Top 5 batsmen with most runs in the middle order in ODIs

The middle order is undoubtedly the most tricky position to bat in an ODI game. It can be highly demanding in terms of flexibility and adaptability as well as highly impactful on the fortunes of the team.

The positions 4-7 in ODI cricket require batsmen who can put the guard down and grind it out in the middle as well as go berserk right from the first ball if the situation calls for it. More often than not we see the players designated for these positions being used as floaters to fulfill the demands of the situation.

The most critical aspect of batting in the middle order is that it almost directly affects the outcome of a match, and hence the pressure is always immense. The onus to carry on from the top order and bat with the tail makes middle order batting a job for specialists.

Most of the successful sides, be it the dominant West Indies of 1980s, the invincible Aussies in the 2000s or the golden era of Indian cricket in the 2010s, had a stable and formidable middle order. Every World Cup winning side has had one or two of their middle order batsmen winning them crucial games - MS Dhoni in the 2011 final, Ben Stokes in the 2019 final and Aravinda de Silva in the 1996 final are just a few examples.

Middle order batsmen, however, are not the ones with many milestones to their name; most record holders are either openers or players who bat one down.

Considering how crucial yet underrated role the middle order batsmen play in ODIs, here is a look at 5 batsmen with most runs in the middle order:

#5 Aravinda de Silva

The Player of the Match of the 1996 World Cup final, Aravinda de Silva is one of the finest cricketers to have come from Lankan soil. The batting mainstay stands fifth in the list of highest run-scorers in the middle order with 7690 runs from 241 innings at an average of 37.37 and strike rate of 82.01.

His average pops up to 53.62 and strike rate to 87.85 in winning causes. 8 out of 10 hundreds and 31 out of 56 fifties from De Silva resulted in wins for Sri Lanka. His highest score of 145 also came in a winning cause.

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#4 Yuvraj Singh

The Player of the Tournament in India's victorious campaign in the 2011 World Cup, Yuvraj Singh was India's middle order mainstay for more than a decade. The all-rounder from Punjab stands fourth in the list with 8285 runs from 262 innings at an average of 36.98 and strike rate of 87.82.

More than 68% of his runs in the middle order came in winning causes. In matches won, Yuvraj averages 50.41 and has a strike rate of 93.74. He has 13 hundreds and 37 fifties batting in the middle order, with a highest score of 150.

#3 Inzamam-ul-Haq

Former Pakistan skipper and a star in their victory at the 1992 World Cup, Inzamam-ul-Haq is undoubtedly one of the best batsmen to have played ODI cricket. Infamous for being a slow runner between the wickets, Inzamam has 9190 runs from 277 innings in the middle order.

He averages 39.44 and has a strike rate of 75.79, which swell up to 51.12 and 80.51 respectively in winning causes. 4 of his 6 hundreds and 43 of his 65 fifties have resulted in wins for Pakistan. His highest score of 123 came in a losing cause though.

#2 MS Dhoni

The only captain to win all the ICC trophies, MS Dhoni is considered one of the greatest finishers in ODI cricket and one of the best limited overs middle order batsmen to have played the game. With 9631 runs from 276 innings, Dhoni stands second in the list. He averages 49.13 and possesses a strike rate of 86.67 while batting in the middle order.

In winning causes, Dhoni's average goes up by 15.20 to 64.33 and strike rate to 95.13. 5 of his 8 hundreds and 38 out of 66 fifties in the middle order have resulted in wins. His 139* for Asia XI batting at number seven remains his highest score in the middle order.

#1 Mahela Jayawardene

Former Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene, who took his side to the final of the 2007 World Cup and scored a brilliant hundred in the final of the 2011 World Cup, has the most runs as a middle order batsman in ODI cricket. Jayawardene has close to 10,000 runs (9896) from 336 innings at an average of 32.44 and strike rate of 77.36.

He has 12 hundreds and 64 fifties, 9 and 36 of which have resulted in wins. His average and strike rate in winning causes go up to 40.45 and 83.16 respectively.

Jayawardene, one of the greatest batsmen to have played for Sri Lanka, will go down as one of the most reliable number fours in limited overs cricket.

AB De Villers (7811), Mohammad Yousuf (7678), Ross Taylor (7622), Steve Waugh (7341), Arjuna Ranatunga (7313) and Mohammad Azharuddin (7310) are the only other batsmen to cross 7000 runs batting in the middle order.

Among the current crop of cricketers, MS Dhoni (9631) leads the chart, followed by Ross Taylor (7622), Eoin Morgan (6549) and Mushfiqur Rahim (5753).