Virat Kohli (India) has the most runs in World Cup cricket across the six men’s ODI editions in the data, 1,673 from 35 matches. Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) is next on 1,525, then Rohit Sharma (India) on 1,443.
The tables cover 265 men’s ODI World Cup matches from Feb 2003 to Nov 2023, meaning the 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023 tournaments. Earlier World Cups are not included. Afghanistan’s matches are also missing from the open data, which is why some editions show fewer games than were played.
Most Runs in World Cup Matches: Six Editions at a Glance
The main table adds up every World Cup run since Feb 2003 and also lists innings, average, strike rate, hundreds and fifties. Below it, each edition has its own top 10, so you can answer questions such as who scored the most runs in the 2023 World Cup without scrolling through the full list.
India have produced three of the six edition leaders: Sachin Tendulkar with 673 in 2003, Rohit with 647 in 2019 and Kohli with 710 in 2023. Sri Lanka have two, TM Dilshan (500 in 2011) and Sangakkara (534 in 2015). Matthew Hayden (Australia) topped 2007 with 659.
Kohli’s 710 is the highest single-edition tally in the data. The edition notes give the match count for each: 39 for 2023, 36 for 2019 and 42 for 2015. Tournament results are on the Cricket World Cup records page.
Most Runs in World Cup History (Men's ODI, 2003 to 2023)
| Batter | M | Inns | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V Kohli India | 35 | 35 | 1,673 | 117 | 57.69 | 87.32 | 5 | 10 |
| KC Sangakkara Sri Lanka | 34 | 34 | 1,525 | 124 | 58.65 | 86.80 | 5 | 7 |
| RG Sharma India | 26 | 26 | 1,443 | 140 | 60.12 | 103.15 | 6 | 6 |
| DA Warner Australia | 26 | 26 | 1,242 | 166 | 49.68 | 101.06 | 5 | 4 |
| SR Tendulkar India | 23 | 23 | 1,219 | 152 | 55.41 | 91.24 | 3 | 9 |
| AB de Villiers South Africa | 22 | 22 | 1,207 | 162* | 63.53 | 117.30 | 4 | 6 |
| Shakib Al Hasan Bangladesh | 33 | 33 | 1,204 | 124* | 41.52 | 81.35 | 2 | 9 |
| RT Ponting Australia | 25 | 25 | 1,160 | 140* | 52.73 | 87.81 | 4 | 5 |
| TM Dilshan Sri Lanka | 24 | 24 | 1,112 | 161* | 55.60 | 93.05 | 4 | 4 |
| CH Gayle West Indies | 32 | 32 | 1,060 | 215 | 34.19 | 92.90 | 1 | 6 |
| KS Williamson New Zealand | 24 | 24 | 1,055 | 148 | 58.61 | 81.59 | 2 | 5 |
| SPD Smith Australia | 28 | 28 | 1,023 | 105 | 40.92 | 86.77 | 1 | 9 |
| ML Hayden Australia | 20 | 20 | 954 | 158 | 53.00 | 95.21 | 3 | 2 |
| MJ Guptill New Zealand | 25 | 25 | 938 | 237* | 44.67 | 89.42 | 2 | 3 |
| Q de Kock South Africa | 25 | 25 | 935 | 174 | 40.65 | 97.19 | 4 | 3 |
| JE Root England | 23 | 23 | 935 | 121 | 44.52 | 87.06 | 3 | 5 |
| LRPL Taylor New Zealand | 28 | 28 | 930 | 131* | 35.77 | 73.75 | 1 | 6 |
| F du Plessis South Africa | 21 | 21 | 926 | 109 | 57.88 | 86.54 | 2 | 7 |
| Mushfiqur Rahim Bangladesh | 34 | 34 | 923 | 102* | 31.83 | 76.09 | 1 | 6 |
| SB Styris New Zealand | 22 | 22 | 909 | 141 | 53.47 | 88.60 | 2 | 6 |
| DPMD Jayawardene Sri Lanka | 29 | 29 | 898 | 115* | 34.54 | 85.20 | 3 | 5 |
| Mahmudullah Bangladesh | 20 | 20 | 894 | 128* | 55.88 | 86.88 | 3 | 3 |
| MJ Clarke Australia | 21 | 21 | 888 | 93* | 63.43 | 94.17 | 0 | 8 |
| AC Gilchrist Australia | 21 | 21 | 861 | 149 | 43.05 | 104.62 | 1 | 6 |
| V Sehwag India | 22 | 22 | 843 | 175 | 38.32 | 106.17 | 2 | 3 |
World Cup 2023 Most Runs: Top 10
39 matches in the data for this edition.
