Raj joins pantheon of greats

India’s skipper Mithali Raj recently became the highest run-scorer in the history of women’s ODI cricket after hitting 69 against Australia. To mark her achievement, we have listed the top five run-getters across all three formats in men and women’s cricket.

MEN’S TESTS

1. Sachin Tendulkar, India
   Tests – 200
   Runs – 15,921
   Average – 53.78
   100s – 51
   50s – 68
   Highest score – 248*

In a Test career spanning 25 years, Tendulkar became the first cricketer to break the 15,000-run mark and score 50 centuries.

2. Ricky Ponting, Australia
   Tests – 168
   Runs – 13,378
   Average – 51.85
   100s – 41
   50s – 62
   Highest score – 257

3. Jacques Kallis, South Africa
   Tests – 166
   Runs – 13,289
   Average – 55.37
   100s – 45
   50s – 58
   Highest score – 224

4. Rahul Dravid, India
   Tests – 164
   Runs – 13,288
   Average – 52.31
   100s – 36
   50s – 63
   Highest score – 270

5. Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka
   Tests – 134
   Runs – 12,400
   Average – 57.40
   100s – 38
   50s – 52
   Highest score – 319

WOMEN’S TESTS

1. Janette Brittin, England
   Tests – 27
   Runs – 1,935
   Average – 49.61
   100s – 5
   50s – 11
   Highest score – 167

In an international career of 20 years, Brittin, a right-handed opening bat, broke the record for the most Tests played and most runs and hundreds scored. She still holds all three records.

2. Charlotte Edwards, England
   Tests – 23
   Runs – 1,676
   Average – 44.10
   100s – 4
   50s – 9
   Highest score – 117

3. Rachael Heyhoe Flint, England
   Tests – 22
   Runs – 1,594
   Average – 45.54
   100s – 3
   50s – 10
   Highest score – 179

4. Debbie Hockley, New Zealand
   Tests – 19
   Runs – 1,301
   Average – 52.04
   100s – 4
   50s – 7
   Highest score – 126*

5. Carole Hodges, England
   Tests – 18
   Runs – 1,164
   Average – 40.13
   100s – 2
   50s – 6
   Highest score – 158*

MEN’S ODIs

1. Sachin Tendulkar, India
   ODIS – 463
   Runs – 18,426
   Average – 44.83
   100s – 49
   50s – 96
   Highest score – 200*

Aged 36, the Little Master became the first batsman to score a double-century in ODIs and his 49th ODI hundred, scored against Bangladesh in 2013, made him the first cricketer to score 100 international centuries.

2. Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka
   ODIs – 404
   Runs – 14,234
   Average – 41.98
   100s – 25
   50s – 93
   Highest score – 169

3. Ricky Ponting, Australia
   ODIs – 375
   Runs – 13,704
   Average – 42.03
   100s – 30
   50s – 82
   Highest score – 164

4. Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka
   ODIs – 445
   Runs – 13,430
   Average – 32.36
   100s – 28
   50s – 68
   Highest score – 189

5. Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka
   ODIs – 448
   Runs – 12,650
   Average – 33.37
   100s – 19
   50s – 77
   Highest score – 144

WOMEN’S ODIs

1. Mithali Raj, India
   ODIs – 183
   Runs – 6,028
   Average – 51.52
   100s – 5
   50s – 49
   Highest score – 114*

Raj has been the epitome of consistency in her ODI career, averaging over 50 in 15 calendar years since her debut in 1999. She has become the first woman to break the 6,000-run mark in ODIs.

2. Charlotte Edwards, England
   ODIs – 191
   Runs – 5,992
   Average – 38.16
   100s – 9
   50s – 46
   Highest score – 173*

3. Belinda Clark, Australia
   ODIs – 118
   Runs – 4,844
   Average – 47.49
   100s – 5
   50s – 30
   Highest score – 229*

4. Karen Rolton, Australia
   ODIs – 141
   Runs – 4,814
   Average – 48.14
   100s – 8
   50s – 33
   Highest score – 154*

5. Claire Taylor, England
   ODIs – 126
   Runs – 4,101
   Average – 40.20
   100s – 8
   50s – 23
   Highest score – 156*

MEN’S T20Is

1. Brendon McCullum, New Zealand
   T20Is – 71
   Runs – 2,140
   Average – 35.66
   Strike-rate – 136.21
   100s – 2
   50s – 13
   Highest score – 123

The aggressive manner in which the former New Zealand captain played made him a pioneer of the T20 era. Along with West Indians Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis, he is one of only three batsmen to have scored two centuries in T20I cricket.

2. Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sri Lanka
   T20Is – 80
   Runs – 1,889
   Average – 28.19
   Strike-rate – 120.54
   100s – 1
   50s – 13
   Highest score – 104*

3. Martin Guptill, New Zealand
   T20Is – 61
   Runs – 1,806
   Average – 34.73
   Strike-rate – 131.44
   100s – 1
   50s – 10
   Highest score – 101*

4. Mohammad Shahzad, Afghanistan
   T20Is – 58
   Runs – 1,779
   Average – 32.34
   Strike-rate – 136.84
   100s – 1
   50s – 12
   Highest score – 118*

5. Virat Kohli, India
   T20Is – 49
   Runs – 1,748
   Average – 52.96
   Strike-rate – 135.50
   100s – 0
   50s – 16
   Highest score – 90*

WOMEN’S T20IS

1. Charlotte Edwards, England
   T20Is – 95
   Runs – 2,605
   Average – 32.97
   Strike-rate – 106.93
   100s – 0
   50s – 12
   Highest score – 92*

England’s ex-captain set the bar in T20I cricket after debuting in the format in 2004, helping her team to victory in the inaugural ICC World T20 in 2009.

2. Stafanie Taylor, West Indies
   T20Is – 77
   Runs – 2,389
   Average – 37.92
   Strike-rate – 102.05
   100s – 0
   50s – 19
   Highest score – 90

3. Suzie Bates, New Zealand
   T20Is – 87
   Runs – 2,214
   Average – 27.00
   Strike-rate – 106.08
   100s – 0
   50s – 13
   Highest score – 94*

4. Sarah Taylor, England
   T20Is – 81
   Runs – 2,054
   Average – 30.20
   Strike-rate – 109.60
   100s – 0
   50s – 15
   Highest score – 77

5. Meg Lanning, Australia
   T20Is – 70
   Runs – 1,930
   Average – 31.63
   Strike-rate – 115.84
   100s – 1
   50s – 10
   Highest score – 126