Top 5 ODI run-scorers in 2017

#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.