| Batter | M | Inns | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V Kohli India | 10 | 10 | 710 | 117 | 88.75 | 89.76 | 3 | 5 |
| Q de Kock South Africa | 9 | 9 | 553 | 174 | 61.44 | 108.86 | 4 | 0 |
| DJ Mitchell New Zealand | 8 | 8 | 551 | 134 | 78.71 | 112.45 | 2 | 2 |
| R Ravindra New Zealand | 9 | 9 | 546 | 123* | 68.25 | 108.76 | 3 | 2 |
| DA Warner Australia | 10 | 10 | 517 | 163 | 51.70 | 111.18 | 2 | 2 |
| SS Iyer India | 10 | 10 | 505 | 128* | 63.12 | 113.48 | 2 | 3 |
| RG Sharma India | 10 | 10 | 466 | 87 | 46.60 | 119.49 | 0 | 3 |
| KL Rahul India | 10 | 10 | 452 | 102 | 75.33 | 90.76 | 1 | 2 |
| MR Marsh Australia | 9 | 9 | 417 | 177* | 52.12 | 104.51 | 2 | 1 |
| Mohammad Rizwan Pakistan | 7 | 7 | 387 | 131* | 77.40 | 95.79 | 1 | 1 |
World Cup 2019 Most Runs
36 matches in the data for this edition.
| Batter | M | Inns | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RG Sharma India | 8 | 8 | 647 | 140 | 92.43 | 99.69 | 5 | 1 |
| DA Warner Australia | 9 | 9 | 558 | 166 | 62.00 | 91.48 | 3 | 2 |
| Shakib Al Hasan Bangladesh | 7 | 7 | 555 | 124* | 92.50 | 98.75 | 2 | 4 |
| KS Williamson New Zealand | 8 | 8 | 499 | 148 | 71.29 | 74.26 | 2 | 1 |
| JE Root England | 10 | 10 | 468 | 107 | 58.50 | 86.83 | 2 | 2 |
| BA Stokes England | 9 | 9 | 463 | 89 | 77.17 | 93.91 | 0 | 5 |
| JJ Roy England | 7 | 7 | 443 | 153 | 63.29 | 115.36 | 1 | 4 |
| JM Bairstow England | 10 | 10 | 442 | 111 | 44.20 | 93.25 | 2 | 1 |
| AJ Finch Australia | 9 | 9 | 441 | 153 | 49.00 | 98.44 | 2 | 2 |
| Babar Azam Pakistan | 7 | 7 | 429 | 101* | 71.50 | 87.73 | 1 | 3 |
World Cup 2015 Most Runs
42 matches in the data for this edition.
| Batter | M | Inns | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KC Sangakkara Sri Lanka | 6 | 6 | 534 | 124 | 133.50 | 107.23 | 4 | 0 |
| MJ Guptill New Zealand | 8 | 8 | 490 | 237* | 70.00 | 109.62 | 2 | 0 |
| AB de Villiers South Africa | 7 | 7 | 482 | 162* | 96.40 | 144.31 | 1 | 3 |
| BRM Taylor Zimbabwe | 6 | 6 | 433 | 138 | 72.17 | 106.91 | 2 | 1 |
| S Dhawan India | 8 | 8 | 412 | 137 | 51.50 | 91.76 | 2 | 1 |
| TM Dilshan Sri Lanka | 6 | 6 | 395 | 161* | 79.00 | 96.81 | 2 | 1 |
| F du Plessis South Africa | 7 | 7 | 380 | 109 | 63.33 | 84.63 | 1 | 3 |
| Misbah-ul-Haq Pakistan | 7 | 7 | 350 | 76 | 50.00 | 75.11 | 0 | 4 |
| Mahmudullah Bangladesh | 5 | 5 | 342 | 128* | 85.50 | 85.50 | 2 | 1 |
| CH Gayle West Indies | 6 | 6 | 340 | 215 | 56.67 | 117.24 | 1 | 1 |
World Cup 2011 Most Runs
49 matches in the data for this edition.
