This is a topic which not many people talk about and it should be discussed as it means that the batters would have played more balls than anyone else in ODI cricket history and which further means that they have contributed more to their country in the long run with more runs while facing the most number of deliveries. The players who have faced the most number of balls will have been the ones who have played for the longest time.
Although most players do not think about this stat when they play for their country , it is about for the people like us to talk about all this as fans of the game. So , let’s see which are the Top 10 players who have played the most number of balls in ODI cricket.
1. Sachin Tendulkar (21368 Balls):
There should be absolutely no surprise that Sachin Tendulkar is number 1 on this list as he is the person who has played the most number of ODI matches and got the most number of runs as well so it was expected that he would have faced a lot of balls to get those runs. To put into context he has got 18426 runs in just 21368 balls which is a very good strike rate of runs per ball. It would take someone to play a lot more ODIs to break this record of his.
2. Kumar Sangakkara (18048 Balls):
The second name can come as a surprise to the fans as Kumar Sangakkara has played lesser number of ODIs as compared to some of the other players so for him to be in this list is a commendable achievement and it shows that he has got lots of runs for Sri Lanka while playing less ODIs and he has a rich legacy in the game and will always be remembered.
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3. Ricky Ponting (17046 Balls):
The third player in this list is none other than the Aussie great Ricky Ponting who has been a prolific run scorer for Australia and he has played lots of balls for his 13704 runs and this also shows that he was very consistent in his run making in ODIs while also leading the team for so many years so he can be very proud of what he was able to accomplish in his ODI career.
4. Mahela Jayawardene (16020 Balls):
It was expected that he will be number 2 on this list and the fact that he is number 4 shows that he preferred to score runs quickly and still while facing less balls he got more than 12000 ODI runs and lots of hundreds to his name while playing 448 ODIs for Sri Lanka and he will forever be an all time legend in Sri Lankan cricket. A very special player.
5. Jacques Kallis (15885 Balls):
This is another name on this list that might surprise a lot if cricket fans as he is not among the players who have not played the most number of ODIs and still he is featured in the Top 5 of this list with most balls faced tells us that he loved batting for long periods of time and in that time he scored a lot of runs for South Africa and to be exact he scored 11579 runs and he also took tons of wickets as well. Jacques Kallis is arguably the greatest all rounder of all time.
6. Inzamam-Ul-Haq (15812 Balls):
Just behind Jacques Kallis is the great batter from Pakistan who loves playing ODIs and he faced a lot if balls and the opposition team would be frustrated that he would not get out and he also got more than 11000 ODI runs for his nation and is a legend of the game.
7. Sourav Ganguly (15416 Balls):
Sourav Ganguly only played 311 ODIs and still to be in the Top 7 of this list is phenomenal and just goes to show that he was a special player who loved batting at the middle and score runs upon runs for India and he has scored 11363 runs in his illustrious career.
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8. Rahul Dravid (15285 Balls):
The third player from India to feature on this list and it is an all time legend who is at the number 8 and he was a total team player who also got a lot of runs for India and the fact that Rahul Dravid has faced the most balls in test cricket and is in this list as well is staggering. Such an important player in history for India.
9. Sanath Jayasuriya (14725 Balls):
Sanath Jayasuriya has got 13430 runs in just 14725 balls just goes to show that he liked scoring his runs from fours and sixes and he was the one who showed that you can attack all the time and still score lots of runs in your career.
10. Desmond Haynes (13707 Balls):
The line player from West Indies on this list and one player who liked to face a lot of balls smile playing ODIs and he liked staying at the crease a lot and frustrate the opposition and then get on the attack and that made him a great player for West Indies.
