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The ICC Cricket World Cup is around the corner. The quadrennial event is scheduled to be held in India between 5th October and 19th November. With 10 teams from all over the world, the intensity of the competition will be at its peak. India has hosted the biggest ICC event on three occasions in 1987, 1996 and 2011, however, the hosting remained partial in all of them. This year, the country will single-handedly host the entire tournament at its 10 most iconic venues.
The tournament has borne some of the most interesting rivalries since its inception. In a span of nearly 2 months, 48 matches will add fuel to these fiery rivalries.
Every year different players look to engrave their names in history by registering enticing records to their name. One such record that has always remained the most sought-after one has been one of the most runs in the tournament. A record that every leading batsman looks to achieve in the most prominent game format.
Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar currently holds the record for scoring the highest number of runs in the ODI World Cup so far. The little master has hit a total of 2,278 runs in the quadrennial event. The Indian also holds the record for the greatest number of fifties in ODI World Cup history (15).
Since the beginning of the event in 1975, 12 players from five different nationalities have registered the record for the highest runs of the season. Out of these 12 players, only one player i.e., Sachin Tendulkar has been able to register the record to his name on two different occasions. Also, the Indian players have dominated the list over the years with the record getting named to the team on four occasions.
It might look like a very difficult task for batsmen to consistently perform well under pressure and score runs, but these players have been able to rise above the occasion to strengthen their place on the list and eventually end on a high as the tournament wraps up. In the last edition in 2019, Rohit Sharma was the highest run scorer of the tournament as he became the third different player from his country to earn the record to his name. The Indian batter slammed a record five centuries in the tournament, the most by any player.
Also see: Most Runs in ODI Cricket
Most Runs in ODI World Cup Cricket From 1983 – 2023
| Year | Player | Runs | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Virat Kohli | 765 | India |
| 2019 | Rohit Sharma | 648 | India |
| 2015 | Martin Guptill | 547 | New Zealand |
| 2011 | Tillakaratne Dilshan | 500 | Sri Lanka |
| 2007 | Matthew Hayden | 659 | Australia |
| 2003 | Sachin Tendulkar | 673 | India |
| 1999 | Rahul Dravid | 461 | India |
| 1996 | Sachin Tendulkar | 523 | India |
| 1992 | Martin Crowe | 456 | New Zealand |
| 1987 | Graham Gooch | 471 | England |
| 1983 | David Gower | 384 | England |
| 1979 | Gordon Greenidge | 253 | Cricket West Indies |
| 1975 | Glenn Turner | 333 | New Zealand |
Most Runs in ODI World Cup
Top Run Scorer in ODI World Cup 2023
| No | Player | Team | Runs | Mat | BF | Avg | H.S | SR | 4s | 6s | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virat Kohli | IND | 765 | 11 | 847 | 95.63 | 117 | 90.32 | 68 | 9 | 3 | 6 |
| 2 | Rohit Sharma | IND | 597 | 11 | 474 | 54.27 | 131 | 125.95 | 66 | 31 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Quinton de Kock | SA | 594 | 10 | 555 | 59.4 | 174 | 107.03 | 57 | 21 | 4 | — |
| 4 | Rachin Ravindra | NZ | 578 | 10 | 543 | 64.22 | 123 | 106.45 | 55 | 17 | 3 | 2 |
| 5 | Daryl Mitchell | NZ | 552 | 10 | 497 | 69 | 134 | 111.07 | 48 | 22 | 2 | 2 |
| 6 | David Warner | AUS | 535 | 11 | 494 | 48.64 | 163 | 108.3 | 50 | 24 | 2 | 2 |
| 7 | Shreyas Iyer | IND | 530 | 11 | 468 | 66.25 | 128 | 113.25 | 37 | 24 | 2 | 3 |
| 8 | KL Rahul | IND | 452 | 11 | 498 | 75.33 | 102 | 90.76 | 38 | 9 | 1 | 2 |
| 9 | Rassie van der Dussen | SA | 448 | 10 | 530 | 49.78 | 133 | 84.53 | 39 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| 10 | Mitchell Marsh | AUS | 441 | 10 | 410 | 49 | 177 | 107.56 | 43 | 21 | 2 | 1 |
| 11 | Aiden Markram | SA | 406 | 10 | 366 | 45.11 | 106 | 110.93 | 44 | 9 | 1 | 3 |
| 12 | Dawid Malan | ENG | 404 | 9 | 400 | 44.89 | 140 | 101 | 50 | 9 | 1 | 2 |
| 13 | Glenn Maxwell | AUS | 400 | 9 | 266 | 66.67 | 201 | 150.38 | 40 | 22 | 2 | — |
| 14 | Mohammad Rizwan | PAK | 395 | 9 | 414 | 65.83 | 131 | 95.41 | 38 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 15 | Ibrahim Zadran | AFG | 376 | 9 | 493 | 47 | 129 | 76.27 | 39 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
Most Runs in ODI World Cup 1983
David Gower, considered one of the finest batsmen of his era, did a tremendous job in the 1983 World Cup by scoring the most runs in World Cup history. He finished the World Cup with 384 runs in 7 matches along with a remarkable average of 76.80 in the tournament. He also smashed one century and one half-century but unfortunately, England got eliminated in the Semi-finals by team India.
