Stats: Hashim Amla fastest to complete 6,000 ODI runs

Hashim Alma in action en route his milestone

Hashim Amla etched his name in the history of world cricket by becoming the fastest player, in terms of innings to reach 6,000 One Day International (ODI) runs. The South African opening batsman achieved this feat during the fifth and the final ODI against India in Mumbai on 25^th October 2015. 

After a closely contested battle throughout the series, the two heavyweights of world cricket locked horns for the deciding game in front of a packed crowd at the Wankhede Stadium. 

The SA skipper, AB de Villiers, won the toss and elected to bat first on a wicket known to be a batting paradise. The visitors were powered to a huge first innings total of 438 runs for the loss of four wickets, courtesy centuries from Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers. 

Although Amla missed an opportunity to register a huge score for his side on a wicket conducive for strokeplay after being dismissed for 23, he had plenty of reasons to cheer during his short stay at the wicket as he raced past Virat Kohli to become the fastest player in the history of ODI cricket to score 6,000 runs.   

Once labelled as a Test specialist

Ever since his debut, Amla was regarded as a specialist for the longest format of the game. His sheer grit and determination to contribute for South Africa in all forms of the game resulted in the stylish right-handed batsman transforming his game to suit the demands of the shorter formats.

After making his ODI debut against Bangladesh in the year 2008, the 34-year-old reached the coveted milestone of 6,000 runs in just 123 innings, surpassing the likes of Virat Kohli and Sir Viv Richards. 

The record was previously held by the flamboyant Indian batsman for a year after he achieved this feat in 136 innings during his knock against Sri Lanka in Hyderabad in the year 2014. 

The illustrious list 

The list of top ten batsmen is dominated by the South Africans as they have four players featuring in the list including the Superman of world cricket, AB De Villers, Gary Kirsten and Graeme Smith. The remaining six places in the list comprise of two each from India – Virat Kohli and Sourav Ganguly and Australia – Matthew Hayden and Dean Jones.

The two greatest players to have ever played the game from the Caribbean island, Sir Viv Richards and Brain Lara are also part of this glorious achievement. While Sir Viv is placed third on the list after reaching the mark in 141 innings, the charismatic left-hander is placed seventh after achieving this record in 155 innings.

Here is the complete list of players to reach the fastest in terms of innings to 6,000 ODI runs:

Fastest to 6,000 ODI runs

Player	Opposition	Venue	Year	Matches	Innings
Hashim Amla	India	Mumbai	2015	126	123
Virat Kohli	Sri Lanka	Hyderabad	2014	144	136
Sir Viv Richards	Pakistan	Brisbane	1989	156	141
Sourav Ganguly	Zimbabwe	Sharjah	2000	152	147
AB De Villiers	Pakistan	Sharjah	2013	153	147
Matthew Hayden	India	Sydney	2008	160	154
Brain Lara	Bangladesh	Dhaka	1999	158	155
Dean Jones	South Africa	Port Elizabeth	1994	160	157
Gary Kirsten	Kenya	Cape Town	2001	160	160
Graeme Smith	India	Johannesburg	2011	162	160

His impact on the current South African One Day outfit  

One of the most prolific performers for the Proteas, Amla has been responsible for giving the side a strong start at the top of the order. His consistency with the bat has reflected in the overall performance of the team as they are currently the Number One ranked team in the world.

Amla has featured in 156 matches for the South African unit, scoring 7186 runs at an average of 50.25 including 25 centuries and 33 half centuries.

The records clearly showcase the exuberant class of Hashim Amla in the shorter format of the game and speak volumes of his determination and hunger to succeed for the Proteas, after he was once discarded as a Test match specialist by the cricket pundits.