25 Best ODI Batters in Cricket History (As Per ICC Ratings)
Kumar Sangakkara
The 25th spot on this list is occupied by the second-highest all-time run-scorer in international cricket history, former Sri Lankan icon Kumar Sangakkara, who had famously led his team to the 2011 World Cup final. Sangakkara achieved a career-best rating of 853 points.
Aravinda de Silva
A key member of Sri Lanka's historic 1996 World Cup-winning team and one of the greatest all-rounders of all time, Aravinda de Silva occupies the 24th spot on this list, having achieved a career-best ICC ODI batting rating of 853 points. De Silva was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2023.
Glenn Turner
One of New Zealand's most prolific cricketer of all time, Glenn Maitland Turner is the only player from the small island country to feature on this unique list of batters. Turner achieved a career-best rating of 854 points, and featured in 41 ODIs for the Kiwis throughout his 15-year international career.
Graham Gooch
One of the most successful international batters of his era, ex-England batter Graham Gooch played for the Three Lions from 1973 to 1997, during which he scored over 67,000 runs. He achieved a career-best rating of 857 points, and was a part of the English squad that finished runners-up in the World Cup, thrice.
Geoge Bailey
Ex-Australian skipper and a key member of the 2015 World Cup-winning squad, George Bailey played 90 ODIs during which he scored over 3,000 runs at an average of 40, hitting three hundreds, throughout his career. Bailey achieved a career-best rating of 859 points.
Kepler Wessels
Having represented both the Australian and the South African national teams during the 1980s and 90s, Kepler Wessels played a total of 109 ODIs, scoring over 3,300 runs at an average of 34. While his numbers might not be the most appealing, Wessels peaked a career-best rating of 866 points.
David Warner
A left-handed opening batter and a member of Australia's World Cup-winning sides in 2015 and 2023, David Warner is often regarded as one of the greatest white-ball players of his era. Warner was once ranked the no. 1 batter on the ICC ODI Rankings, and achieved a career-best rating of 869 points.
Sachin Tendulkar
The all-time run-getter in international cricket history and one of the greatest batters of all time, 'Master-Blaster' Sachin Tendulkar achieved a career-best rating of 881 points. Tendulkar also holds several records to his name, being the player with the most centuries across all formats of the game, internationally,
Rohit Sharma
A two-time Champions Trophy-winning star and India's ODI captain Rohit Sharma holds the record for the most double centuries in ODI cricket, having hit three of those throughout his career. Sharma achieved a career-best rating of 882 points, and is currently ranked no.2 on the ICC ODI Batting Rankings.
Michael Bevan
Once considered one of the finest ODI batters of all time, Australian Michael Bevan occupied the ICC batting rankings in the format on numerous occasions throughout his career. He played 232 ODIs, and achieved a career-best rating of 882 points.
Allan Lamb
South African-born former English cricketer Allan Lamb played for the Three Liosn from 1982 to 1992, featuring in 122 ODIs throughout his illustrious international cricketing career. He achieved a career-best rating of 892 points, and had even served as the captain of the England cricket team.
Gordon Greednidge
Ex-Barbadian cricketer Sir Gordon Greenidge, who represented the West Indies cricket team in Tests and ODIs for 17 long years, was once feared by his peers for his destructive batting abilities. A two-time World Cup winner, Greenidge achieved a career-best rating of 895 points.
Hashim Amla
Ex-South African opener and one of the country's greatest batters of all time, Hashim Amla played for the Proteas from 2004 to 2019, featuring across all the three formats of the game. Amla played 181 ODIs, and achieved a career-best ICC rating of 896 points.
Desmond Haynes
1979 World Cup winner and a West Indian cricketing icon, Desmond Haynes achieved a career-best rating of 896 points, level on terms with Hashim Amla on this elite list. Hayden's played 238 ODIs for the West Indies, scoring over 8,600 runs at an average of 41.27, throughout his career.
Gary Kirsten
One of the very few players to have won an ICC Trophy both as a coach and as a players, South African legend Gary Kirsten also stands level with Amla and Haynes for having achieved a career-best rating of 896 points. He played 101 Test matches and 185 ODIs for South Africa, between 1993 and 2004.
Babar Azam
Former Pakistani captain and modern-day batting icon Babar Azam is among the three players from his country to occupy a spot on this elite list. Azam achieved a career-best rating of 898 points, while also holding the no.1 spot on both the ICC ODI and T20I batting rankings.
AB de Villiers
Named ICC One-Day Player of the Year three times in his 15-year long international career, South African legend Ab de Villiers is one of the greatest batters of all time, excelling primarily in white-ball cricket. De Villiers achieved a career-best rating of 901 points, and occupies the 9th spot on this list.
Brian Lara
Known among his fans and cricket lover across the world as the 'Prince of Port of Spain', former West Indies skipper Brian Lara occupies the eighth spot on this list, having served his national side for 17 long years. Primarily recognized for his Test batting skills, Lara also achieved a career-best ODI rating of 906 points.
Javed Miandad
Known for his unconventional style of batting and leadership, ex-Pakistani skipper Javed Miandad can easily be recognized as one of the greatest batters of all time, and the greatest that Pakistan has ever produced. Miandad played 233 ODIs, and achieved a career-best rating of 908 points.
Virat Kohli
A modern-day cricketing icon and India's most popular figure, Virat Kohli is the highest-ranked player from the South Asia country to occupy a spot on this list. Kohli holds the record for the most hundreds in the 50-over format, and also achieved a career-best rating of 909 points.
Dean Jones
The no. 5 spot on this list is occupied by former Australian cricketer Dean Jones, who is best remembered for having revolutionized the ODI format across the world. Jones was a part of the Aussies' 1987 WC-winning squad, and achieved a career-best rating of 915 points.
David Gower
Often described as the most stylish left-handed batter of all time, ex-England captain David Gower played for the Three Lions from 1978 to 1991. While his numbers in ODI cricket might not be the most impressive, Gower did achieve a career-best rating of 918 points.
Greg Chappell
An elegant stroke player, ex-Australian icon Greg Chappell was an exceptional all-rounder who holds the record for the most catches in red-ball cricket. Chappell played 74 ODIs for Australia, scoring over 2,300 runs, and achieved a career-best rating of 921 points.
Zaheer Abbas
Ex-Pakistani great Zaheer Abbas was the first player in international cricket history to score three consecutive hundreds in One-Day cricket, a feat that he completed during the 1982-83 season. Referred as the 'Asian Bradman', Abbas achieved a career-best rating of 931 points.
Viv Richards
Widely regarded as the greatest no. 3 batter of all time, Sir Vivian Richards occupies the top spot on this elite list of ODI batters. He was a part of West Indies' 1975 and 1979 World Cup-winning squads, and achieved the highest-ever rating on the ODI batting rankings, 935 points.
