Scoring 5000 runs in One Day International (ODI) cricket is a significant milestone that showcases a batsman’s consistency and longevity in the 50-over format. Let’s take a look at the elite group of players who have achieved the feat of being the fastest to reach 5000 ODI runs.
The Top 5 Fastest to 5000 ODI Runs
Here are the five batsmen who took the least number of innings to accumulate 5000 runs in ODIs:
| Player | Country | Innings to 5000 runs |
|---|---|---|
| Hashim Amla | South Africa | 101 |
| Viv Richards | West Indies | 114 |
| Virat Kohli | India | 114 |
| Brian Lara | West Indies | 118 |
| Gordon Greenidge | West Indies | 121 |
Hashim Amla of South Africa tops the list, achieving the landmark in an astonishing 101 innings. He broke the long-standing record held by West Indian great Viv Richards, who reached the 5000-run mark in 114 innings.
India’s modern batting maestro Virat Kohli equaled Richards’ record, also getting to the milestone in 114 innings. Kohli has been a run-machine in ODIs, maintaining an incredible consistency over the years.
Caribbean batting legends Brian Lara and Gordon Greenidge round out the top 5, reaching 5000 ODI runs in 118 and 121 innings respectively. Their aggressive batting style helped them score runs quickly.
Other Notable Entries in the Top 10
While the top 5 stand out for their sheer speed in amassing 5000 ODI runs, the next five names in the list are also cricketing greats:
- Shikhar Dhawan (India) – 123 innings
- David Warner (Australia) – 123 innings
- Joe Root (England) – 124 innings
- Kane Williamson (New Zealand) – 124 innings
- Babar Azam (Pakistan) – 125 innings
India’s swashbuckling opener Shikhar Dhawan and Australia’s David Warner both took 123 innings to reach the 5000-run landmark. Dhawan’s aggressive starts have been crucial to India’s success in recent years, while Warner has been a consistent performer for Australia.
England’s Joe Root and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, two of the fab four of modern batting along with Kohli and Australia’s Steve Smith, needed 124 innings each to get to 5000 ODI runs. Their classical technique mixed with the ability to score quickly has made them ODI batting stalwarts.
Pakistan’s Babar Azam is the newest entrant in the top 10, crossing 5000 runs in 125 innings. Azam has been a revelation since his ODI debut in 2015 and is already considered one of the best contemporary ODI batsmen.
The Significance of Reaching 5000 ODI Runs Quickly
Getting to 5000 ODI runs is a testament to a batsman’s skill, but doing it in fewer innings shows how prolific they have been. Sustaining a high level of performance over a long period is not easy.
Factors that enable batsmen to quickly reach the 5000-run mark include:
- Consistency: Scoring runs regularly by avoiding long lean patches
- Strike rate: Scoring runs quickly by maintaining a high strike rate
- Longevity: Having a long and largely uninterrupted ODI career
- Batting position: Getting maximum opportunity to bat by playing in the top order
The batsmen featured in the list of fastest to 5000 ODI runs check most of these boxes. They have been extremely consistent, scored their runs at a fair clip, enjoyed long careers, and batted in the top order.
The Changing Face of ODI Batting
The fact that six out of the top ten fastest to 5000 ODI runs are currently active players shows how much ODI batting has evolved. The modern game has increasingly become more batting friendly.
Some of the factors that have enabled higher scoring rates in modern ODIs are:
- Flat pitches: Pitches nowadays are often more batting-friendly
- Shorter boundaries: Smaller grounds mean even mishits can clear the rope
- Fielding restrictions: Rules limiting the number of fielders outside the circle
- Better bats: Technological advancements have made bats more powerful
These factors, along with a general attacking mindset, have led to an exponential increase in scoring rates. While it took Richards 114 innings to reach 5000 ODI runs, Kohli matched the record nearly three decades later. This is not to take anything away from Kohli’s achievement, but just goes to show how much the game has changed.
The Importance of the Opening Batsmen
An interesting aspect to note is that many of the batsmen in the list of fastest to 5000 ODI runs are openers. Amla, Greenidge, Dhawan, and Warner regularly opened the batting for their teams.
Opening batsmen have the maximum opportunity to score big runs as they get to bat the most number of overs. They also get to take advantage of the fielding restrictions in place during the first powerplay.
However, opening is not an easy job, as the batsmen have to face the new ball and fresh fast bowlers. The openers who feature in this list have not only negated the new ball but also scored quickly to give their team solid starts.
The Fab Four and the 5000 Club
Among the current crop of batsmen, Kohli, Root, Williamson, and Azam have been branded the fab four of modern batting. All of them feature in the top 10 list of fastest to 5000 ODI runs.
While Kohli has been the standout ODI batsman of this generation, the other three have also been highly consistent in the 50-over format. The fab four, along with Warner and Rohit Sharma, have taken ODI batting to another level.
Their consistent performances have raised the bar for the next generation of ODI batsmen. As the game continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see if the records for the fastest to 5000 ODI runs are broken in the future.
Conclusion
Scoring 5000 runs in ODI cricket is a significant achievement, but doing it in quick time puts a batsman in an elite list. From Richards and Greenidge in the 1980s to Kohli and Azam now, the batsmen who have reached the milestone the fastest have been extraordinary players.
Their ability to combine consistency with quick scoring has set them apart. As ODI cricket continues to become more batting-friendly, we might see more players entering this list in the coming years. But for now, these players stand tall as the fastest to reach 5000 ODI runs.
