Top 5 ODI run-scorers in 2017

Another year is coming to an end and the ODIs for this year have also ended with the New Zealand-West Indies series. There have been some excellent performances, some flashes in the pan and some disappointments as well.

Also, there have been some performances and events to remember in 2017, like Ab de Villiers’s brutal 156, Rohit’s Sharma’s third double ton (208), Chris Gayle’s ODI return, Dhoni’s rescuing act (on multiple occasions) and many more. But here we look at the top 5 runs-scores for the year.

The Fab-4 (Steve Smith, Virat Kohli, Joe Root and Kane Williamson) have been brilliant throughout the year. AB de Villiers has been very consistent at No. 4 for South Africa while Babar Azam has become the pillar of Pakistan’s batting line-up. So, who are the top 5 run-getters in 2017? Let’s find out…

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#5 Ross Taylor – 968 runs at 60.50

Ross Taylor was very consistent throughout 2017

Not many would’ve noticed Ross Taylor this year. He didn’t set the stage on fire but was very consistent across formats. Along with skipper Kane Williamson, Taylor held the Kiwi middle-order together.

He started the year with a brilliant century (107) against Australia to set up a series win for New Zealand. He then backed this up with another century (17th ODI ton - 102*) against South Africa to break the record for most ODI tons by a New Zealander (he went past Nathan Astle’s 16 ODI hundreds).

Throughout the year, Taylor kept scoring runs. He scored 7 fifties and 2 hundreds this year. His 95 against India in Mumbai while chasing 280 was one of his best innings (this year) where he, along with Tom Latham, took the Kiwis from 80/3 to victory. He also finished the year on a high with scores of 49 not out, 57 and 47 not out against West Indies at home.

Ross Taylor really controlled the middle stages of the game very well and never allowed any sort of collapse to occur even when there were quick wickets at the top.

#4 Joe Root – 983 runs at 70.21

Joe Root finished with 983 runs in ODI cricket this year

Joe Root’s ODI career was off to a sedate and slow start. But the last couple of years, he’s really found very good consistency. The England Test skipper has been very good in 2017 across formats. In the 50-over format, he has been very consistent.

He started the year on a positive note with a couple of fifties in the 3-match ODI series against India. He continued his good run in West Indies (scoring 90* and 101 in the last two ODIs) and against Ireland and South Africa at home (he constantly went past the 30s).

But it was the Champions Trophy where he showed his class. He started off with a bang scoring an unbeaten 133 to help England chase down 305 against Bangladesh. He followed it up with a solid 64 and then was the top-scorer (46) in England’s semi-final loss against Pakistan.

Root continued his impeccable consistency against West Indies at home. He had scores of 54, 84, 12 and 46 not out in the 4 innings he batted. Thus, he finished with 983 runs in ODI cricket this year which puts him at #4 on the list.

#3 Upul Tharanga – 1011 runs at 48.14

Upul Tharanga started the year with a majestic 119 off 90 balls against South Africa

Having made his debut in 2005, Upul Tharanga’s career never took off. Often a few big and consistent scores were followed by a slump where he couldn’t get anything substantial. But the 32-year old Sri Lankan opener addressed that issue very well this year.

Sri Lanka as a team have had a miserable year, especially in limited-overs cricket. However, if there was one major positive for Sri Lanka, then it was Upul Tharanga (who was the stand-in skipper and then was appointed full-time ODI skipper after Angelo Mathews stepped down).

Tharanga started the year with a majestic 119 off 90 balls against South Africa in Newlands, Cape Town. He followed it up with consistent scores against Bangladesh and also started the Champions Trophy with a fifty. But the mega-event was cut short for him as he was suspended for two games due to slow over-rate.

When he came back for the series against Zimbabwe, he continued his good form as he remained unbeaten in the first three games of the series. His form dipped slightly against India where he could only manage 75 runs in 3 innings. However, Tharanga roared back to form with a majestic 112 and 61 against Pakistan in the UAE.

He wrapped a brilliant year (personally) with a stroke-filled 82-ball 95 against India at Vishakhapatnam. However, most of these runs came in a losing cause as Sri Lanka would often collapse after Tharanga’s dismissal as was the case in Vishakhapatnam.

#2 Rohit Sharma – 1293 runs at 71.83

Rohit Sharma was brilliant in 2017

Ever since Rohit Sharma has started opening the batting in One-Day cricket, he’s looked a completely different player. The way he sets up the innings and constructs it is remarkable. He starts off slowly, but once he is set and has assessed the conditions, he can make up for the slow start and can score at an astounding rate.

The year of 2017 has been superb for the Mumbai lad. He missed the first quarter of the year due to a thigh injury. But after a good IPL, Rohit Sharma was back to his best in the Champions Trophy. He started off with a couple of good half-centuries (91 and 78) but in a crucial semi-final encounter against Bangladesh, he struck a superb century (123*) to guide India home in a run-chase of 265.

He continued his good form in Sri Lanka (a place where he had a miserable record) with a fifty and a couple of centuries (124* and 104). His stellar form continued against Australia. After a couple of failures in the first two ODIs, he hit back with a couple of fifties and a majestic century to help India complete a 4-1 series victory against the Aussies.

One would’ve felt that Rohit was in prime form, but his best was yet to come. Under pressure against Sri Lanka after losing the first ODI, captaining India for the first time, he led from the front to shatter the record books as he scored his third ODI double ton (208) in Mohali.

The most astounding fact about all double tons he’s got is that he has started off slowly and then teed off. Even in Mohali, he got to his hundred in the 40th over, but the way he changed gears was magnificent. Thus, he ended the year with a magnificent double ton.

Rohit finished with 1293 runs in 21 games and averaged of 71.83 in 2017. He struck 6 centuries and 5 fifties as well. Also, his opening partnership with Shikhar Dhawan has been one of the reasons why India have been so successful in ODIs this year.

#1 Virat Kohli – 1460 runs at 76.84

Virat Kohli scored a staggering 2818 runs across formats in 2017

Every time Virat Kohli walks out to bat, you always tend to get excited and you can sense the intent when he’s on the field. Also, he seems to be on a record-breaking spree. Every game, he is setting or breaking one or the other milestone.

The year 2017 has been phenomenal for the Indian skipper and there’s no surprise that he heads the batting chart for ODIs this year. After a stellar 2016, Kohli continued his excellent form into 2017. He started the year with a brilliant 122 where he helped India chase down 350 from 63/4.

In the Champions Trophy, he scored three unbeaten half-centuries (81* against Pakistan, 76* against South Africa and 96* against Bangladesh) to help India reach the finals. He continued his stellar form in the West Indies where he scored 244 runs at an average of 81.33 in 5 games.

In Sri Lanka, he scored a couple of fantastic tons (131 and 110*) to help India complete a 5-0 rout. The 110 he scored was his 30th ODI ton which equalled Ricky Ponting’s tally. His form dipped slightly against Australia where he was getting starts but couldn’t convert them into a big score.

But against New Zealand, he came into his own. In the first ODI, the Indian skipper scored a magnificent 122 to help India post 280 after losing 3 early wickets. It was his 31st ODI century and it put him second on the list of most ODI centuries. He followed it up with another fine 113 to help India score 337 batting first.

Hence, his 2017 ended with two centuries in his last three innings. He ended with 1460 runs this year which came at a staggering average of 76.84. He scored 6 tons and 7 half-centuries as well. Thus, the year 2017 was a brilliant one for Virat Kohli as he amassed over 1000 runs in both formats (Tests and ODIs).