Top 3 ODI batsmen with most runs in a calendar year

#1. Sachin Tendulkar (1,894 runs in 1998)

Sachin Tendulkar

Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for having scored most runs in a calender year in ODIs. He plundered 1,894 runs in 1998, the year he turned 25, hitting as many as nine hundreds to go with his seven fifties. Tendulkar averaged 65.31 in the year, and had a strike rate of 102.15.

Two of his most famous ODI hundreds came in this year. 143 (9x4, 5x6) against Australia at Sharjah in April, popularly known as the ‘Desert Storm’, an innings which took India to the final of the Coca Cola Cup, despite the match being lost. Then in the final, which also happened to be his birthday, Tendulkar again took the attack to the Aussies with a splendid 134 from 131 balls, an innings featuring 12 fours and three sixes as India chased down 273 with ease. Till date, many critics rate the knocks as two of Tendulkar’s finest.

Tendulkar’s first hundred of the year also came against Australia - 100 off 89 balls at Kanpur as part of a Triangular Series in April. In the final of the Singer-Akai Nidahas Trophy at Colombo in July, the Master Blaster smashed 128 from 131 balls. Ganguly also registered a hundred as India won a close final by six runs. Then, in the quarter-final of the ICC Champions Trophy in October against Australia, Tendulkar again led the way with 141 from 128 deliveries as India knocked out Australia.

Sachin Tendulkar hitting Shane Warne over the infield

The Indian genius went on to register two more centuries against Zimbabwe in Sharjah in November. The unbeaten 124 off 92 in the final saw Tendulkar demolishing Henry Olonga, who had dismissed the batsman cheaply in the previous game. Tendulkar was also the leading ODI run-scorer in 1996, the year India made it to the World Cup semis, with 1,611 runs at an average of 53.70, hitting six hundreds and nine fifties.