Top 5 Players to Score Most Runs in World Cup 1983
| Player’s Name | Team | Innings | Runs | Average |
| David Gower | England | 7 | 384 | 76.80 |
| IVA Richards | West Indies | 7 | 367 | 73.40 |
| G Fowler | England | 7 | 360 | 72.00 |
| Zaheer Abbas | Pakistan | 7 | 313 | 62.60 |
| Kapil Dev | India | 8 | 303 | 60.60 |
Also see: 1983 World Cup India vs Zimbabwe Highlights
Most Runs in ODI World Cup 1987
This time India hosted the World Cup, not England for the first time. The tournament was definitely filled with so many record breaking performances including Graham Gooch, 471 runs in 8 matches, most runs in World Cup. The 1987 World Cup was played in 50 overs format for the first time. As a star batsman from England, he maintained an average of 58.87. Unhappily, his outstanding performance was not sufficient for the team to win the tournament and get knocked out by Australia in the finals.
Top 5 Players to Score Most Runs in World Cup 1987
| Player’s Name | Team | Innings | Runs | Average |
| Graham Gooch | England | 8 | 471 | 58.87 |
| DC Boon | Australia | 8 | 447 | 55.87 |
| GR Marsh | Australia | 8 | 428 | 61.14 |
| IVA Richards | West Indies | 6 | 391 | 65.16 |
| MW Gatting | England | 8 | 354 | 50.57 |
Also see: Most Runs in T20 World Cup
Most Runs in ODI World Cup 1992
The 1992 World Cup was the 5th edition in the history of World Cups which was hosted by Australia. The Kiwi batsman Martin Crowe bagged the most runs in ODI World Cup in 1992. He scored 456 runs in 9 matches including one hundred and four fifties. But, Pakistan managed to push New Zealand out in the Semi-finals of the tournament.
Top 5 Players to Score Most Runs in World Cup 1992
| Player’s Name | Team | Innings | Runs | Average |
| Martin Crowe | New Zealand | 9 | 456 | 114.00 |
| Javed Miandad | Pakistan | 9 | 437 | 62.42 |
| Peter Kirsten | South Africa | 8 | 410 | 68.33 |
| David Boon | Australia | 8 | 368 | 52.57 |
| Rameez Raja | Pakistan | 8 | 349 | 58.16 |
Don’t Miss: Highest Runs in ODI Cricket 2023 By a Player
Most Runs in ODI World Cup 1996
The most iconic and capable Ex-Indian cricketer, Sachin Tendulkar (God Of Cricket) scored the most runs in World Cup 1996. He phenomenally stroked 523 runs in 7 matches with an unbelievable average of 87.16. He reached such a score with the help of two hundred and three fifties. India came in 4th position in this tournament.
Top 5 Players to Score Most Runs in World Cup 1996
| Player’s Name | Team | Innings | Runs | Average |
| Sachin Tendulkar | India | 7 | 523 | 87.16 |
| ME Waugh | Australia | 7 | 484 | 80.66 |
| PA de Silva | Sri Lanka | 6 | 448 | 89.60 |
| G Kirsten | South Africa | 6 | 391 | 78.20 |
| Saeed Anwar | Pakistan | 6 | 329 | 82.25 |
Also see: Sachin Tendulkar’s 100 Centuries List
Most Runs in ODI World Cup 1999
The great former Indian Cricketer, Rahul Dravid bagged the most runs in World Cup 1999. Dravid managed to score 461 runs in 8 matches with an average of 65.86 including two 100s and three 50s. His best was 145 against Sri Lanka in the group-stage match at Taunton.
