Ranking the 7 greatest men's Asian batters of all time ft. Virat Kohli & Kumar Sangakkara
There is something about the art of batting - be it the elegance, flabmoyance, hand-eye coordination or the pose-worthy stroke-making that has cricket fans in awe. While batters from each region become famous for patenting different shots, those from Asia seem to capture the audience's attention like no other.
From their effortless driving to the wristy flicks, several legendary batters from the Asian subcontinent have made batting look easier that it actually is. Almost all the key batting records are owned by Asian batters, predominantly between India, Sri Lankan, and Pakistan batters.
Yet, a select few rose above the rest and cemented their places in fans' hearts with their dominance, consistency and longevity across formats. As we get down to ranking the seven best Asian batters in cricket's lengthy history, it is important to remember how much the game has evolved over the years, resulting in much-better numbers and appearances among the later generations.
To maintain objectivity, the format common between all players in history - Tests will take prescedence, while ODIs will be weighed next as the No.1 among the two white-ball formats while ranking the best Asian batters.
Before getting to the seven best Asian battters of all-time, it is only fair we pay tribute to several names who just missed the cut.
Honorable Mentions
Rohit Sharma, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mohammad Yousuf, MS Dhoni, Sunil Gavaskar, Aravinda de Silva, Sourav Ganguly, Saeed Anwar, Dilip Vengsarkar, and Virender Sehwag.
#7 Mahela Jayawardene
Arguably the most elegant batter in cricket history, Mahela Jayawardene takes the final spot among the seven Asian wonders of batting. The former Sri Lankan captain remains one of only seven batters in cricket history with 10,000 runs in Tests and ODIs.
Jayawardene is also fifth all-time and the fourth leading run-scorer among Asian batters in overall international run-scoring with 25,957 runs. The now 47-year-old scored 11,814 runs at an average of 49.84 in Tests and 12,650 runs at an average of 33.37 in ODIs.
Despite his moderate ODI average, Jayawardene was renowned for his ability to deliver in crunch games, evidenced by his centuries in the 2007 and 2011 World Cup semi-final and final respectively.
Mahela Jayawardene's international numbers
652 matches, 25,957 runs, 39.15 average, 54 centuries
#6 Inzamam-ul-Haq
Former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq epitomized the famous cricketing term 'Lazy Elegance' with his ablity to make batting look effortlessly easy. While Asian batters are usually front-foot dominant, Inzamam made his name with his classy-looking back-foot punches and pulls.
The now 54-year-old is Pakistan's all-time leading run-scorer with 20,580 runs, including 35 centuries. Inzamam is also seventh all-time in ODIs runs with 11, 739 at an average of almost 40 despite predominantly batting in the middle-order.
Among the few batters to score a Test triple-century, the champion batter also impressed in the longest format with 8,830 runs at an average of almost 50.
Inzamam-ul-Haq's international numbers
499 matches, 20,580 runs, 43.32 average, 35 centuries
#5 Javed Miandad
Pakistan's best and most feared batter Javed Miandad makes it to the top five of the best Asian batters. An irritant for opponents, Miandad mixed caution with aggression like very few in a lengthy career from the mid 1970s to the late 1990s.
In a much more low-scoring era, the right-handed batter finished with 16,213 runs at an average of almost 47. Miandad was also a man for the big occasion, scoring half-centuries in the 1992 World Cup semi-final and final to help Pakistan achieve ultimate glory.
He was also one of the very few from his generation to average over 50 in Tests and over 40 in ODIs, while scoring over 7,000 runs in both formats.
Javed Miandad's international numbers
357 matches, 16,213 runs, 46.99 average, 31 centuries
#4 Rahul Dravid
The Mount Rushmore (Top four) of Asian batters is dominated by legendary Indian players, starting with 'The Wall' Rahul Dravid. The master technician was the rock of the famed Indian batting that dominated the 2000s.
Dravid became the first-ever batter in Test history to score a century in all the then-ten Test playing nations in 2004. He is fourth all-time in Test runs with 13,288 at an outstanding average of 52.31, including 36 centures.
Dravid's ODI career, often underrated, was equally impressive considering he batter in a variety of positions for team balance. He finished with 10,889 runs at an average of over 39 in 344 ODIs and was the leading run-scorer of the 1999 World Cup with 461 runs at an average of almost 66.
Dravid is one of only two Indian batters with over 10,000 runs in Tests and ODIs and a cornerstone for most of their famous wins in both formats in the late 1990s and the 2000s.
Rahul Dravid's international numbers
509 matches, 24,208 runs, 45.41 average, 48 centuries
#3 Virat Kohli
It could be a matter of only another couple of years before star Indian batter Virat Kohli stands atop this ranking, yet, for now he comes in at No.3. In a career that is still going strong, Kohli is already fourth all-time in international runs with over 27,000.
His 80 centuries is second all-time and the 50 ODI tons is the most in cricket history.
Despite playing all three formats equally unlike some of the other legends on this list, Kohli has displayed remarkable consistency by averaging over 48 in each format. The 35-year-old also holds the record for most runs in a single ODI World Cup with 765 (2023 edition).
Kohli is also the all-time leading run-scorer in T20 World Cups with 1,292 runs and second in ODI World Cups with 1,795 runs. The veteran batter is also the fastest to 10,000 ODI runs and boasts the best average (58.18) among those with 10,000 runs.
Kohli was also the 'Player of the Tournament' in the 2014 and 2016 T20 World Cups and the 2023 ODI World Cup and was part of the World Cup-winning Indian sides of the 2011 ODI and 2024 T20 World Cups.
His Test records are no less impressive with 8,947 runs at an average of 48.89, including 29 centuries.
Virat Kohli's international numbers
535 matches, 27.041 runs, 53.23 average, 80 centuries
#2 Kumar Sangakkara
Former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara is the lone left-hander on this illastrious list, coming in at No.2.
The southpaw is the second leading run-scorer in cricket history with over 28,000 runs. Sangakkara finished in the top three of the run-scoring charts in back-to-back ODI World Cups in 2011 and 2015 with 541 and 465 runs.
He is also the lone batter in the history of the sport with four consecutive ODI centuries, achieving the same in the 2015 World Cup. Sangakkara is in the top eight of both the ODI and Test run-scoring list and was central to Sri Lanka's final runs in the 2007 and 2011 ODI World Cups.
He signed off his T20I career by producing a 'Player of the Match' performance in the 2014 World Cup final against India, helping Sri Lanka win their lone T20 World Cup title.
Sangakkara's Test average of 57.40 is the highest among batters with over 9,000 runs.
Kumar Sangakkara's international numbers
594 matches, 28,016 runs, 46.77 average, 63 centuries
#1 Sachin Tendulkar
The record book for Test and ODI batting is just another term for the 'Little Master' Sachin Tendulkar's overall numbers.
The now 51-year-old is the all-time leading run-scorer in Tests, ODIs and overall, with a record 100 international centuries. Tendulkar also has the most Test centuries with 51 and second most in ODIs with 49.
He is also the all-time leading run-scorer in ODI World Cups with 2,278 runs and finished as the Player of the Tournament in the 2003 edition. Tendulkar helped India win their second 50-over World Cup in 2011, finishing as the second leading run-scorer in the competition.
The legendary batter is also the only cricketer in cricket history with over 15,000 runs in ODIs and Tests. Tendulkar was also the first-ever to reach 10,000 runs in ODIs.
Sachin Tendulkar's international numbers
664 matches, 34,357 runs, 48.52 average, 100 centuries