Top 5 non-retired Australian batsmen with most runs in ODI cricket
Australia played their first game in ODI cricket in 1971.
Australia are the most successful team in the One Day Internationals (ODI) history. Australian legacy in the 50-over format includes six ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup trophies along with two ICC Champions Trophy titles.
Over the years, Australia have produced a spate of prolific run scorers. Australian batsmen have been instrumental in helping the team post daunting totals or gun down tall targets in ODI cricket.
In today’s ODI landscape, several active Australian batsmen continue to carry the legacy of their previous all-time greats. Despite the retirement of a few experienced batsmen like David Warner and Aaron Finch in recent years, the Australian batting lineup is still stacked with batsmen who have amassed huge runs in this format.
In this article, we will look at the top five active Australian batsmen with the most runs in ODI cricket.
Top five non-retired Australian batsmen with the most runs in ODI cricket:
5. Alex Carey – 1978 runs
Wicket-keeper Alex Carey is one of the most underrated players in the current Australian team. While often competing with Josh Inglis for his position, Carey has made 1978 runs in his ODI career at an average of 34.7.
Carey’s speciality is his versatility in the batting order: the Adelaide-born southpaw can bat anywhere in the top seven in the batting lineup. Carey’s only ODI century came against England in 2020 in Manchester when he joined Glenn Maxwell for a 212-run partnership for the sixth wicket, guiding Australia to a famous win.
4. Travis Head – 2645 runs
Explosive Australian opener Travis Head has scored 2645 runs in ODIs at an average of 44.08. Head’s impact on the Australian team is beyond numbers. Known for dismantling the opposition, Travis Head is one of the biggest match-winners for the Aussies.
In his ODI career of 69 games, the left-hander has already cemented his legacy with some of the all-time greats. Head’s blistering hundred in the final of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup helped Australia clinch the title.
With that, Head joined Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist as only the third Australian to score a century in the final of a World Cup. Head has whacked six ODI tons so far.
3. Mitchell Marsh – 2794 runs
Nicknamed “Bison,” Mitchell Marsh is known for his powerful batting. A bottom-hand dominated batsman, Marsh is one of the late bloomers in the Australian team. Having made his debut in 2011, Marsh only became a regular member of Australia’s ODI team in 2022.
The Western Australian all-rounder has scored 2794 runs in his ODI career at an average of 35.8. Moving to the top order, Marsh has completely reinvented his batting in the limited-overs game. The right-hander has hammered three ODI centuries in his career so far.
2. Glenn Maxwell – 3934 runs
Nicknamed “Big Show,” Glenn Maxwell is one of the most destructive batsmen in the world. Throughout his career, Maxwell has been the subject of divided opinions because of the lack of consistency. Maxwell is known for playing high-risk cricket which sometimes results in cheap scores. But on his day, he wins games on his own.
Maxwell has scored 3934 runs in his ODI career at an explosive strike rate of 126.78. Maxwell’s double hundred (201*) against Afghanistan in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 is widely regarded as one of the best ODI knock of all time. Maxwell has notched up four centuries in ODI cricket.
1. Steve Smith – 5583 runs
Topping this list is Australia’s modern-day great Steve Smith. Smith has amassed 5583 runs in his ODI career at an excellent average of 43.6. The New South Wales batsman was excellent in Australia’s World Cup-winning campaign in 2015, scoring 402 runs at an average of 67.
Renowned for his legacy in test cricket, Smith has played a few influential knocks for Australia in ODIs too. One of Smith’s most remarkable knocks in the format came against India in the semi-final of the 2015 World Cup at Sydney where he top-scored with 105 off 93 runs.
He has 12 ODI centuries to his name.
(All stats are updated till November 4th 2024.)
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