Top 5 most runs in a single men's ODI World Cup edition ft. Virat Kohli
The 2023 World Cup concluded on Sunday, and several records were shattered over the course of the event. Australia extended their dominance over the competition by clinching their sixth title, with no other men's team having more than two.
Individually, both batters and bowlers achieved interesting milestones. Mohammed Shami and Mitchell Starc, two of the most accomplished bowlers in World Cup history, had productive campaigns. Meanwhile, with the bat, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli excelled for India.
Kohli played so well that he finished atop the run-scoring charts and walked away with the Player of the Tournament award. He also worked himself into a high-profile list featuring several legends of the game - more on that later - and shattered multiple records held by his idol, Sachin Tendulkar.
Here are the five batters with the most runs in a single edition of the men's ODI World Cup.
#5 David Warner - 647 runs in 2019 World Cup
The 2019 World Cup saw England clinch their first-ever title with a magnificent win over New Zealand in the final. Prior to that, Eoin Morgan and his men beat Australia in a tightly fought semifinal.
One of the main reasons behind Australia reaching that stage was David Warner's prolific run. The explosive opener continued from where he left off in 2015 and hammered 647 runs at an average of 71.88 and a strike rate of 89.36 to finish as the tournament's second-highest run-getter.
Warner hit three fifties and three centuries in the 2019 World Cup. He followed it up with another good campaign in 2023, this time ending up with the trophy.
#4 Rohit Sharma - 648 runs in 2019 World Cup
The only man to score more runs than Warner in the 2019 World Cup was Rohit Sharma. Like Warner, he was part of a side that lost in the semifinal stage as New Zealand inched over the line across two days.
Rohit was remarkably consistent in 2019, striking a whopping five hundreds in that edition of the competition. That's a record that stands to this day, despite being threatened by Quinton de Kock's run in the 2023 edition.
The Indian opener had an average of 81.00 and a strike rate of 98.33 in the 2019 World Cup.
#3 Matthew Hayden - 659 runs in 2007 World Cup
In the 2007 World Cup, Australia completed a historic three-peat as they followed up on their memorable wins in 1999 and 2003 by adding another trophy to their cabinet.
The Kangaroos were fired to the title by the exploits of Matthew Hayden, who smashed 659 runs at an average of 73.22 and a strike rate of 101.07. The explosive southpaw hit three hundreds in the tournament, with a highest score of 158.
#2 Sachin Tendulkar - 673 runs in 2003 World Cup
A man who has played in more World Cups than any other, Sachin Tendulkar obviously has plenty of notable records to his name. One of those was the most runs in a single edition of the tournament, a record that stood until earlier this month.
In the 2003 World Cup, Tendulkar tallied 673 runs at an average of 61.18 and a strike rate of 89.25. Although he crossed the century mark just once, he notched up as many as six fifties and played a vital role in India reaching the final.
Tendulkar couldn't make a mark in the final, though, as the Men in Blue suffered a heartbreaking loss to Australia. Two decades later, history repeated itself...
#1 Virat Kohli - 765 runs in 2023 World Cup
Virat Kohli couldn't add another World Cup trophy to his record, but he impressed all with his relentless run-scoring in the 2023 edition. The superstar batter piled on 765 runs at an average of 95.62 and a strike rate of 90.31, with three hundreds and six fifties to his name.
Kohli broke countless other records over the course of the tournament. He notched up his 50th ODI century, equaling and then going past Tendulkar's 49. He also recorded the most 50-plus scores in a single edition of the World Cup.
Kohli deservedly walked away with the Player of the Tournament award.