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Virat Kohli becomes 1st batter in history to get 900+ ICC rating points in all three formats
There are things that only a player like Virat Kohli can achieve and the rest that mortals go on to bag in the great game of Cricket. He is, as of today, the only batter who has gone on to amass in excess of 900 points across in every single ICC batting list, where Tests, ODIs and T20Is are concerned and that makes him a one-of-a-kind talent. We always knew that Kohli, the scorer of nearly 27,600 international runs, was a special talent but he became a generational one by adding qualities like mental toughness and the sheer discipline to his craft of run making, thereby cementing his position as a great of the game.
Imagine being on the top of a run scoring list restricted to a particular format of the game. That, in itself, is a rare joy and a feeling few other accomplishments can describe. Then, to be on the top across the 3 formats of the game is a feeling that nothing else can ever describe or maybe with the possible exception of representing one's country for a decade and a half. With news coming in just a few hours ago that the right hander will continue to represent India in one day internationals until 2027, post which his then future would be decided, gladdens the hearts of the fans.
Not only has Virat Kohli been compared to Sachin Tendulkar, another monumental figure of the game, Kohli's ability to thwart attacks, attack bowlers, both at home and in away conditions coupled with a once rewarding career as captain conveyes his greatness. Kudos to him for becoming the only man on top of the ICC ODI, Test, and T20I list in terms of point scoring. Having said that, which other batters have scored the maximum points across cricket's different formats?
Who are some of the other Test players with this unique landmark?
Sir Don Bradman- 961 points
The great Don Bradman, whose highest Test score was the mesmeric 334, and the batting average of 99.94, remains by far the biggest magician the sport ever saw. How could one amount 6996 Test runs at an average of 99?
Steve Smith- 941 points
Being compared to Bradman for his proclivity to come large and come good in Test games, Smith has been a giant for Australia and the very fact that two Australians have been responsible for scoring the most points ever on an ICC Test cricket list conveys their infallible legend. Right?
Other ODI players with 900 plus points on ICC all-time rankings
On the whole, when it comes to ODI cricket, there have only been 9 players to have amassed 900 or more rating points. That alone is sufficient evidence to prove the fact that when it comes to certain distinguished achievements, only a few belong to coveted lists.
Some of the greatest on this list include the following names:
Sir Viv Richards- 935 points
Sir Viv Richards happens to have scored the most points ever on an ICC ODI list and his 935 points point to an instinct for domination and pure intent. He will always be regarded as the most purposeful and destructive batter whose efforts conveyed the sheer instinct of domination with which the Windies side played the game back in its glorious era.
To maintain an ODI batting average of 47 after 187 appearances is and can never be an easy feat, isn't it?
He ended his 6700-plus run career at a strike rate north of 90, making light work of bowlers from all around, and to this day, reserves immense appreciation for the great Virat Kohli.
Zaheer Abbas- 931 points
With 7 centuries and 13 fifties in the one-day arena, the great Zaheer Abbas took just 60 odd ODI innings to go past 2500 runs and remains to this day the greatest point scorer from Pakistan where it comes to the ICC ODI rankings.
AB de Villers
They don't make batters like the incredible AB De Villiers anymore, do they? Not only is AB de Villiers a great feature on the list of batters with most ICC ODI points, he is a reminder to fans and even critics of the game that great and magical things are always possible in the sport.
He has scored the fastest-ever century in ODI cricket in terms of number of deliveries and his nearly 18,000 international runs are a firm reminder of his carefree and sublime ways of batting.
Brian Lara
The Prince Brian Lara is also a worthy mention on the list of scorers of most points on the ICC ODI list; Lara scored 19 ODI tons and went past 10,000 runs in the format with a highest individual score of 169.
His ability to pierce the gaps with distinct precision and the ability to up the ante of scoring whilst maintaining that high backlift at all times marked him as a unique and gifted batter. A generational talent, the brave Trinidadian could well be regarded as the last lion of West Indies cricket before their evident decline became too apparent and too sad for the fans' notice.
T20I players with 900-plus points scored
Dawid Malan- 919 points
The last that Dawid Malan was seen in an English shirt in white ball cricket was back in 2023. It's been nearly two years since others have risen in this time for England, such as the likes of Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Brydon Carse, and the likes.
Having said that, Malan is a table topper with the most points ever achieved on the ICC T20I rankings.
He scored almost 1900 T20I runs, 1892 to be precise, from 60 innings with a strike rate of 132. Moreover, scoring 16 fifties in this international format was no mean feat, was it?
Suryakumar Yadav- 912 points
It may not seem that way but Suryakumar Yadav is a veteran of the game already. The soon-to-be 35 (in September) has already represented India in 83 T20Is and even captained the side in a few bilaterals. He's already scored 2590 plus runs with 4 centuries in the format, which is no easy feat, ever.
FAQs
How many players have scored 900 plus ODI points as on date?
Thus far, only 9 international cricketers have managed the feat. Sir Viv Richards stand on top of that list.
How many T20I players have managed to go beyond 900 point mark?
There have, thus far, been 5 players to have scored in excess of 900 points. England's left hander Malan stands on top of this list.
