It might be easy to have a good odd season in international cricket. But to continually excel, you need talent, temperament, grit, and perseverance. There have been plenty of batsmen who have crossed 10,000 runs in international cricket. But only a select few have crossed the 20,000 runs mark in international cricket. There are even 5 Fastest Batsmen who have crossed it real quick.
We Look At The 5 Fastest Batsmen To Hit The Landmark:
#5 AB de Villiers (483 innings)
He was arguably one of the few batsmen who had a defining impact on the game. AB de Villiers was the first of his kind 360-degree player. He could toy with bowlers on any given day. ABD could smash the world’s fastest century yet score just 33 batting for almost 35 overs. He was a versatile batsman. ABD touched the 20,000 runs mark at a brisk pace as one would usually associate with him. He crossed the milestone in 420 games and 483 innings.
#4 Ricky Ponting (464 innings)
He was arguably the most dominant batsman of his generation. Ricky Ponting bullied opponents into submission with his stroke play. He used to pull, cut, and drive with fierce velocity. Ponting was unstoppable, especially in the phase between 2000-07. He was part of Australia’s triple World Cup-winning campaign. Ponting reached the 20,000 runs mark in just 464 innings. He played 399 matches to get to the landmark.
#3 Sachin Tendulkar (453 innings)
Undoubtedly the greatest batsman to have ever played the game, Sachin Tendulkar features a surprise third on this list. He came into his own in limited-overs cricket once he started opening the innings. Tendulkar amassed a whopping 18,426 runs in ODIs and 15,921 runs in Tests. The master blaster reached the 20,000 runs milestone in just 453 innings and 402 matches. He was unsurprisingly the first batsman to reach the mark in 2002.
#2 Brian Lara (453 innings)
The biggest entertainer of the modern era, Brian Charles Lara was a one-man mean machine. He scored runs for fun. His flamboyance and flair were absolutely unmatchable. Lara was brilliant against pace, he was equally magnificent against spin. In a side that was bereft of quality, Lara stood out like a raw gem. He reached the 20,000 runs mark in 453 innings. Lara took a fewer number of games (372) as compared to Sachin.
#1 Virat Kohli (417 innings)
The only active batsman on the current list, Virat Kohli leads the race. Kohli hasn’t scored a century for almost 3 years, yet his numbers topple the legends of the game. The man who debuted in 2008 hardly took time to get going in international cricket. He played massive roles in India’s twin wins (ODI World Cup, 2011 and Champions Trophy, 2013). Kohli hit the 20,000-run mark in 376 games and in just 417 innings.