| Batter | M | Inns | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM Dilshan Sri Lanka | 9 | 9 | 500 | 144 | 62.50 | 90.74 | 2 | 2 |
| SR Tendulkar India | 9 | 9 | 482 | 120 | 53.56 | 91.98 | 2 | 2 |
| KC Sangakkara Sri Lanka | 8 | 8 | 465 | 111 | 93.00 | 83.78 | 1 | 3 |
| IJL Trott England | 7 | 7 | 422 | 92 | 60.29 | 80.84 | 0 | 5 |
| WU Tharanga Sri Lanka | 9 | 9 | 395 | 133 | 56.43 | 83.69 | 2 | 1 |
| G Gambhir India | 9 | 9 | 393 | 97 | 43.67 | 85.06 | 0 | 4 |
| V Sehwag India | 8 | 8 | 380 | 175 | 47.50 | 122.58 | 1 | 1 |
| Yuvraj Singh India | 8 | 8 | 362 | 113 | 90.50 | 86.19 | 1 | 4 |
| AB de Villiers South Africa | 5 | 5 | 353 | 134 | 88.25 | 108.28 | 2 | 1 |
| AJ Strauss England | 7 | 7 | 334 | 158 | 47.71 | 93.56 | 1 | 1 |
World Cup 2007 Most Runs
50 matches in the data for this edition.
| Batter | M | Inns | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ML Hayden Australia | 10 | 10 | 659 | 158 | 73.22 | 101.07 | 3 | 1 |
| DPMD Jayawardene Sri Lanka | 11 | 11 | 548 | 115* | 60.89 | 85.09 | 1 | 4 |
| RT Ponting Australia | 9 | 9 | 539 | 113 | 67.38 | 95.40 | 1 | 4 |
| SB Styris New Zealand | 9 | 9 | 499 | 111* | 83.17 | 83.44 | 1 | 4 |
| JH Kallis South Africa | 9 | 9 | 485 | 128* | 80.83 | 83.91 | 1 | 3 |
| ST Jayasuriya Sri Lanka | 11 | 11 | 467 | 115 | 46.70 | 98.32 | 2 | 2 |
| AC Gilchrist Australia | 11 | 11 | 453 | 149 | 45.30 | 103.90 | 1 | 2 |
| KP Pietersen England | 9 | 9 | 444 | 104 | 55.50 | 81.02 | 2 | 3 |
| GC Smith South Africa | 10 | 10 | 443 | 91 | 49.22 | 104.48 | 0 | 5 |
| MJ Clarke Australia | 9 | 9 | 436 | 93* | 87.20 | 94.99 | 0 | 4 |
World Cup 2003 Most Runs
49 matches in the data for this edition.
| Batter | M | Inns | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SR Tendulkar India | 11 | 11 | 673 | 152 | 61.18 | 89.26 | 1 | 6 |
| SC Ganguly India | 11 | 11 | 465 | 112* | 58.12 | 82.30 | 3 | 0 |
| RT Ponting Australia | 10 | 10 | 415 | 140* | 51.88 | 87.92 | 2 | 1 |
| AC Gilchrist Australia | 10 | 10 | 408 | 99 | 40.80 | 105.43 | 0 | 4 |
| HH Gibbs South Africa | 6 | 6 | 384 | 143 | 96.00 | 100.79 | 1 | 2 |
| A Flower Zimbabwe | 7 | 7 | 332 | 71 | 47.43 | 72.33 | 0 | 3 |
| A Symonds Australia | 5 | 5 | 326 | 143* | 163.00 | 90.56 | 1 | 2 |
| SP Fleming New Zealand | 8 | 8 | 321 | 134* | 45.86 | 85.83 | 1 | 0 |
| R Dravid India | 10 | 10 | 318 | 62 | 63.60 | 64.11 | 0 | 2 |
| MS Atapattu Sri Lanka | 9 | 9 | 313 | 124 | 44.71 | 82.15 | 2 | 0 |
Highest Individual Score in World Cup Matches
| Batter | Score | Balls | 4s | 6s | Against | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MJ Guptill New Zealand | 237* | 163 | 24 | 11 | West Indies | 21 Mar 2015 |
| CH Gayle West Indies | 215 | 147 | 10 | 16 | Zimbabwe | 24 Feb 2015 |
| MR Marsh Australia | 177* | 132 | 17 | 9 | Bangladesh | 11 Nov 2023 |
| V Sehwag India | 175 | 140 | 14 | 5 | Bangladesh | 19 Feb 2011 |
| Q de Kock South Africa | 174 | 140 | 15 | 7 | Bangladesh | 24 Oct 2023 |
| CB Wishart Zimbabwe | 172* | 151 | 18 | 3 | Namibia | 10 Feb 2003 |
| DA Warner Australia | 166 | 147 | 14 | 5 | Bangladesh | 20 Jun 2019 |
| DA Warner Australia | 163 | 124 | 14 | 9 | Pakistan | 20 Oct 2023 |
| AB de Villiers South Africa | 162* | 66 | 17 | 8 | West Indies | 27 Feb 2015 |
