Most Runs in a Series by a Captain
Be it any sport, a captain plays a significant role in building a team. In cricket, a captain’s role is regarded as one of the most important, given that he takes all the decisions on the field.
A Captain is also responsible for giving his take on the decision concerning off the field as well. Besides, taking crucial decisions in a match, a cricket team captain makes sure he turn up with good numbers when it comes to his own individual performance. For a skipper to lead from the front, it’s very important that he perform well too.
In this article, we look at 5 captains with the most runs in a single series:
#5 Mahela Jayawardene (548 Runs)
A man who loved nothing more than cricket, Mahela Jayawardene went down in history as one of the greatest batsmen the world has ever seen. The former Sri Lankan skipper was once the pride of Sri Lankan cricket. It wasn’t easy for the opposition to get him out once he get set. A man of big moments, Jayawardene played a lot of heart-warming knocks in his international career.
Jayawardene sits fifth in the list when it comes to most runs scored by a captain in a series. The 2007 World Cup saw him scoring 548 runs in 11 matches at an average of 60.88. He scored 4 fifties and 1 century during the tournament.
In his illustrious career, Jayawardene has scored 12650 runs in 448 ODI matches at an average of 33.4. As far as his Test Cricket numbers are concerned, he amassed 11,814 runs in 149 matches, averaging 49.8.
#4 Virat Kohli (558 Runs)
Virat Kohli is unarguably, the greatest batsman of the current era. The Indian skipper has scored runs heavily in the subcontinent as well as overseas. He has got the technique and will to succeed in every format of the game.
Virat Kohli, over the years, has had a lot of successful tours with the bat but the one which remains at the top is India’s tour of South Africa in 2017-18. The Indian skipper scored 558 runs in 6 matches at a jaw-dropping average of 186 and strike rate of 99.46. He hit 3 centuries and 1 half-century during that series.
Virat Kohli has played 248 One-Day Internationals so far in his career, scoring 11867 runs at an average of 59.3.
#3 Kane Williamson (578 Runs)
Over the last half-a-decade, Kane Williamson has been the backbone of the New Zealand Cricket Team. He is undoubtedly one of the most important players in the team right now. Williamson has proved to be their saviour many a time while donning the jersey. He has had many successful tours with the bat as captain of the New Zealand cricket team.
Williamson scored the most runs as captain in the ICC 2019 World Cup. He scored 578 runs in 10 matches at an average of 86.57 and strike rate of 77.96. He scored 2 centuries and 2 half-centuries in that tournament and took the team to the finals.
New Zealand, unfortunately, lost to England in the summit clash. Kane Williamson has represented New Zealand in 151 ODIs so far, in which he has managed to score 6173 runs at an average of 47.5.
#2 Allan Border (590 Runs)
Allan Border is hailed as one of the greatest cricketer the world has ever seen. In his illustrious career, he has made many a record. Border led the Australian Cricket Team for many years and has made a team a formidable unit. He played 156 Test matches, amassing 11,174 runs, a world record until it was broken by Brian Lara.
Allan Border holds the record for scoring the second most number of runs as a captain in a series. The 1984-85 Benson and Hedges World Series Cup saw him scoring 590 runs in 13 matches at an average of 65.55 and strike rate of 84.52.
In his illustrious career, he played 273 ODIs and 156 Tests, scoring 6524 and 11,174 runs respectively.
#1 Greg Chappell (686 Runs)
The second of the three brothers to play Test Cricket, Greg Chappell was known for his elegant stroke making and immense concentration. He retired as the player with the most number of catches in Test Cricket. Chappell was a top-class batsman and handy medium-pacer. He played 87 Tests and 74 ODIs during his international career, scoring 7110 and 2331 runs respectively.
Chappell holds the record for scoring the most runs as a captain in a series. The 1980-81 Benson and Hedges World Series Cup saw him scoring 686 runs in 14 matches at an average of 68.60. He hit five fifties and 1 century during the tournament.
