Top 3 batsmen with most international runs in a decade

Some batsmen are good in Test cricket, while some are good in the shorter formats of the game. But some legendary cricketers do well in all formats of the game.

Before 1971, there was only one format of the game so the amount of cricket played was quite less. With the advent of ODI cricket, the amount of cricket increased and so did the opportunity for batsmen to score more runs. At the same time, the grueling schedule made wear and tear more common, with players failing to keep up their level from one match to the next.

It is difficult to maintain consistency in all formats over a whole year, so doing that over an entire decade has to be considered a truly monumental accomplishment.

When T20I made its entry in international cricket, it further increased the workload on cricketers, but it also increased the opportunity to pile on more runs. So it is not a surprise that when we look at the highest run-scorers in a single decade, the top 8 batsmen are from the last two decades.

Virat Kohli recently became the first batsman to smash 20,000 international runs in a decade.

Let's have look at the top three batsmen with most international runs in a decade.

#3 Jacques Kallis - 16777 runs in the 2000s

Jacques Kallis is one of the greatest all-rounders in the history of the game. The South African all-rounder was a fantastic middle-order batsman who could hold the innings together. While he was not known for his big-hitting, Kallis could rotate the strike and prevent the opposition from building pressure on his team.

He was a calming effect in the South African lineup who was known for his solid batting technique and incredible consistency. His consistency levels hit even further heights in the 2000s decade where he scored 16777 runs in all formats of the game.

The right-handed batsmen scored 38 centuries and 102 half-centuries at an average of almost 52 across all formats. The South African represented his own country, Africa XI and World XI in a very successful decade, which will always be remembered for his brilliance.

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#2 Ricky Ponting - 18,962 runs in the 2000s

Ricky Ponting is regarded as one of the greatest batsmen and captains in the history of the game.

The former Australian captain had a great decade in the 2000s on both the personal and team level. As a captain, Ponting led his team to two World Cup wins in 2003 and 2007 without losing even a single match.

Ponting also had a great decade as a batsman. He was an impact player who had the ability to decide the course of the game single-handedly. Ponting had a knack of rising to the occasion, as he did in the final of the 2003 World Cup where he scored an unbeaten 140 to win the World Cup against India.

The right-handed batsman scored 55 centuries and 98 half-centuries across all the formats in international cricket between 2000-2009. He totaled 18,962 runs at an average slightly less than 50 in the decade.

#1 Virat Kohli - 20,018 runs till now in the current decade

Virat Kohli easily stands out in the current crop of batting talents. A large majority of the cricket fans regard Kohli as the best batsman of the current generation.

On his part, the team India captain has done everything to prove this notion correct. At times, he makes batting look ridiculously easy as he keeps piling misery on the bowlers. The fact that Kohli enjoys an average of more than 50 in all formats speaks volumes about his consistency and adaptability.

Kohli recently became the first batsman in the history of the game to score more than 20,000 runs in a single decade. In this decade, Kohli has scored 67 centuries and 92 half-centuries at an average of more than 57.

With a lot of cricket still left, Kohli is all set to extend the record and make it really difficult to surpass.