5 Fastest cricketers to 10000 runs in ODIs

It is not an ordinary achievement to score 10000 runs in one-day cricket as it needs the players to remain at the top of their form for a very long period of time. One of the very difficult things for cricketers is to switch between formats and play accordingly.

While test cricket is about perseverance and leaving the good ones and punishing the bad deliveries, one-day cricket is about getting those singles, converting it to doubles, putting pressure on the bowler and making use of field-restrictions to name a few. Some of the cricketers have analysed the one-day format to perfection and became masters of the format.

Through the course of this article, we take a look at five fastest cricketers to amass 10000 runs in the shorter format.

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#5 Jacques Kallis, 272 innings

Jacques Kallis is

arguable

the game's greatest all-rounder of all-time

Without a shadow of a doubt, Jacques Kallis is the greatest all-rounder of all-time. He was consistent with both bat and ball and had equal prowess in both the departments. Kallis had innumerable game-winning performances for his country during his stint and carried the bulk of South Africa's batting load at number three for a long time.

The South African cricket team toured Australia in 2009 for a five-match ODI series. The series was tied at 1-1 after the first two ODIs and the visitors were looking to win the third game and take the lead in the series.

The hosts won the toss and chose to bat first but only managed to score 269 runs against a really good SA team. In return, Kallis played a crucial knock and stitched a game-winning 96 run partnership with Gibbs to take the team home. He scored 60 off 72 balls and in doing so, he amassed 10000 runs in ODIs and became the first South African cricketer to reach the landmark.

#4 Ricky Ponting, 266 innings

Ricky Ponting is the only Aussie cricketer to get to 10000 runs in ODIs

Ricky Ponting is the greatest Aussie cricketer of all-time and it is not even up for debate. He is also the most successful ODI skipper and the team reached newer heights during his tenure. He has successfully led the team to two World Cups and will be remembered forever by the cricketing fans all over the world for his captaincy.

In the 2007 World Cup, Australia were on a roll and dismantling the oppositions night in, night out and were up against South Africa. After batting first, the Kangaroos posted a huge total of 377-6 in 50 overs. This came on the back of Hayden and Clarke's 161-run partnership.

Ponting became the first Aussie cricketer to get to 10000 runs and is still the only one to have reached this famous landmark for the Kangaroos. Australia went on to win this game and the World Cup in emphatic fashion.

#3 Sourav Ganguly, 263 innings

Sourav Ganguly is one of the greatest ODI skippers of all-time

Sourav Ganguly is a name that will bring a lot of emotions to Indian fans. He is one of the greatest ODI skippers of all-time and made his impact on Indian cricket with his aggressive approach. He opened the innings with Sachin Tendulkar for the most part of his one-day career and the duo is the most successful opening pair to this day.

Indian were in Sri Lanka for the Triangular Indian Oil Cup in 2005 involving West Indies. India opened their account with a win against West Indies and were pitted against Sri Lanka for their next game. India batted first and scored just 220 runs. Sourav Ganguly reached the 10000 run milestone in this game and scored 51 runs off 110 deliveries with a forgettable strike-rate of 46.36.

To no one's surprise, India went on to lose this game as the hosts chased it down with two overs and six wickets remaining. It is unfortunate that a game in which 'dada' reached a very memorable milestone had to end in a loss for the national side.

#2 Sachin Tendulkar, 259 innings

Sachin Tendulkar is widely acclaimed as the greatest batsman of all-time

You know the rules, don't you? When the discussion is about batting records, there is no way the list can go without Sachin's name in it. The little master is widely acclaimed as the greatest batsman of all-time. A large number of batting records are on his name to this day and there are not a lot of batsmen in the current generation who have the talent to break those records.

The Australian cricket team was in India for a five-match ODI series in 2001. After the first two ODIs, the series was tied at one apiece and the focus shifted to the third game at Indore. Sachin played a scintillating knock and scored 139 runs off 125 balls and was involved in a second-wicket partnership of 199 runs with VVS Laxman. He also completed 10000 runs and became the first cricketer to do so.

The Agarkar-Harbhajan duo combined for six wickets and the visitors got bundled out for just 181 runs and suffered an embarrassing defeat. The master blaster was awarded the Man of the Match for his match-winning knock.

#1 Virat Kohli, 205 innings

Kohli broke Sachin's record to become the fastest to 10000 runs in ODIs

Virat Kohli has been in a sensational form from the last 6-7 years and the run machine continues to break records. He has been the mainstay of Indian batting lineup and is a thorn in opposition's flesh every time he comes out to bat.

In the game against West Indies as part of the 5-ODI series in 2018, the Indian skipper broke Sachin's record and became the fastest cricketer to score 10000 runs in ODIs, in just 205 innings. He finished with an unbeaten 157 off 129 balls, accompanied by 13 fours and 4 sixes to lift the Team India's total to 321/5 in 50 overs.

This was Kohli's 37th ODI century and is now just 12 centuries away from breaking Sachin Tendulkar's record of highest centuries in ODIs. It is only a matter of time before he breaks every batting record there is and stands at the top of the table.