Stats: Most runs in international cricket across all formats in 2016
2016 has been a year of records for Virat Kohli and he ends the calendar year with another feather in his cap as he finishes 2016 as the leading run-scorer in international cricket. The Indian Test captain has had a battle for top spot with England’s Joe Root all year but despite trailing for most of the year, he finishes on top.
Behind this intriguing battle that went on all year is that of two Australians, Steve Smith and David Warner. The pair have exchanged third spot with regularity in the last months but it is the Australian captain, courtesy of his best score of 2016 (165*) in the final Test of the year, who takes third sport ahead of David Warner. Both Australians have crossed 2,000 runs in international cricket in 2016 and are one of only four to have done so in 2016.
Virat Kohli has had a phenomenal year so far and that is evident from his incredible numbers. 2016 is only the third time that Virat Kohli has crossed the 2,000 run mark in a calendar year in international cricket and this year is the most productive in terms of highest tally of runs he has ever made in international cricket, overtaking his mark of 2,286 runs in 2014.
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26 players have scored over 1,000 runs in international cricket in 2016. Tamim Iqbal and Tom Latham became the latest to join the list during the ODI series against Bangladesh while Ajinkya Rahane became only the third Indian, after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, on day one of the second Test between India and England at Vizag.
But only four players, Root, Kohli, Smith and Warner, have managed to cross 2,000 runs but the rest of the top ten have all managed to cross the 1,500 mark. The battle for top spot has always been between Root and Kohli, who had a considerable gap to the next spot, which reduced considerably in the final month of the year.
In the list of ten players with most runs in international cricket across all formats in 2016, there is an assortment of players from various countries. Among the top eight countries, players from six make it to the list, with Sri Lanka and West Indies, being the only countries not on it.
Despite England playing a lot more cricket than most countries in 2016, there is just one Englishman in the top five, partly due to their policy of going horses for causes and picking specific players based on the format. Despite not being a regular in the shorter formats, Jonny Bairstow, who has already broken a world record this year, finishes it at no.7.
England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa all have two players in the top ten while India have a solitary player but that is Kohli, who tops the charts. Rising through the ranks right at the end of the year were two openers in Martin Guptill and Azhar Ali, who scored a double century in the Boxing Day Test against Australia.
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Australia’s batting has been reliant on David Warner and Steve Smith to provide the majority of runs and that is evident from the numbers as the duo not only take the third and fourth spot but are one of only four Australians in the top 30.
South Africa also have two players in the top ten as Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla have ensured that the Proteas haven’t missed AB de Villiers, who has missed a major chunk of 2016 through injury, as much many thought they might.
Kane Williamson also features on this list and here are the top 10 run-getters in international cricket across all formats in 2016:
| No | Batsman | Matches | Runs | Average | HS |
| 1 | Virat Kohli (Ind) | 37 | 2,595 | 86.50 | 235 |
| 2 | Joe Root (Eng) | 41 | 2,570 | 50.39 | 254 |
| 3 | Steve Smith (Aus) | 45 | 2,406 | 53.46 | 165* |
| 4 | David Warner (Aus) | 44 | 2,374 | 47.48 | 173 |
| 5 | Kane Williamson (NZ) | 38 | 1,835 | 44.75 | 118 |
| 6 | Quinton de Kock (SA) | 32 | 1,781 | 53.96 | 178 |
| 7 | Jonny Bairstow (Eng) | 28 | 1,668 | 52.12 | 167* |
| 8 | Hashim Amla (SA) | 30 | 1,548 | 48.31 | 201 |
| 9 | Azhar Ali (PAK) | 22 | 1,539 | 51.30 | 302* |
| 10 | Martin Guptill (NZ) | 36 | 1,512 | 36.87 | 114 |
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