Top 5 run-getters in World Cup history

The World Cup is the biggest platform or an international cricketer to prove his mettle in front o the whole world, to show what he is made of, since performing in the world cup is not just a matter of talent or luck, it involves a tremendous amount of pressure and the burden of the whole nation on your shoulder. There have been many instances when big players have crumbled under pressure and failed to deliver in crucial matches in the World Cups and there have also been instances when youngsters rose up to the occasion and became stars overnight.

Here we look at some of the gems, the world cup was lucky to be associated with, the top 5 run-getters in the history of world cups:

#5 AB De Villiers

With 1207 runs in 22 innings, De Villiers stands fifth in the all-time run-getters in world cups. An astonishing strike rate o 117.30 and a superlative average of 63.53 makes him stand out of the rest of the batsmen in the list. Having played in three world cups, the batting mainstay for the Proteas reached semifinals twice in the 2007 and 2015 world cups but unfortunately never had the luck of lifting the world cup.

His 4 hundreds is the joint-third highest in the world cups, which is accompanied by 6 fifties. With the highest score of 162* coming against the West Indies in the 2015 World Cup, De Villiers will go down as a legend for the South African team as well as the whole cricketing world.

#4 Brian Charles Lara

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One of the most stylish left-handers to have ever batted, Brian Lara was undoubtedly one of the best in his era. Lara stands fourth in the list with an aggregate of 1225 runs from 33 innings with an average of 42.24 and strike-rate of 86.27. He captained the West Indies in the 2003 and 2007 World Cups. Though he did not achieve much as a captain, he certainly flourished as a batsman.

Lara scored 2 hundreds in World Cups, which is the lowest among the batsmen in this list, and 7 fifties. His highest score in world cups was 116.

#3 Kumar Sangakkara

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One of the greatest wicket-keeper batsmen to have played the game, Sangakkara stands third in the list with 1532 runs in 35 innings. The elegant left-hander was a treat to watch in his prime, and was at his sublime best in the 2015 world cup, hitting four consecutive hundreds, where his team, unfortunately, bowed out of the tournament in the quarterfinals. With 2 finals and 1 semifinal in his career, Sanga is another batsman in the list to have failed to lay a hand on the coveted trophy.

He scored at a strike rate of 86.55 at an average of 56.74. Having a highest score of 124, Sanga has the joint second most hundreds in world cups, with 5 hundreds and 7 fifties.

#2 Ricky Ponting

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One of the most successful skippers in the world cups, Ricky Ponting stands second with an aggregate of 1743 runs from 42 innings. The Australian stalwart scored at an average of 45.97 at a strike rate of 79.95, which is surprisingly the lowest in this list. The former Aussie skipper lifted 2 of the 3 world cups he captained and was also a part of the 1999 world cup winning team.

Ponting has 5 hundreds to his name, the joint second most in world cups, and 6 fifties. His match-winning knock of 140* in the 2003 World Cup final against India remains is best in the world cups.

#1 Sachin Tendulkar

There is hardly any batting chart which is not topped by the master blaster and this is no different. With 2278 runs from 44 innings, Sachin is by far the highest run-getter in the history of World Cups. He scored at an average of 56.95 and a strike rate of 88.98, which is bettered by only De Villiers in this list. Having played 6 World Cups, Sachin finally managed to live his dream of lifting the trophy in his last world cup in 2011.

Sachin has the highest number of hundreds and fifties as well, with as many as 6 hundreds and 15 fifties to his name. His knock of 152 against Namibia in the 2003 world cup remains his best in world cups.

The next five batsmen in the list include Sanat Jayasuriya, Jaques Kallis, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene and Adam Gilchrist. And the top 30 has only Chris Gayle who is still playing international cricket.