Has Rohit Sharma broken the record for most runs in a single World Cup?
And who has scored the most runs in ODIs without ever appearing in the World Cup?
Steven Lynch
09-Jul-2019
Despite Rohit Sharma's five centuries in this World Cup, three of them consecutive, he still has about 27 runs to go to beat Sachin Tendulkar's 673 runs in the 2003 World Cup • Getty Images
We often hear the commentators say you should double a team's 30-over score to see what they will make in 50 overs. How accurate is this? asked David Sanders from England
I'd often wondered this myself, and enlisted the nimble fingers of Shiva Jayaraman, from ESPNcricinfo's stats team, to crunch the numbers. We looked at the first innings of the 452 uninterrupted one-day internationals since the end of the 2015 World Cup, up to last Friday's match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, and in only 124 of those - 27%, or just over a quarter - did the batting side double their 30-over score. That means, of course, that they didn't do it almost three times out of four. If we relax the qualification to making at least 90% of the 30-over score, the figure rises to 192 (42%). It turns out that to get the double-your-score percentage to 50%, you have to take the total after 27 overs - so that would be a better indicator for the commentators.
I'd often wondered this myself, and enlisted the nimble fingers of Shiva Jayaraman, from ESPNcricinfo's stats team, to crunch the numbers. We looked at the first innings of the 452 uninterrupted one-day internationals since the end of the 2015 World Cup, up to last Friday's match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, and in only 124 of those - 27%, or just over a quarter - did the batting side double their 30-over score. That means, of course, that they didn't do it almost three times out of four. If we relax the qualification to making at least 90% of the 30-over score, the figure rises to 192 (42%). It turns out that to get the double-your-score percentage to 50%, you have to take the total after 27 overs - so that would be a better indicator for the commentators.
Has Rohit Sharma broken the record for most runs in a single World Cup? asked Milan Gupte from India
Rohit Sharma's fifth century of this World Cup, against Sri Lanka, improved Kumar Sangakkara's tournament record of four, set in 2015, but Rohit hasn't broken the record for most runs - yet. By the end of the 2019 group stage, Rohit had scored 647 runs, at an average of 92. But, on this list, he still trails Sachin Tendulkar, who amassed 673 runs in 2003, and Matthew Hayden, who made 659 in 2007. Rohit of course, has a possible two innings left to take the record.
Rohit Sharma's fifth century of this World Cup, against Sri Lanka, improved Kumar Sangakkara's tournament record of four, set in 2015, but Rohit hasn't broken the record for most runs - yet. By the end of the 2019 group stage, Rohit had scored 647 runs, at an average of 92. But, on this list, he still trails Sachin Tendulkar, who amassed 673 runs in 2003, and Matthew Hayden, who made 659 in 2007. Rohit of course, has a possible two innings left to take the record.
David Warner (638 before the semi-final) and Shakib Al Hasan (606) have also passed 600 runs in the 2019 tournament. There are only eight other instances of a player making 500 or more in a World Cup, including Aaron Finch (507) and Joe Root (500) by the end of this year's group stage. The others were Mahela Jayawardene (548 in 2007), Martin Guptill (547 in 2015), Sangakkara (541 in 2015), Ricky Ponting (539 in 2007), Tendulkar again (523 in 1996) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (500 in 2011).
Who has scored the most runs in ODIs without ever appearing in the World Cup? asked Margareth Schipper from the Netherlands
As I write, 88 men have scored 5000 runs in one-day internationals. I had an exciting time looking at the list, trying to work out which one hadn't played in the World Cup, and eventually realised they all had! Actually, the man with the most ODI runs who never made a World Cup appearance is none other than England's Sir Alastair Cook, who made 3204, but was famously dropped just before the 2015 World Cup, having not made the cut for the previous ones. Next comes Pakistan's Salman Butt, with 2725 runs, then India's VVS Laxman with 2338.
As I write, 88 men have scored 5000 runs in one-day internationals. I had an exciting time looking at the list, trying to work out which one hadn't played in the World Cup, and eventually realised they all had! Actually, the man with the most ODI runs who never made a World Cup appearance is none other than England's Sir Alastair Cook, who made 3204, but was famously dropped just before the 2015 World Cup, having not made the cut for the previous ones. Next comes Pakistan's Salman Butt, with 2725 runs, then India's VVS Laxman with 2338.
Which player made his ODI debut in a World Cup match, and scored a century? asked Richard Webb from France
Fifteen men have now scored a century in their first ODI, the most recent being Pakistan's Abid Ali against Australia in Dubai in March. But only one of them came in the World Cup: in New Plymouth in 1991-92, Andy Flower batted through Zimbabwe's innings against Sri Lanka, and finished with 115 not out.
Fifteen men have now scored a century in their first ODI, the most recent being Pakistan's Abid Ali against Australia in Dubai in March. But only one of them came in the World Cup: in New Plymouth in 1991-92, Andy Flower batted through Zimbabwe's innings against Sri Lanka, and finished with 115 not out.
What would USA have to do to qualify for the next World Cup - apart from Xavier Marshall playing out of his skin for four years? asked Erik from the United States
The route to the 2023 World Cup is marked out now - and United States will obviously be helped if their former West Indian batsman Xavier Marshall maintains good form! There will be a World Cup Qualifier tournament in 2022 (the venue has not been announced yet), and USA will earn the right to take part in that if they finish in the top three of the ICC's World Cricket League 2. That's a seven-team tournament that is due to start in August 2019 and continue to January 2022. It's not (quite) the end of the World Cup dream if they don't finish in the top three, as the bottom four will contest further qualification playoffs, also involving the top teams from League 3, from which two more sides will progress to the Qualifier. If the format of the Qualifier remains the same as the exciting inaugural tournament in Zimbabwe in 2018 (Afghanistan and West Indies made the cut), two teams will progress from that to the World Cup proper, which is due to be held in India in 2023.
The route to the 2023 World Cup is marked out now - and United States will obviously be helped if their former West Indian batsman Xavier Marshall maintains good form! There will be a World Cup Qualifier tournament in 2022 (the venue has not been announced yet), and USA will earn the right to take part in that if they finish in the top three of the ICC's World Cricket League 2. That's a seven-team tournament that is due to start in August 2019 and continue to January 2022. It's not (quite) the end of the World Cup dream if they don't finish in the top three, as the bottom four will contest further qualification playoffs, also involving the top teams from League 3, from which two more sides will progress to the Qualifier. If the format of the Qualifier remains the same as the exciting inaugural tournament in Zimbabwe in 2018 (Afghanistan and West Indies made the cut), two teams will progress from that to the World Cup proper, which is due to be held in India in 2023.
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Steven Lynch is the editor of the updated edition of Wisden on the Ashes