Top 5 Captains with most runs in a single World Cup

Top 5 Captains with most runs in a single World Cup: Captains are the most important people of any team, but in cricket, these captains need to make spilt second decisions, plan ahead and try to outwit the opponent in order to win matches. A captain is also made great if he leads from the front, takes wickets, makes runs and be brilliant overall. Given being a captain comes with responsibilities, but still as a player, his primary responsibility is to make runs, if he is a batsman. And what better place to do it than the World Cup itself.

Here are 5 players who scored the most runs as captains of their respective teams.

5. Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) 2011 – 465

Kumar Sangakkara scored 465 runs as Captain of Sri Lanka in the 2011 World Cup held in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Sangakkara also took his team to the finals of the tournament where they were eventually defeated by India by 6 wickets when India chased down the total of 275 with Dhoni hitting the winning six in the end.
Sangakkara hit 48 runs in the final and ended up as the third highest run getter for the tournament.

4. Sourav Ganguly (India) 2003 – 465

Sourav Ganguly had an excellent World Cup 2003. He made 3 centuries, a first by an Indian batsman, he had also scored 465 runs, second most in the tournament behind Sachin Tendulkar and took India to the finals where they were defeated by Australia eventually.

Sourav Ganguly also hit 15 sixes in the tournament and scored his runs at an average of 58.12.

3. AB de Villiers (South Africa) 2015 – 482

AB de Villiers scored 482 runs in the on-going 2015 World Cup. South Africa reached the semi-finals of the tournament where they lost to New Zealand. De Villiers made those runs at an average of 96.40 and hit 21 sixes in the tournament. His highest score was 162* in 66 balls against West Indies.

In what was a terrific performance and winning their first knockout match in World Cup history, defeating Sri Lanka in the QFs, South Africa’s journey further was derailed by rain one again, when their inning was interrupted at 36th over, reducing the game to 43 overs a side. Africa looked poised to get 350 atleast, but could only manage 281 runs which were adjusted to 298 using D/L method. New Zealand chased it thanks to Grant Elliot and his winning six.

All of the Proteas players were inconsolable at the loss and captain AB de Villiers looked heart broken, but he did scored the most runs for his country.

2. – Ricky Ponting (Australia) 2007 – 539

Ricky Ponting led Australia to a 3rd successive World Cup win in style scoring 539 runs at an average of 67.37 with 1 century to boast of. Australia beat Sri Lanka in the finals under extremely dark conditions in a tournament that was marred by the exits of big teams in India and Pakistan in the group stage, which lowered the interest in the tournament considerably.

Ponting won his 2nd straight World Cup as captain, retaining the trophy he won in 2003 in South Africa.

1. Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) 2007 – 548

Sri Lankan captain in 2007 World Cup Mahela Jayawardene was also the second highest run getter in the tournament with 548 runs to his name at an average of 60.88. He led Sri Lanka to the finals defeating New Zealand in the semis. He led the team from the front and scored runs whenever necessary. He scored 1 century and 4 half centuries in the tournament, which was held in the Caribbean nations of the West Indies.

Sri Lanka lost the finals to the Australians under very dim lights because of regular rain interruptions.

*All Stats updated till 25th March 2015.