Australia's 5 highest run-getters in ODI World Cups ft. David Warner
Australia are the most decorated team in World Cup history, lifting the coveted silverware as many as five times. No other team has won the ODI Cricket World Cup more than twice.
The five-time champions will start their 2023 ODI World Cup campaign in a high-octane tie against the hosts India at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on October 8.
Led by Pat Cummins, the Aussie unit have most of their bases covered. However, it is not often that they don't enter an ODI World Cup as the out-and-out favorites. With the tournament being hosted entirely in India, they lack a strong spin bowling unit.
Moreover, with injuries to Travis Head and Ashton Agar, they also had to tweak their preferred first-choice XI.
Having said that, there has not been as dominant side as Australia in World Cup history. From the likes of Geoff Marsh, Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Michael Bevan in the 90s to their golden generation including Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Glenn McGrath, and Shane Warne, the mighty Australian side has always been a team full of world-beating superstars.
Australia have played the most games in the history of the tournament, having played 94 matches and winning 69 of those.
Their dominance and success have been emphasized by the number of individual top performers with the bat. Australia have boasted some of the biggest names in the batting department in cricket history, many of them performed exceedingly well at the World Cup level.
On that note, let's take a look at the top-five highest run-getters in Australia's ODI World Cup history.
#5 Matthew Hayden - 987 runs (21 innings)
![Matthew Hayden during Australia v New Zealand - Cricket World Cup 2007 match [Getty Images]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/10/738a8-16962377508818-1920.jpg?w=500)
A solid character up top, Matthew Hayden scored 987 runs at an average of 51.94 and at a strike rate of 92.93 across 21 ODI World Cup innings.
Hayden was part of Australia's two winnings campaigns in 2003 and in 2007. His authoritative batting style bullied opposition bowlers as Hayden never bowed down to charging down the track against some the best of bowlers. He played his first World Cup campaign in 2003, where he performed decently and scored 328 runs at an average of 32.80.
However, it was at the 2007 ODI World Cup in the Caribbean where Hayden demolished almost every opposition he faced.
Batting ten times in the tournament, the southpaw amassed 659 runs at an immaculate average of 73.22. He smashed three hundreds in the tournament, including a fabulous 158 in a clash against the West Indies.
#4 David Warner - 992 runs (18 innings)
![David Warner during Australia v Bangladesh - ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 clash [Getty Images]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/10/2b659-16962556908956-1920.jpg)
David Warner is the only batter on this list, who will be part of Australia's team at the 2023 ODI World Cup.
The 36-year-old is regarded as one of the best opening batters of his generation. With over 17,500 international runs, Warner has a bucket load of experience behind him and will be a key member for his team in the upcoming tournament. Moreover, having played a plethora of IPL games, he won't be alien to the Indian conditions as well.
In his ODI World Cup career, Warner has amassed 992 runs at an average of 62.00 and at a strike rate of 98.12. He has also smashed three half-centuries and four tons in the tournament as well.
Warner had a terrific ODI World Cup 2019 campaign, where he ended the tournament as the second-highest run-getter with 647 runs at an average of 71.89 across ten fixtures.
Moreover, with individual scores of 178 (vs Afghanistan in 2015) and 166 (vs Bangladesh in 2019), Warner also remains as the only player to hit multiple scores of 150+ in World Cup history.
#3 Mark Waugh - 1,004 runs (22 innings)
![Mark Waugh played 244 ODIs for Australia [Getty Images]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/10/0377f-16962567861141-1920.jpg)
One of the classiest batters Australia has ever produced is none other than Mark Waugh. Four minutes younger than his brother Steve Waugh, Mark was instrumental to Australia, especially in the 90s.
With his measured approach and beautiful strokeplay, the Sydney-born batter made 8,500 runs across 236 ODI innings for Australia. He featured in three ODI World Cups as well.
After a disappointing campaign in 1992, Mark missed out in 1996, and Australia ended up as the runners-up. However, he finally embraced the glory when Australia won the 1999 World Cup under his brother's captaincy.
Mark enjoyed his best World Cup campaign in 1996 when he ended up as the tournament's highest run-getter with 484 runs at a marvelous average of 80.67. The right-hander smashed three centuries during that World Cup as well.
In total, Mark, who loved batting on big stages, scored 1,004 runs at an average of 52.84 and at a strike rate of 83.73 across 22 World Cup matches for Australia.
#2 Adam Gilchrist - 1,085 runs (31 innings)
![Adam Gilchrist celebrating his maiden ODI World Cup century [Getty Images]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/10/61f8a-16962577016413-1920.jpg)
At No. 2 on the list is Adam Gilchrist, an all-time legendary wicketkeeper batter. As destructive as anyone, Gilchrist is one of the three players to have won the coveted ODI World Cup trophy three times.
Widely regarded as the best wicket-keeper batter in the history of cricket, 'Gilly' had mastery over his art of scoring runs freely up top and donning the wicket-keeping gloves.
Having featured in 31 ODI World Cup games for Australia, Gilchrist hammered 1,085 runs at an average of 36.16 and a strike rate of 98.01. He smashed eight fifties and one century as well.
Interestingly, the Aussie holds the record for smashing the most runs in the history of ODI World Cup finals. Gilchrist played three summit clashes of an ODI World Cup and scored 260 runs at an average of 86.66.
This includes two half-centuries and his famous knock of 149 in the 2007 World Cup final against Sri Lanka in Barbados.
#1 Ricky Ponting - 1,743 runs (42 innings)
![Ricky Ponting proved to be the most successful captain for Australia in the history of the World Cup [Getty Images]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/10/690c4-16962586001175-1920.jpg)
No surprises here, as Ricky Ponting hit the most runs for Australia in World Cup history. Donning the yellow of Australia in as many as five different World Cup campaigns, Ponting was far ahead of every other Australia in amassing huge runs at the World event.
He was an integral part of Australia’s three World Cup-winning squads. After playing his debut World Cup match in 1996, the 'Punter' won three World Cup trophies for his nation in 1999, 2003, and 2007.
Having featured across 42 innings in the history of the showpiece event, Ponting is the second-highest run-getter in the tournament's history after Sachin Tendulkar (2,278 runs). Ponting amassed 1,743 runs at an average of 45.86 and at a strike rate of 79.95. He also struck six half-centuries and five fabulous hundreds as well.
Ponting's 145 fours and 31 sixes in the ODI World Cup matches are also the most an Australian has hit in the history of the prestigious competition.