Most runs by a batsman in a calendar year in International cricket

In 1998, Sachin Tendulkar scored 1894 runs in ODIs for India with an average of 65.31 and a strike rate of 102.15. He thus set a new record for most runs in ODIs in a calendar year breaking his own record of 1611 runs from 1996. Twenty years have passed and Sachin’s record in ODIs remains intact.

In all formats of the game, Sachin scored 2541 runs in 1998 and it was the record for most runs by a batsman in a calendar year at that time. However, unlike his ODI record, this one has been bettered by a batsman thirteen times including twice in 1999 by Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly.

One of the reasons why the record for most runs in international cricket in a calendar year has been bettered and broken several times in recent years is the advent of T20 cricket and batsmen friendly pitches which has helped players rack up runs at a far better rate than in the 90s.

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#5. Kane Williamson - 2692 runs in 2015

Williamson scored his only double century in 2015 against Sri Lanka

New Zealand captain, Kane Williamson, is at the fifth position for racking up 2692 runs in 2015 for the Black Caps.

Williamson scored 1376 runs in ODIs that year at an average of 57.33 and strike rate of 89.87. However, his teammate, Martin Guptill, had the most runs in ODIs that year with 1489. Guptil was New Zealand’s star at the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup with a tournament highest 547 runs with an individual highest score of 237 not out while Williamson struggled and managed to score only 237 runs with an individual highest score of 57.

In test matches, Williamson scored 1172 runs in only 16 innings at an average of 90.15. Four players had more runs than him in tests that year but they played eight or ten innings more than the Kiwi.

It was in 2015 that Williamson scored his only double century which was an unbeaten 242 against Sri Lanka in the third innings of the match.

#4. Virat Kohli - 2735 runs in 2018

Kohli was rested for the Asia Cup in 2018 and still scored 2735 runs

In 2018, Virat Kohli was rested for the Asia Cup and the Nidahas Twenty20 tri-series. Despite this, Kohli amassed 2735 runs in 2018 which is the fourth highest in international cricket history.

In 2018, Kohli scored 1322 runs in test matches which is his highest tally in the longest format of the game in a calendar year. His tally is also the most for any batsman in test cricket in 2018 by a margin of 299 runs over Kusal Mendis of Sri Lanka.

The Indian captain averaged 55.08 in tests in 2018 with five fifties and centuries each to his name.

In ODIs also, Kohli has more runs than any player with a lead of 172 runs over Rohit Sharma in second place despite Sharma playing five innings more. Kohli’s average in ODIs in 2018 is a jaw-dropping 133.55 with a strike rate of 102.55. He scored six ODI hundreds in 2018.

#3. Virat Kohli - 2818 runs in 2017

Kohli broke Dravid's record from 1999 for most runs by an Indian batsman in a calendar year

In 1999, Rahul Dravid scored 2626 runs in all formats of the game. It was the record for most runs by a batsman in a calendar year at that time and was only broken six years later. However, it was still the record for most runs by an Indian batsman in a calendar year before Virat Kohli broke it eighteen years later in 2017.

The year 2017 was Kohli’s most prolific in ODIs in terms of runs scored. He scored 1460 runs at an average of 76.84 with a strike rate of just under 100 in 26 innings. He was the highest scorer in ODIs that year beating compatriot Rohit Sharma with 1293 runs.

The Indian captain added six hundred and seven fifties to his ODI record in 2017.

In test matches, he scored 1059 runs which included his personal best score of 243 which came against Sri Lanka. Incredibly, he had a strike rate of 76.24 in tests that year and an average of 75.64.

#2. Ricky Ponting - 2833 runs in 2005

Ponting made his T20I debut in 2005

The year 2005 was one of Ricky Ponting’s worst as captain of Australia as he conceded the Ashes to England for the first time since 1987. However, as a batsman, it was the best year of his international career.

In 2005, Ponting surpassed Rahul Dravid’s record of 2626 international runs from 1999 and he held the record for nine years.

In test matches, Ponting scored 1544 runs in 28 innings with an average of 67.13 and an individual highest score of 207 which came against Pakistan. He beat his previous personal best of 1503 runs from 2003 although Ponting played ten innings fewer in 2003.

In ODIs, he scored 1191 runs in 28 innings with an average of 45.80 for Australia and ICC World XI combined. He even scored a century for the ICC World XI against Asian XI that year. His top score in ODIs that year was a blistering 141 not out against New Zealand at Napier.

The former Australian captain also made his T20I debut in 2005. He played two matches that year and scored a personal best unbeaten 98 on his debut and a duck in his second appearance.

#1. Kumar Sangakkara - 2868 runs in 2014

Sangakkara scored his only triple century in 2014 against Bangladesh

Atop the list is former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara who scored 2868 runs in 2014. He broke Ricky Ponting’s record from 2005 and Virat Kohli came awfully close to breaking it in 2017. In fact, the Indian captain looks the most likely candidate to break the record in the near future.

Sangakkara had the most runs in ODI and test matches in 2014. In ODIs, he scored 1256 runs in 28 innings which was just 12 more than the tally of his compatriot Angelo Mathews. Sangakkara scored four centuries and eight fifties in ODIs alone that year. Interestingly, it wasn’t his personal best tally in ODIs in a calendar year as he scored 1333 runs in 2006.

In test matches also he beat Mathews for the top spot. Sangakkara had 1493 runs compared to Mathews’ 1317. Sangakkara’s only triple century also came in 2014 against Bangladesh. He scored 319 runs in the first innings and a century in the second innings but the match was drawn.