Cricket fans love numbers, and the quest to become the batter to reach the fastest 7000 runs in ODIs demonstrates the ability, willpower, and influence a batter can have in the game's abbreviated format.
Within the frantic atmosphere of One Day International (ODI) cricket, the chase for 7000 runs is a measure of a batsman's skill and reliability. It is an impressive accomplishment to reach this milestone of scoring the fastest 7000 runs in ODI, and it shows how dominant a player can be in the limited-overs style.
Let’s learn about those special batters.
Top 10 Batters Who Scored Fastest 7000 runs in ODI History
Below is the list of 10 batters who have scored the fastest 7000 runs in ODI cricket:
| Batter Name | Country | Venue | Innings Taken | Years Taken |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hashim Amla | South Africa | Lord's | 150 | 9y 81d |
| Virat Kohli | India | Melbourne | 161 | 7y 152d |
| AB de Villiers | South Africa | Perth | 166 | 9y 285d |
| Sourav Ganguly | India | Paarl | 174 | 9y 286d |
| Rohit Sharma | India | Dubai | 181 | 11y 92d |
| Brian Lara | West Indies | St George's | 183 | 10y 178d |
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | Hamiliton | 186 | 13y 84d |
| Desmond Haynes | West Indies | Adelaide | 187 | 13y 295d |
| Jacques Kallis | South Africa | Colombo | 188 | 8y 224d |
| Ross Taylor | New Zealand | Hamiliton | 188 | 11y 361d |
1. Hashim Amla
South Africa’s legendary opener, Hashim Amla, has numerous ODI records to his name. One of them is scoring the fastest 7000 runs in ODI cricket. His celestial wristwork made him dominate bowlers in all conditions worldwide.
Hashim took 150 innings to reach the fastest 7000 ODI runs milestone at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in 2017. Amla's impressive ODI career concluded with 27 tons and 39 fifties at an average of 49.5.
2. Virat Kohli
There is no batter in the world more trustworthy in an ODI chase than Virat Kohli. During successful run chases in ODIs, Kohli averages an astonishing 90.40 and has struck 23 tons and 25 fifties in just 96 innings.
Virat completed his 7000 ODI runs in 161 innings during a series of encounters against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). King Kohli is also the fastest batter to reach 10,000 ODI runs, beating his childhood idol Sachin by 54 innings.
3. AB de Villiers
Former South African skipper AB de Villiers is next on the list of batters who made the fastest 7000 runs in ODI. It took him 166 innings to reach this landmark. The highlight of de Villiers’ career is his ability to construct an innings and later smash bowlers at will.
He holds the record for scoring the fastest ODI 50, quickest 100 and 150. Meanwhile, his stats (53.5 average, 101.1 strike rate) make him a modern-day great.
4. Sourav Ganguly
Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly held numerous records in ODI cricket during the 2000s. He redefined India’s cricket through his aggressive intent back in the days. It took Ganguly 174 innings to attain this milestone during an ODI match against Kenya in Paarl, 2001.
He had a brilliant World Cup in 2003, scoring 465 runs (second most). Overall, Prince of Kolkata “Ganguly” has scored 1006 ODI World Cup runs at an average of 55.88.
5. Rohit Sharma
One of the explosive modern-era batters, Rohit Sharma, is fifth on the list of batters to complete the fastest 7000 runs in ODI cricket. He achieved this feat during the Asia Cup 2018 match against arch-rival Pakistan.
Rohit has a unique record of scoring three ODI double centuries along with the highest-ever ODI individual score (264). During the ODI World Cups, Rohit made the most 100s (7) and maintained a brilliant average (60.57).
6. Brian Lara
One of the all-time greats and Windies legends, Brian Lara, was ahead of his time in ODI cricket during the 1990s and 2000s. His ability to play classical wristy shots off seaming deliveries made bowlers clueless in front of him.
Lara took 183 innings to get 7000 ODI runs during an ODI match against South Africa in 2001. He has also struck 19 centuries and 63 fifties during his illustrious ODI career.
7. Martin Guptill
New Zealand’s destructive opening batter, Martin Guptill, is next on the list of batters who made the fastest 7000 runs in the ODI format. He needed 186 innings to get these runs. Guptill, on his day, can tire apart any bowling attack once he gets settled on the crease.
Martin Guptill has also registered the second highest individual score (237*) in ODI history against the West Indies at Westpac Stadium, Wellington, during World Cup 2015.
8. Desmond Haynes
ODI World Cup 1979 Winner and Windies Legend Desmond Haynes is the only veteran on this list. He was part of the vintage West Indies 1970s/1980s side that ruled cricket for more than a decade. He completed 7000 runs in 187 innings in 1991.
He was one of the few batters of his era who reached the 8000-run mark in ODI cricket. His exceptional ODI career ended with 17 tons and 57 fifties, with the highest score of 152*. Surely, Desmond Haynes will forever remain a beacon of light for generations of batters.
9. Jacques Kallis
Jacques Kallis is rated as the greatest all-rounder of all time based on his world-class stats. Kallis reached 7000 ODI runs in 188 innings during an ODI encounter against Sri Lanka at R. Premedasa Stadium in 2004.
He is the only ODI cricketer who took 273 wickets and scored 11,579 runs. His overall ODI batting stats are worth mentioning, too: 17 tons, 86 fifties and an average of 44.4.
10. Ross Taylor
A highly underrated former New Zealand middle order batter, Ross Taylor, is last on the list of batters who completed the fastest 7000 runs in the ODI format. He is also the sixth fastest batter to make 8000 runs in ODI cricket. It took him 188 innings and nearly 12 years to achieve this landmark.
Ross has also scored the most runs for New Zealand in ODI cricket (8607 runs). He remained an integral part of his side during ODI World Cups and scored important runs. Overall, Taylor has struck 21 centuries and 51 fifties during his magnificent ODI career.
Conclusion
South Africa’s Hashim Amla is the batter to complete the fastest 7000 runs in ODI cricket. This record was previously held by his countryman AB de Villiers (166 innings), whom Amla beat by 16 innings (150 innings). AB de Villiers is the unique batter on the list with a 100+ career strike rate.
The list is dominated by Indian and South African batters, as there are three of them. While there are two batters from New Zealand and the West Indies. In terms of years, Virat Kohli is the fastest, and Jacques Kallis is the second fastest to get to 7000 ODI runs
