Winning the World Cup has been a dream for every cricketer but every cricketer isn’t fortunate enough to lift the trophy. The combined effort of the batter and the bowler determines the fate of any team. Possibly, the most exciting part of cricket has been batting. The boundaries have been the source of entertainment for the audience. The batters provide the runs to be defended by the team; scoring more runs provides comfort to the bowler and pressure on the chasing sides; furthermore, good batters score runs in adverse conditions helping their team cross the finishing line; Batters who have been role models and scored the highest runs are listed below.
1. Martin Guptill
Guptill had been a successful opener for New Zealand in the limited-overs format. Only a handful of batters have been as brilliant as Guptill with the white ball. He holds the record for the highest individual score in World Cup; his highest World Cup score, 237 came from 163 deliveries with 35 boundaries. His batting elegance has been a pleasure to the eyes.
2. Chris Gayle
Nicknamed “Universal Boss,” Christopher Henry Gayle, is regarded as one of the best players to play limited-overs cricket. Being an opener and a destructive batter, Gayle has been a nightmare for bowlers. Gayle took the headlines when he scored 215 runs off just 147 deliveries in the 2015 world cup edition. This innings came against the Zimbabwe team, including 26 boundaries at a strike rate of 146.
3. Gary Kirsten
Praised for his temperament and discipline, Gary Kirsten became a standout opener for the South African team. His burning desire to score runs and ability to concentrate brought him the fruitful results of his hard work; during the 1996 World Cup edition, Kirsten scored 188 runs at a strike rate of 118 with 17 boundaries. The World Cup innings came against UAE and is considered one of the best by Kirsten.
4. Sourav Ganguly
Widely regarded as the Prince of Calcutta, Sourav Ganguly revolutionized Indian Cricket. Roping in more youngsters and giving them security were key features of his captaincy. The former Indian opener gave India the required start of the innings on several occasions. On one such occasion, Sourav scored 183 runs against the Sri Lankan team in the 1999 edition of the World Cup at a strike rate of 115, including twenty-four boundaries.
5. Viv Richards
Generally batting at number three, Viv Richards, is regarded as the most destructive batter of his generation; with his power, he hooked the ball across boundaries and never wore a helmet. A nightmare for the bowler, Viv captained West Indies to victories in the 1975 and 1979 World Cups; His massive innings of 181 against the Sri Lankan side came in just 125 balls with a strike rate of 144 at the 1987 World Cup.
6. David Warner
Warner has been a promising left-handed opener for the Australian National side after Hayden; prolific batting with the ability to hit boundaries made Warner the most dangerous limited-overs batsman. Innovative shots came out of his pocket from nowhere, surprising the bowlers and collecting runs from them; his innings of 178 against Afghanistan in 133 deliveries, won hears of many Australian fans.
7. Kapil Dev
Probably the best all-around pacer India has ever produced, Kapil Dev became a household name after he led India to its maiden World Cup victory in 1983. Kapil’s leadership, batting, and bowling have headlines; his knock of 175 against Zimbabwe in the 1983 edition of the World Cup has been a memorable performance for all Indians.
8. Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag was probably one of the few players who popularized the bazzball form of cricket, which interfered with the mindset of the bowler. A promising opener for India for many years across three formats, he scored dozens of runs for his nation. Sehwag’s uncomplicated approach toward batting reflects the smart street cricketing mind. His knock of 175 runs off 140 balls against Bangladesh during the 2011 edition of the World Cup has been one of his promising innings.
9. Craig Wishart
Craig Wishart is a capable top-order batsman and an attacking stroke player who took a while to do justice to his talent; Craig was a batter who struggled with self-belief. However, his innings of 172 runs off 151 balls against Namibia during the 2003 World Cup showed his true potential as a batter.
10. Glenn Turner
“Professionalism combined with talent and natural ability” was Glenn Turner; he became a household name after he dedicated himself to cricket at a young age; Turner was an immaculately straight-playing opener, who defended with a solidity of technique few contemporaries matched. His knock of 171 from 201 deliveries during the 1975 World Cup remains a magical innings for many cricketing fans.
