Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has scored the most runs in ODI cricket. The former Indian cricket team captain tallied an impressive 18,426 runs in 463 matches during his career that spanned between 1989-2012.
Tendulkar, who also holds the record for scoring the most hundreds in the sport (100) across formats, made his ODI debut against Pakistan in December 1989. In his first two ODIs, the ‘Little Master’ recorded consecutive ducks before opening his account against New Zealand in March 1990, scoring a 39-ball 36.
It took Tendulkar almost a year to score his first half-century in the One-Day International (ODI) format. During the second ODI of Sri Lanka's tour of India in December 1990, the top-order batter scored 53 runs off 41 balls as India successfully chased 230 with six wickets to spare.
Since hitting that half-century against Sri Lanka, Tendulkar became one of the greatest batsmen to have ever graced the sport. From his debut (1989) to retirement in 2012, he registered 49 tons followed by a whopping 96 fifties with his highest score being an unbeaten 200 against South Africa in 2010.
Tendulkar ended his ODI career with an average and strike rate of 44.83 and 86.23 respectively. During this time, he hit 2016 fours - the most by any player in the format - and 195 sixes.
Meanwhile, former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara sits second on the list of the most runs in ODIs. The wicket-keeper batsman scored 14,234 runs in the format between 2000-2015. During this time, he hit 25 tons and 93 half-centuries. Ricky Ponting follows Sangakkara with 13,704 runs as Sanath Jayasuriya (13,430) and Virat Kohli (12,809) complete the top five list.
Virat Kohli has scored the most runs in ODI cricket among active players. The 34-year-old has amassed 13,024 runs in 278 matches at an average of 57.63. Kohli has the best average among players to have scored more than 2,000 career runs in the 50-over format.
Most runs in ODI cricket
| Player | Team | Span | Matches | Runs | Average | High score | 100s | 50s |
| Sachin Tendulkar | India | 1989-2012 | 463 | 18,426 | 44.83 | 200* | 49 | 96 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 2000-2015 | 404 | 14,234 | 41.98 | 169 | 25 | 93 |
| Ricky Ponting | Australia | 1995-2012 | 375 | 13,704 | 42.03 | 164 | 30 | 82 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | Sri Lanka | 1989-2011 | 445 | 13,430 | 32.36 | 189 | 28 | 68 |
| Virat Kohli | India | 2008-2023* | 278 | 13,024 | 57.63 | 183 | 47 | 65 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | Sri Lanka | 1998-2015 | 448 | 12,650 | 33.37 | 144 | 19 | 77 |
| Inzamam-ul-Haq | Pakistan | 1991-2007 | 378 | 11,739 | 39.52 | 137* | 10 | 83 |
| Jacques Kallis | South Africa | 1996-2014 | 328 | 11,579 | 44.36 | 139 | 17 | 86 |
| Sourav Ganguly | India | 1992-2007 | 311 | 11,363 | 41.02 | 183 | 22 | 72 |
| Rahul Dravid | India | 1996-2011 | 344 | 10,889 | 39.16 | 153 | 12 | 83 |
Featured photo: AFP / Munir Uz Zaman
