Top 3 ODI run-getters in 2019

It was a special year for ODI cricket as it featured the World Cup, and the fans were thoroughly entertained by some special performances with the bat.

The bat largely dominated the ball in the 50-over format of the game as the pitches were mostly flat, including those in the World Cup as well. There were a few venues that had sporting pitches, but the bowlers would have hoped for more.

More than 90 ODI hundreds were scored through the year as the shot-makers, especially those in the top order, had a lot of fun batting on pitches which were conducive for stroke-play.

Here, we look at the three players with the most ODI runs in 2019.

#1 Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma was easily the most consistent ODI batsman in 2019. He delivered for India in almost every series he played, including the World Cup, where he ended up as the leading run-scorer with 659 runs and five hundreds.

In total, Rohit scored 1490 runs in 28 ODIs at an average of 57.30 and a strike rate of 89.92, with 7 hundreds and 6 fifties.

With Shikhar Dhawan being irregular in the ODI set-up this year due to fitness issues, Rohit had a greater responsibility on his shoulders - to not only stay long on the pitch but also not let the tempo of the innings suffer at any stage.

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The Indian vice-captain took it upon himself to take the charge in the powerplay in Dhawan’s absence. He also batted deep in most of the games, allowing his new opening partner KL Rahul to settle in.

Rohit would have liked to win the World Cup with the kind of performances he put in with the bat. It was a massive disappointment for him not to be able to do that, but individually, it was the best year of his ODI career.

#2 Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli

After leading the ODI run-scoring chart for the last couple of years, Virat Kohli had to finish second this time around. He played a couple of games fewer than Rohit, and that might have been one of the reasons why he couldn’t catch up to the run tally of his deputy.

The Indian captain averaged 59.86 in the 26 ODIs he played and struck the ball at a rate of 96.36 runs per 100 balls. He finished with a final tally of 1377 runs.

Kohli might not have scored as many runs as Rohit in the World Cup, but he was also in decent nick. He chipped away with five half-centuries in the nine games he played in the tournament, scoring a total of 443 runs at an average of more than 55.

Kohli would, however, have been gutted about his failure in the World Cup semi-final. It would have been a perfect year for him if he had led India to the World Cup title.

#3 Shai Hope

Shai Hope

Shai Hope averaged more than both Kohli and Rohit in 2019 and ended the year only 32 runs behind the Indian captain. Hope scored 1345 runs for West Indies in 28 games at an average of 61.13, with four hundreds and eight fifties.

Hope was tasked by the West Indies team management with holding one end and batting till the very end, so that the other stroke-players could express themselves around him. And the wicket-keeper batsman performed that role brilliantly throughout the year.

Hope rarely, if ever, threw his wicket away by playing a rash shot upfront. His batting was one of the main reasons why West Indies whitewashed Afghanistan 3-0 and were on the verge of pulling off a series victory against India as well.

Hope scored 451 runs in the six games that he played against Afghanistan and India towards the end of the year, at a sensational average of 150.33.