Top 5 players with the highest batting average in ICC World Cup Tournament
The 50 over World Cup is often considered as the cricket equivalent of FIFA football World Cup. Cricketers around the globe dream of representing their nation in the elite cricket tournament. The World Cup has been responsible for the inception of many innovations in the game of cricket.
Legendary ODI opener Sanath Jayasuriya, along with his partner in crime Romesh Kaluwitharana, changed the dynamics of ODI cricket forever during the 1996 edition of World Cup.
The pair started a new trend of attacking the bowlers in the initial overs of the innings when there used to be only two fielders outside 30-yards circle. Later on, the opening duo like Sachin-Sehwag and Hayden-Gilchrist pioneered this craft and dominated bowling lineups during a better part of the last decade.
Since tournament's inception back in 1975, there have been many outstanding performers whose eminent contributions have helped increase the prestige of the tournament. In this slideshow, let us have a look at players who have been highly consistent in the history of World Cup tournaments.
Sachin Tendulkar narrowly misses out from this list. He has participated in a World Cup for a whopping six number of times and still maintained an outstanding batting average of 56.95
Here are 5 players who have the Best Batting Average in World Cup Tournaments held till now (2018) -
Honourable mentions: Rahul Dravid ( 22 matches) - 61.42, Glenn Turner(14 matches) - 61.20, Martin Guptill ( 17 matches) - 57.88, Sachin Tendulkar ( 45 matches) - 56.95, Steve Smith(14 matches) - 56.87 are the other members from top 10 of this list.
#5 Viv Richards (West Indies) - 63.31
Sir Viv Richards participated in four World Cups (1975, 1979, 1983 and 1987) during his legendary career. He played a crucial part in his team's victorious campaigns during the first two World Cups(1975 and 1979). He was a highly consistent performer for the West Indies team during the World Cups.
He played a total of 23 matches in the World Cups and scored 1013 runs at an impressive average of 63.31 including 3 centuries and 5 fifties.