Top 5 Players to Score Most Runs in World Cup 1999
| Player’s Name | Team | Innings | Runs | Average |
| Rahul Dravid | India | 8 | 461 | 65.86 |
| SR Waugh | Australia | 8 | 398 | 79.60 |
| Sourav Ganguly | India | 7 | 379 | 54.14 |
| ME Waugh | Australia | 10 | 375 | 41.66 |
| Saeed Anwar | Pakistan | 10 | 368 | 40.88 |
The master blaster of World Cricket history, one and only Sachin Tendulkar crowned himself for the second time with the most runs in ODI Cricket World Cup. He scored 673 runs in 11 matches with an average of 61.18 and strike rate of 89.25. With multiple boundaries, he smashed six 50s and one 100. The highest he scored was against Namibia, 152 runs.
Check out – Fastest 1000 Runs in ODI – List of Players
Most Runs in ODI World Cup 2003
Top 5 Players to Score Most Runs in World Cup
| Player’s Name | Team | Innings | Runs | Average |
| Sachin Tendulkar | India | 11 | 673 | 61.18 |
| Sourav Ganguly | India | 11 | 465 | 58.12 |
| Ricky Ponting | Australia | 10 | 415 | 51.87 |
| AC Gilchrist | Australia | 10 | 408 | 40.80 |
| HH Gibbs | South Africa | 6 | 384 | 96.00 |
Also read: Most Centuries in T20 International Cricket
Most Runs in ODI World Cup 2007
A must-watch player and an Ex-Australian cricketer, Mathew Hayden scored the most runs in World Cup 2007. He stoked 659 runs in 11 matches with an average of 73.22 with three 100s and one 50.
Top 5 Players to Score Most Runs in World Cup 2007
| Player’s Name | Team | Innings | Runs | Average |
| Mathew Hayden | Australia | 10 | 659 | 73.22 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | Sri Lanka | 11 | 548 | 60.88 |
| Ricky Ponting | Australia | 9 | 539 | 67.37 |
| SB Styris | New Zealand | 9 | 499 | 83.16 |
| JH Kallis | South Africa | 9 | 485 | 80.83 |
Also see: T20 World Cup Winner Captain List from 2007 to 2023
Most Runs in ODI World Cup 2011
Ex-Sri Lankan cricketer and an outstanding opener, Tillakaratne Dilshan scored the most runs in World Cup 2011. He grounded 500 runs in 9 matches with an average of 62.50. He hitted two centuries and two half-centuries. His prime show in the tournament was against Zimbabwe, 144 runs in 131 balls.
Top 5 Players to Score Most Runs in World Cup 2011
| Player’s Name | Team | Innings | Runs | Average |
| Tillakarantne Dilshan | Sri Lanka | 9 | 500 | 62.50 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | India | 9 | 482 | 53.55 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 8 | 465 | 93.00 |
| IJL Trott | England | 7 | 422 | 60.28 |
| WU Tharanga | Sri Lanka | 9 | 395 | 56.42 |
Also see: Most Centuries in ODI Cricket
Most Runs in ODI World Cup 2015
New Zealand’s Martin Guptill scored the most runs in World Cup 2015. He scored 547 runs in 9 matches holding an average of 68.37 including two 100s and one 50. Not only this, he hitted the highest individual score i.e., 237 against the West Indies.
Top 5 Players to Score Most Runs in World Cup 2015
| Player’s Name | Team | Innings | Runs | Average |
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | 9 | 547 | 68.37 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 7 | 541 | 108.20 |
| AB de Villiers | South Africa | 7 | 482 | 96.40 |
| Brendan Taylor | Zimbabwe | 6 | 433 | 72.16 |
| Shikhar Dhawan | India | 8 | 412 | 51.50 |
Check out – Top 10 Most Popular Cricketers In The World
Most Runs in ODI World Cup 2019
The hitman, Rohit Sharma scored the most runs in World Cup 2019. He grounded 648 runs in 9 matches with an average of 81.00. He acted unstoppable in the tournament, smashing five centuries and 1 half-century. As a result, he holds a record of scoring the most number of centuries in a single World Cup by an individual player. His greatest score was 140 runs in 113 balls against Pakistan.
Top 5 Players to Score Most Runs in World Cup 2019
| Player’s Name | Team | Innings | Runs | Average |
| Rohit Sharma | India | 9 | 648 | 81.00 |
| DA Warner | Australia | 10 | 647 | 71.88 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 8 | 606 | 86.57 |
| KS Williamson | New Zealand | 9 | 578 | 82.57 |
| Joe Root | England | 11 | 556 | 61.77 |
