Statistical analysis of India's best batsmen in ODI run chases

Virat Kohli has created such a niche for himself while chasing that these days, any Kohli innings that results in an Indian victory is merely referred to as another Kohli masterclass. Such has been his success while chasing that it is fair to say that there is no better batsmen in the world right now when it comes to scaling targets.

The question of where he ranks all-time among the best chasers that the game has ever seen is one that continues to pop up. But considering he is at the peak of his powers and a long away from calling it a day, it is better to first look at where he ranks among Indians before going abroad.

Is Virat Kohli the greatest ODI chaser that India has ever produced? What about MS Dhoni, then? Or the legendary Sachin Tendulkar who has most of the records in the format? So without further ado, let us statistically analyse who is the best chaser India has produced in ODIs.

For the purpose of this comparison, players who have played at least 100 games while chasing have been considered. And among them, the top five were chosen not based on their runs, but on their average while chasing. Hence, the likes of Mohammad Azharuddin and Yuvraj Singh don’t make the cut and only the top five in terms of average while chasing in an ODI have been chosen.

NOTE: All stats accurate as of the fifth ODI of the India-New Zealand series.

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#5 Suresh Raina

While MS Dhoni continually gets the adulation for many of India's chases in the last decade, another integral cog in the chase machine was Suresh Raina. He might not have played an ODI since October 2015 but there can be little doubt about his credentials as one of India’s best finishers.

And the numbers certainly suggest that. One of only 11 players to have scored more than 2,500 ODI runs for India while chasing and among those he is among the top five, when it comes to average while chasing. And that is why he makes it into this comparison ahead of the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Azharuddin.

Averaging nearly 40 and in excess of 90 in chases is not easy but that is Suresh Raina’s career record. Although he has a better strike rate while chasing at home, he has more runs, a better average and two hundreds away from home. That in itself is no mean feat.

Another important classification is his contribution to victories. Among players who’ve played at least 50 matches (chasing), only MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli have a better average than Raina’s 66.60. But what is even more impressive is his strike rate of 101.74 in wins, which is only bettered by Virender Sehwag.

Statistical analysis of Suresh Raina’s ODI record while chasing

	Matches	Runs	Average	Strike Rate	100s/50s
Overall record	124	2,699	38.55	93.91	2/15
At home	44	876	36.50	96.68	0/8
Away from home	80	1,823	39.63	92.63	2/7
In wins	77	1,865	66.60	101.74	2/13
In defeats	40	794	19.85	80.85	0/2

#4 Sourav Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly is not the first name that comes to your mind when you think one of India’s best chasers. Yet, among all players who have played at least 100 ODIs (while chasing), only three players have a better average in chases than the former Indian captain.

With 5,209 runs to his name while chasing, Ganguly is second on the list of most runs while chasing in ODIs for India. Those runs have come at an average of just under 40 and a strike rate of almost 75 with seven centuries and 37 fifties.

As far as his record in chases go, the former Indian captain fared better at home than away as far as average and strike rate are concerned but only played 41 matches. Whereas away from home, he has scored six of his seven centuries in 117 matches.

In victories, his average swells up massively. In the 75 victories he has batted in while chasing, he averages 56.70 although his strike rate is still in the 70s. While he isn’t in the same level as the top three, it is fair to say that his contribution at the top of the order set the platform for plenty of victories.

Statistical analysis of Sourav Ganguly’s ODI record while chasing

	Matches	Runs	Average	Strike Rate	100s/50s
Overall record	158	5,209	39.46	73.93	7/37
At home	41	1,483	42.37	76.48	1/12
Away from home	117	3,726	38.41	72.97	6/25
In wins	75	3,289	56.70	76.08	6/25
In defeats	72	1,878	26.08	71.37	1/12

#3 Sachin Tendulkar

Owner of the vast majority majority of ODI records, Sachin Tendulkar wasn’t bad at chasing either. He holds the world record for most runs, fifties and centuries while chasing in ODIs and has more runs while chasing than all but 20 players have managed in their entire ODI career.

Although he has more centuries away from home, his record while chasing is a lot at home than it is away from home. With an average of 47.27, it is fair to say that Sachin enjoyed chasing on home turf, even if he only has seven hundreds to show for his efforts.

