The topic which we will covering here today is one that is one of the rarest feats by an international batter in international cricket as scoring 10,000 runs in one format is considered a monumental achievement but to do it in both Tests and ODIs considering the fact that these two formats could not be more different from each other is absolutely one of the greatest achievements in the sport of cricket. And these few players have entertained the fans from around the world for close to 2 decades each.
There have only been 7 international cricketers who have been able to score 10,000 runs or more in both the test and ODI formats of the game and this should be enough to tell us how exclusive this club is. To be a member of this list is a matter of immense Pride for any batter.
So , let’s take a look at these 7 incredible cricketers:
Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 in Tests and 18,426 in ODIs):
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is arguably the greatest batter to have ever played the game of cricket with the only one being close is Don Bradman. He played constantly for 24 years at the highest level and carried the Indian team on his shoulders and scored runs and runs in both the formats. If we combine his runs in both the formats it comes down to 34,357 runs and he is also the only batter to cross 30,000 international runs for his country. While making these many runs he also became the only cricketer in the history of this sport to score 100 international hundreds which is absolutely mind-boggling. He played a total of 664 matches in his career in which there were 200 test matches and 464 ODI matches. He also holds the record for most 50+ scores in international cricket with 164 times getting more than 50 runs. The Indian fans can thank the gods that Sachin Tendulkar was born in India and he made all 130 crore Indians proud all the time.
Ricky Ponting (13,378 Test runs and 13,704 ODI runs):
The second person on this list is the great Australia batter Ricky Ponting who was the best in his nation filled with exceptional cricketers. In his illustrious career he notched up 71 hundreds in both formats which is the second overall and he played a total of 560 matches combined in both the formats as well as he was one of the most successful captains ever.
Jacques Kallis (13,289 Test runs and 11.579 ODI runs):
This great all rounder from South Africa is the next person in this illustrious list of all time greats. He was not only a great batter but also one of the best bowlers at the same time. He scored 24,868 runs combined in both the formats and he also picked close to 300 wickets as well in both these formats which is simply incredible. One of the greatest all round cricketers ever.
Rahul Dravid (13,288 Test runs and 10,889 ODI runs):
The second player from India to feature in this list of 7 shows that India has always been a great batting country and he and Sachin were the best. He scored a total of 24,177 runs in his international career which is a lot but he was also very dependable and a team man. Rahul Dravid scored 48 international hundreds in his career and all fans loved him. He will always be remembered by all fans of Indian cricket.
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Kumar Sangakkara (11,988 Test runs and 13,136 ODI runs):
Kumar Sangakkara was one of the best left handed batters the game has ever seen. His consistency is simply remarkable and that is the reason why he has managed to score 25,124 Runs combined in both Tests and ODIs at an average of well over 50 in both formats of the game. He scored 63 international hundreds in his glorious career and one which will be cherished hot just by Sri Lanka fans but the world over.
Brian Lara (11,953 Test runs and 10,405 ODI Runs):
Brian Lara was one of the very first batters to achieve this rare feat in batsmanship and he along with Kumar Sangakkara were the two best left handed batters for well over a generation. He has scored an incredible 22,358 runs in his international career and they were the most stylish runs ever seen. He also scored 53 international centuries in his career as well as holding the record for the highest test score by a batter in an innings at 400 runs. One of the all time great entertainers of cricket.
Mahela Jayawardene (11,814 Test Runs and 12,212 ODI Runs):
The second player from Sri Lanka after Kumar Sangakkara to feature on this list clearly tells us that these two were the best batters Sri Lankan cricket produced. Mahela Jayawardene amassed an outstanding 24,026 international runs in his glorious career with 54 centuries to his name as well. One of the greatest players of his generation and an amazing leader as well.
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