Top 6 highest run-getters of 2023 World Cup warm-up matches ft. Babar Azam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz
The 2023 World Cup warm-up matches are in the history books. Quite a few warm-up games were affected by rain. Home team India could not play a single warm-up match due to rain. Not a single ball was bowled in India's warm-up matches against England and Netherlands in Guwahati and Trivandrum.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka were the only teams to lose both of its 2023 World Cup warm-up matches. The Men in Green lost against New Zealand and Australia in Hyderabad, whereas Sri Lanka suffered defeats against Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Now that the 2023 World Cup warm-up matches have ended, here's a look at the top six run-getters in the practice round for the mega event.
#6 Mohammad Rizwan - 103 runs
Mohammad Rizwan played only one innings in the warm-up round of 2023 World Cup. The Pakistan wicketkeeper batter scored 103 runs against New Zealand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Pakistan rested Rizwan for the warm-up match against Australia. Thus, despite scoring a hundred against the Blackcaps, Rizwan finished sixth on the batters with the most runs in the 2023 World Cup warm-up matches.
#5 Rahmanullah Gurbaz - 119 runs
Afghanistan wicketkeeper batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz played one of the best knocks of his career against Sri Lanka in the warm-up round of the 2023 World Cup. Opening the batting for Afghanistan, Gurbaz scored 119 runs off just 92 balls.
The explosive opener smacked eight fours and nine sixes in his entertaining knock. He decided to retire after scoring 119 runs. It was his only inning in the warm-up round.
#4 Tanzid Hasan - 129 runs
Bangladesh batter Tanzid Hasan enjoyed batting in the two innings that he played during the warm-up round of the World Cup. Playing against Sri Lanka, Hasan scored 84 runs off 88 balls and helped Bangladesh chase down a 264-run target in 42 overs.
Next, Hasan played against defending champions England in a rain-marred match at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium. He scored 45 runs off 44 balls and finished with total 129 runs in the warm-up matches.
#3 Mehidy Hasan Miraz - 141 runs
Bangladesh all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz finished third on the leaderboard with 141 runs in two matches. Miraz supported Tanzid Hasan to perfection in the batting unit of Bangladesh.
In the opening game against Sri Lanka, Miraz scored an unbeaten 64-ball 67* to help Bangladesh win by seven wickets. Next, in the match against England, Miraz top-scored with a 89-ball 74, consisting of 10 fours.
#2 Babar Azam - 170 runs
Pakistan captain Babar Azam brought his 'A' game to the table in the two warm-up matches. Playing against the quality bowling lineups of New Zealand and Australia, Babar scored 170 runs in two matches.
He scored 80 against New Zealand and 90 against Australia before deciding to retire in both the matches. The Pakistan skipper had an average of 85 in the 2023 World Cup warm-up matches.
#1 Most runs in 2023 World Cup warm-up matches: Kusal Mendis - 180 runs
Kusal Mendis captained Sri Lanka in their second warm-up match against Afghanistan. The skipper led from the front with a 87-ball 158 against a talented bowling lineup of Afghanistan. However, his efforts went in vain as Afghanistan won by six wickets.
Mendis had scored 32 runs in the previous match against Bangladesh. As a result, he finished with 180 runs in two innings and topped the leaderboard.