Those seven hundreds, were enough to give him the world record of most centuries while chasing at home, until it was broken by Virat Kohli in the third ODI against New Zealand. Still, the sheer volume of runs that the little master has amassed is simply staggering.

Nearly 9,000 runs at an average of over 40 and strike rate of nearly 90 are phenomenal numbers in a career, let alone just while chasing. Yet, for all of his accomplishments and the sheer volume of runs, his average while chasing is only third-best among Indian players and that is why he is not India’s best chaser.

Statistical analysis of Sachin Tendulkar’s ODI record while chasing

	Matches	Runs	Average	Strike Rate	100s/50s
Overall record	242	8,720	42.33	88.44	17/52
At home	89	3,593	47.27	86.59	7/25
Away from home	153	5,127	39.43	89.78	10/27
In wins	127	5,490	55.45	90.08	14/31
In defeats	101	3,107	30.76	85.52	3/20

#2 MS Dhoni

Despite his promotion to No.4 on occasions, MS Dhoni has been India’s finisher for the best of a decade and has seen India home on countless occasions. So it should come as no surprise that he has the second-best average while chasing for an Indian batsman and third-best overall (min 100 matches while chasing).

Over 4,000 runs at an average of 50.91 speak volumes about the impact that Dhoni has had while chasing. While he only has two centuries while chasing, the fact that he comes in at No.5 and No.6 has a lot to do with it.

His record chasing is similar wherther it is at home or away from home. While he averages marginally better at home, he has fewer fifties and his strike rate both home and away are almost similar.

His record in victorious chases are simply mind-boggling. In 68 victories that he has batted in, he has scored nearly 2,500 runs at an average of 101.16 and strike rate of over 90 with two centuries and 16 fifties.

While Not Outs do swell his average, the fact that he has been there at the end to see his side home shouldn’t be something that should count against him. In fact, of the 40 times that he has been Not Out at the end of a run chase, India have only lost twice.

Statistical analysis of MS Dhoni’s ODI record while chasing

	Matches	Runs	Average	Strike Rate	100s/50s
Overall record	155	4,084	50.41	82.70	2/28
At home	58	1,681	52.53	83.13	1/9
Away from home	97	2,403	49.04	82.40	1/19
In wins	88	2,428	101.16	90.36	2/16
In defeats	57	1,548	27.64	72.95	0/10

#1 Virat Kohli

The numbers don’t lie. Virat Kohli is the best

Despite playing in just 101 chases, Virat Kohli has already amassed more runs while chasing than all but two Indian batsmen. There is a reason why Kohli is considered as a chase master and his numbers certainly back that claim.

4,656 runs at an average of 63.78 means that he holds the record of best average while chasing by any player. Not even the legendary Michael Bevan can come close to that overal chasing average and is only second on the all-time list of best averages (min 100 ODIs).

While Kohli has scored more than 2,000 runs while chasing both home and away from home and has eight centuries apiece in both cases, his average and strike rate are better at home. Averaging nearly 70 at a strike rate of 96.55 are simply phenomenal numbers, so are his away numbers, which read as an average of 59.90 and strike rate over 90.

When it comes to winning games while chasing, there really aren’t many better than Kohli. While Dhoni does boast of a better average in wins while chasing, Kohli has more runs and has got them at a better strike rate as well. And on Sunday, he broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most centuries in home chases and is chasing his all-time record of most centuries in chases (he is currently one behind) and most centuries in victorious chases (currently level).

And the frightening thing is that he is still only 27 and he might get even better and that is a scary prospect for any opposing team. And that is why, courtesy of a superior average and strike rate, but also the accomplishments he has to his name already despite not even playing 200 ODIs, Kohli proudly takes the title of India’s best chaser in the history of ODIs.

Statistical analysis of Virat Kohli’s ODI record while chasing

	Matches	Runs	Average	Strike Rate	100s/50s
Overall record	102	4,701	63.52	93.08	16/23
At home	41	2,065	68.83	96.36	8/10
Away from home	61	2,636	59.90	90.67	8/13
In wins	62	3,514	90.10	97.25	14/15
In defeats	34	1,166	35.33	83.76	2/8