For as long as there is cricket, there will be world records. But obviously. The game, after all, is about pure skill, necessary talent and the rewards it affords its pursuers at the end of the day.
However, it isn't possible for everyone to come in even close proximity to some of the most mind-bending success stories that the limited-overs or ODI format have generated.
That leaves us with the big question as to who are the batters in the ODI format with the most number of runs and just what do their statistical feats tell us about their standing in the format and the game, after all?
List of the top five players with over 10,000 ODI runs or more
Sachin Tendulkar
Longevity, consistency and commitment- is there anything more about this idol? Plenty, truth be told. To put it simply, for someone to even reach the confines of 15,000 one day international runs seems an enormous task, let alone actually conjuring 18,426 runs, which is what the great Tendulkar achieved in a career that spanned two and a half decades.
Let that sink in.
But Sachin Tendulkar didn't just score these many runs; he beautified the sport, making Cricket a larger-than-life experience successfully transforming it into an everyday habit for billions around India.
The man who championed the game presiding over a particularly long career in which he scored a gargantuan number of centuries, 49 in ODI's to be precise, Tendulkar isn't just a legend of the game, he is a yardstick against whom most modern day batters are judged for their talents and abilities.
Kumar Sangakkara
A poet with the bat who penned lyrics and verses on the 22 yards with absolute grace and finesse, Sangakkara, arguably the greatest bat from Sri Lanka, has 14,234 runs to his name from 404 games.
His glowing drives and rasp cuts were a treat to watch and shall be revered for times to come.
But what's rather astounding to note is that Sanga produced these awe-inspiring runs despite functioning (in nearly all the games during his career) as a full-time wicketkeeper.
He has to his credit 402 catches in ODI's. Just how was he able to bat for so long and bat so beautifully despite having to bend his back for a full quota of fifty overs? Mind boggling, isn't it?
Virat Kohli
Not called the "King" for nothing, Virat Kohli is the only batter from India since Sachin who is every bit as loved as he is respected. That sheer instinct to rip apart India's opponents and stamp his authority over the game are just some of the key facets with which the scorer of 14,181 ODI runs (302 games) has excelled in the game.
The cover drive played to much perfection and the ability to score freely on either side of the ground make Virat Kohli a joy to watch and a sheer threat for India's opponents. It's hard to comprehend if anyone in the near future can approach his tally of ODI tons: 51.
Ricky Ponting
Nicknamed "Punter", Ricky Ponting will always be regarded as a batter who played with an instinct for domination. He was a tough competitor and a pure ODI specialist batter who made dollops of runs from the top order, making 12,662 of his 13,704 runs at number 3.
Ponting, a shrewd captain with several World cup trophies in his winning cabinet, also has to his credit 29 centuries in the format, a mighty fine achievement.
Sanath Jayasuriya
The very fact that there are two Sri Lankans in the top five list of batters with most One-Day runs to their name speaks of sheer domination of talents from the island jewel that is Sri Lanka
Jayasuriya, nicknamed the "Mighty Mauler" for his prowess at causing disruptions with the bat, conjured 13,430 runs, an achievement that many of cricket's contemporary fans ought to absorb with more regard than perhaps they do because it is so easy to under appreciate cricketers from the nineties.
In the 1996 World Cup, he opened for Sri Lanka alongside Kaluwitharna and terrorised bowlers from world over, thus forging a reputation as a dangerous smasher of the ball, who even scored a 17-ball-fifty in ODI once.
