In the exciting world of One Day International (ODI) cricket, a few batters have made a name for themselves by reaching the fastest 8000 runs in ODI cricket. These players have had a lasting influence on the limited-overs game because of their extraordinary skill and reliable run-scoring ability.
This article dives into these prolific run scorers' performances, illuminating their strategic acumen and the record-breaking exploits that distinguish them as some of the quickest players to amass 8000 runs in One-Day International cricket.
Let’s get straight into the topic.
List of 10 Batters Who Made Fastest 8000 Runs in ODI Cricket
Below descriptive table consists of the list of 10 batters who made the fastest 8000 runs in ODI cricket:
| Batter Name | Country | Venue | Innings Taken | Years Taken |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | India | Birmingham | 175 | 8y 301d |
| Hashim Amla | South Africa | Birmingham | 176 | 11y 102d |
| AB de Villiers | South Africa | Durban | 182 | 10y 205d |
| Sourav Ganguly | India | Nagpur | 200 | 10y 302d |
| Rohit Sharma | India | Dehli | 200 | 11y 263d |
| Ross Taylor | New Zealand | Dunedin | 203 | 12y 356d |
| Sachin Tendulkar | India | Manchester | 210 | 9y 172d |
| Brian Lara | West Indies | St George's | 211 | 12y 204d |
| MS Dhoni | India | Wellington | 214 | 9y 39d |
| Saeed Anwar | Pakistan | Sharjah | 218 | 12y 102d |
| y= years, d= days | ||||
1. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is considered to be the greatest limited overs batter during the chase. His records in ODI cricket left no bounds untouched. Recently, Kohli became the first-ever batter to reach fifty 100s in ODI cricket.
Likewise, King Kohli is also the batter to make the fastest 8000 runs in ODI history. It took him 175 innings to reach this milestone. He achieved this landmark during the Champions Trophy 2017 semi-final against Bangladesh.
2. Hashim Amla
With mere an innings difference (176 innings), South Africa’s Hashim Amla comes next in the list of batters to get the fastest 8000 runs in ODI. Amla completed his 8000 runs against New Zealand during the World Cup 2019.
It took Amla 11 years to get these runs in ODIs. A flamboyant opener has many ODI records to his name, such as the fastest batter to score 3000, 4000, 6000 and 7000 ODI runs.
3. AB de Villiers
No surprise, Mr. 360 AB de Villiers is our next batter on the list. AB de Villiers redefined ODI cricket through his stroke play and elite game awareness. He got 8000 ODI runs in 182 innings while playing against New Zealand in Durban in 2015.
AB de Villiers ended his ODI career with an astonishing strike rate of 101.1. He is regarded as one of the finest and perhaps the most skilful modern-era batters.
4. Sourav Ganguly
Prince of Kolkata and former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly held the record of scoring the fastest 8000 runs in ODI at the time of his retirement. It took Ganguly 200 innings to attain this milestone during an ODI match against West Indies in Nagpur in 2002.
Ganguly's aggressive intent helped India win many matches as he led his side from the front. He had a brilliant World Cup 2003, scoring 465 runs (second most).
5. Rohit Sharma
Hitman Rohit Sharma comes next on the list of batters who scored the fastest 8000 runs in ODIs. India’s current captain took 200 innings and 11 years to get these runs. Rohit also holds a unique record of scoring three double centuries in ODI cricket.
Rohit has also registered the highest individual score in ODI cricket (264 runs). His aggressive intent and fearless stroke play made him one of the finest Indian batters of all time.
6. Ross Taylor
A highly underrated former New Zealand middle-order batter, Ross Taylor won many games for his side. He is also the sixth fastest batter to make 8000 runs in ODI cricket. It took him 203 innings and 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.
7. Sachin Tendulkar
Little master and all-time leading runs getter in the history of the game “Sachin Tendulkar” inspired a generation of cricketers. Every batter dreams of breaking Sachin’s records in international cricket. He reached 8000 runs in the ODI during the World Cup 1999.
Sachin took 215 innings and just 9 years to get to 8000 runs. He is also the batter with the most runs in ODIs (18426 runs) and Test cricket (15921 runs). The cricket world considered him the greatest batter of all time alongside Don Bradman.
8. Brian Lara
Former West Indies captain Brian Lara is rated as one of the most stylish batters of all time. Like any left-handed batter, Lara had the natural gift of timing the ball at will. He took ODI cricket to the next level with his aggressive intent during the 2000s.
Legendary Lara was a genuine match-winner, and bowlers feared him while bowling at him. He reached the 8000-run mark in ODI cricket while playing against Australia in 2003. Lara passed 8000 runs in 211 innings.
9. MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni is often regarded as one of the greatest limited-overs captains. He captained team India to three important titles (T20 World Cup 2007, ODI World Cup 2011 and Champions Trophy 2013).
Despite batting in the lower middle order, Dhoni made it to the list of batters who made the fastest 8000 runs in the ODI. His finishing abilities in ODI cricket were second to none, and his famous “helicopter shot” is replicated by modern-era batters.
Thala of Indian cricket took 9 years and 214 innings to get to 8000 ODI runs.
10. Saeed Anwar
Pakistan classical left-handed opening batter Saeed Anwar is last on this list of batters who competed for the fastest 8000 runs in ODI. Saeed is considered among the top 5 batters of his era and held a record of the highest ODI individual score (194 runs) back then.
Saeed became the first Pakistani batter to get 8000 runs in ODI. He attained this milestone in 2001 during the ODI series against Sri Lanka. Alas! If it wasn’t for Saeed’s early retirement, he would have broken many records in ODI cricket.
Ending Remarks
India’s Virat Kohli is the batter to complete the fastest 8000 runs in ODI Cricket. This record was previously held by South African Hashim Amla (176 innings), whom Virat beat by a mere an inning (175 innings). AB de Villiers is the unique batter on the list with a 100+ career strike rate.
The list is dominated by Indian batters, as there are five of them. While there are two batters from South African and one each from New Zealand, West Indies and Pakistan. In terms of years, Virat is again the fastest, and Dhoni is the second fastest to get to 8000 ODI runs.
