Top ten list of batting strike rates:The growing importance of batting strike rates is proportional to huge ODI scores being posted. Batters have brought into the philosophy of keeping the game moving at a frenetic pace even in ODIs. The upcoming ODI World Cup in 2023 is sure to witness many tall scores. It will surely witness the strike rates of batsmen going up quite a few notches.
We look at the top ten list of batting strike rates in World Cups:
[Qualification – minimum 500 runs]
#10 Rohit Sharma – 95.97
He had an unforgettable World Cup in 2019. Rohit Sharma became the first player to score 5 centuries in a single edition of the ODI World Cup. Sharma’s 648 runs were the highest in that edition. The fact that Sharma scores these truckloads of runs at a top strike rate is a testimony of his ODI greatness. He has a strike rate of 95.97 across 17 World Cup games.
#9 Adam Gilchrist – 98.01
He was known for his big-match temperament. Adam Gilchrist holds the record for scoring 50+ in three consecutive ODI World Cup finals. The wicketkeeper-batsman featured in a total of 31 ODIs at a strike rate of 98.01.
#8 David Warner – 98.12
He came quite close to edging Rohit Sharma as the top run-getter in the 2019 ODI World Cup. David Warner switches on the beast mode when it comes to ODI World Cups. He strikes at 98.12 in ODI World Cups.
#7 Aaron Finch – 98.25
There is no surprise that 5-time ODI World Cup champions Australia dominates the list. Aaron Finch, the former skipper slots in at number 7 on this list. The unassuming opener struck at 98.25 in 18 World Cup games.
#6 Virender Sehwag – 106.17
He made the first ball of every game in the 2011 World Cup an entire episode. Virender Sehwag barring a couple of games scored a boundary off the first ball he faced in all the games in that edition. The swashbuckler scored at 106.17 across 3 World Cups.
#5 Shane Watson – 108.06
The big burly allrounder went largely unnoticed in the ODI format but Shane Watson had plenty of moments in the World Cups. He scored at 108.06 in 22 World Cup games.
#4 Kapil Dev – 115.14
There was immense hype around Vivian Richards’s strike rate in the 70s and 80s but Kapil Dev’s strike rate during the same era was a different thing altogether. The Haryana Hurricane as he was called had a strike rate of 115.14 in 26 World Cup games with his 175 not out being the iconic innings that changed world cricket.
#3 AB de Villiers – 117.29
He was in blistering form in the 2015 ODI World Cup. AB de Villiers broke multiple ODI records in his epic knock of 162 against the West Indies in 2015. The 360-degree batter played 3 World Cups and scored at 117.29 across 23 games.
#2 Brendon McCullum – 120.84
The Kiwi marauder occupies the second spot on this list. He lit up the 2015 ODI World Cup with his stunning batting blitz. Brendon McCullum’s playing style soon became a mantra for teams to pursue across formats. His strike rate of 120.84 in 34 World Cup games in fantastic!
#1 Glenn Maxwell – 169.25
He just about makes the qualification criteria of scoring 500 runs (501) and unbelievably goes on to top the strike rate charts (169.25). Glenn Maxwell is almost 50 points clear of the next best on this list. The big show’s daredevilry in the 2015 World Cup was one of the big reasons behind Australia winning the trophy!
