreds in the 226 ODIs he’s played in his career and only four of them have come in a losing cause.

One of his best tons – 112 against India in 2015 (Chennai) came in a losing cause. He was the man who took South Africa close after being in deep trouble while chasing 300. Also, in the game when Sachin Tendulkar scored the first ODI double ton, De Villiers was the lone warrior as he scored an unbeaten 114.

However, 21 of De Villiers’s tons have come in wins and hence, his contribution is very important for South Africa.

#4 Hashim Amla – 24 hundreds

Hashim Amla might have made his name as a classical Test batsman, but he is a modern-day ODI great. We often speak about Virat Kohli’s ODI record and how good he is in the 50-over format but Amla is not too far behind.

In One-Day cricket, he is the fastest player to score 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000 and 7000 runs. He has scored 7454 runs in 162 games at an average of 50.36 and a strike-rate of 89.12. He has 26 ODI hundreds which is the most by a South African and 5th most in the world.

And out of those 26 tons, only two have come in a losing cause – both of them in 2014 (against Sri Lanka and Australia). The way he churns out runs nonchalantly is phenomenal. He has been the rock at the top of the order for South Africa for almost a decade now.

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Sanath Jayasuriya – 24 hundreds

Starting off as a bowler who was handy with the bat, the number of runs Sanath Jayasuriya scored and the impact he had on Sri Lankan cricket was tremendous. His career coincided with that of Sachin Tendulkar perfectly and the two of them were flag bearers for their respective teams.

Jayasuriya made his debut in 1989 but started batting at the top of the order only in the later-half of 1993. His first ODI ton came in 1994 when he smashed 140 against New Zealand. And then in the year 1996, he redefined the art of batting in the powerplay. In Sri Lanka’s successful World Cup campaign, it was Jayasuriya who gave the team brisk starts at the top and set the tone.

He played international cricket for 22 years and for large parts of his career, he was one of the most feared opening batsmen in world cricket. He scored 28 ODI tons and 24 of them resulted in Sri Lanka’s wins.

#3 Ricky Ponting – 25 hundreds

Ricky Ponting is one of the best batsmen and captains Australia have ever produced. The consistency he showed in both ODIs and Tests was brilliant. He is probably one of those rare players whose first and last ODI tons have resulted in a loss.

In fact, Ponting’s first three ODI hundreds resulted in a loss for Australia. But after 1998 (after his 3rd ton), only one of his century (before his last one) came in a losing cause and that was in the famous game in Johannesburg when South Africa chased down a record 434. His last ODI ton (30th hundred) came in the 2011 World Cup quarter-final against India.

But his contribution went a long way in Australia stamping their authority in world cricket. 25 out of his 30 ODI tons is the third highest in wins.

#2 Virat Kohli – 29 hundreds

At the moment, Virat Kohli is on a record-breaking spree. Every time he steps onto the field, he seems to set the bar higher each game. With each passing game, he is inching closer and closer to almost every batting record in ODI cricket.

Kohli is currently sitting on the second position (only behind Sachin Tendulkar) for the most hundreds in 50-over format with 34 tons. And out of those, 29 of them have come in wins. And again out of these 29 ODI tons, 18 of them have come in successful chases. In fact, his 20 hundreds that have come while chasing are the most by any player in the history of the game.

Also, the way he going, it is likely that he will not only top this list in near future but also break and set new records in ODI cricket.

#1 Sachin Tendulkar – 33 hundreds

There’s absolutely no surprise that the great Sachin Tendulkar tops this list considering that he scored a staggering 49 hundreds in ODI cricket.

His ODI career didn’t quite take off like his Test career. But once he got into his groove, he was almost unstoppable. His first ODI ton came in 1994 and he got at least one every year thereafter. Tendulkar also holds the record for most ODI hundreds in a calendar year – 9 (in 1998). He also has a record six centuries in World Cup cricket.

But 15 of his 49 ODI centuries came when India lost (1 came in a tied game). There was a period between 2004 and 2006 when Tendulkar scored 4 tons but all of them resulted in a loss. Also, his last three ODI hundreds didn’t result in wins for India but the way he carried the burden of the Indian batting line-up for years was simply outstanding.