Top 3 ODI batsmen with most runs in a calendar year
2019 was the year England, the country which invented the game, finally won the most precious award in the sport - the World Cup. Ben Stokes, the team’s World Cup hero, had a fantastic year with 719 runs from 20 matches at an average of 59.91, scoring seven fifties, including the all-important one in the World Cup final.
England openers Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow also had a memorable run. While Roy scored 845 runs in 14 matches at an average of 70.41 with three hundreds and six fifties, Bairstow amassed 844 runs in 20 at an average of 46.88 with three tons. Joe Root was the leading run-scorer for the team, having made 910 runs in 22 matches at average of fifty plus.
Individually, Indians dominated the charts. Rohit Sharma was the leading run-scorer with 1,490 runs in 28 matches, averaging 57.30 with seven hundreds. Skipper Virat Kohli was second with 1,377 runs in 26 games at an average of 59.86 with five hundreds. Now, here’s a look at top three batsmen who hold the record for having scored most ODI runs in a calendar year.
#3 Matthew Hayden (1,601 runs in 2007)
In 2007, the year Australia won their third consecutive World Cup, their opener Matthew Hayden dominated the charts with 1,601 runs in 32 matches at an average of 59.29 with five hundreds and six fifties. The bulky Hayden’s runs came at an impressive strike rate of 89.19.
Hayden’s career-best of 181 not out came against New Zealand at Hamilton in February. His innings came off 166 balls and featured 11 fours and 10 sixes. The Kiwis though chased down 347 in this innings thanks to Craig McMillan’s 117 and Brendon McCullum’s unbeaten 86. The left-hander scored 117 from 111 against the same opponent in January at Perth.
Hayden scored back-to-back centuries in the World Cup in March - a rollicking 101 off 68 balls against South Africa at Basseterre, and 158 from 143 balls against hosts West Indies in the Super Eight encounter at North Sound. There was one more hundred (103 from 100 balls) against New Zealand in the Super Eights encounter at St George's, a game Aussies won by an massive margin of 215 runs.