| TM Dilshan Sri Lanka | 161* | 146 | 22 | 0 | Bangladesh | 26 Feb 2015 |
Most sixes at the Men's ODI World Cup
| Batter | M | Inns | Sixes | Runs | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RG Sharma India | 26 | 26 | 49 | 1,443 | 140 |
| CH Gayle West Indies | 32 | 32 | 47 | 1,060 | 215 |
| AB de Villiers South Africa | 22 | 22 | 37 | 1,207 | 162* |
| DA Warner Australia | 26 | 26 | 36 | 1,242 | 166 |
| DA Miller South Africa | 20 | 20 | 34 | 792 | 138* |
| BB McCullum New Zealand | 26 | 26 | 28 | 700 | 101 |
| GJ Maxwell Australia | 22 | 22 | 26 | 608 | 106 |
| RT Ponting Australia | 25 | 25 | 25 | 1,160 | 140* |
| Mahmudullah Bangladesh | 20 | 20 | 25 | 894 | 128* |
| MJ Guptill New Zealand | 25 | 25 | 24 | 938 | 237* |
World Cup 2023 Most Runs: The Top 10
Kohli scored 710 in 10 innings at 88.75, with 3 hundreds and 5 fifties. Behind him the race was tight: Quinton de Kock (South Africa) made 553, Daryl Mitchell (New Zealand) 551 and Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand) 546.
De Kock hit 4 hundreds, the most by anyone in that edition, with a top score of 174 against Bangladesh. India had four batters in the 2023 top 10: Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (505), Rohit (466) and KL Rahul (452). Rohit had the fastest scoring rate of the ten, a strike rate of 119.49.
The highest individual score of 2023 in the data was Mitchell Marsh’s 177* for Australia against Bangladesh on 11 Nov 2023. For the bowlers, see most World Cup wickets.
Earlier Editions, Big Innings and Sixes
In 2019 Rohit made 647 with 5 hundreds, ahead of David Warner (Australia) on 558 and Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) on 555. In 2015 Sangakkara’s 534 came at 133.50 per dismissal and included 4 hundreds. In 2011 Dilshan edged Tendulkar, 500 to 482.
The biggest innings in the data is Martin Guptill’s 237* for New Zealand against West Indies on 21 Mar 2015. Chris Gayle (West Indies) made 215 against Zimbabwe earlier in the same tournament. AB de Villiers (South Africa) needed only 66 balls for his 162*.
Rohit also has the most World Cup sixes in the data, 49, just ahead of Gayle on 47. Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting (Australia) played World Cups before 2003, so their totals here are only part of their records. Looking for T20 World Cup runs instead? They are on most runs in T20 World Cups. Women’s tournaments have their own women’s World Cup records.
Questions about Most World Cup runs
Which batter has the most runs in World Cup history?
Among the six men’s ODI World Cups from 2003 to 2023, Virat Kohli (India) has the most with 1,673 runs in 35 matches. Kumar Sangakkara has 1,525 and Rohit Sharma 1,443. Earlier editions are not in the data.
Which player made the most runs in World Cup 2023?
Virat Kohli, who made 710 across 10 innings, averaging 88.75. Quinton de Kock was second with 553 and Daryl Mitchell third with 551.
Which batter topped the 2019 World Cup run list?
Rohit Sharma with 647, including 5 hundreds. David Warner made 558 and Shakib Al Hasan 555.
What is the highest individual score in a World Cup match?
Martin Guptill’s 237* for New Zealand against West Indies on 21 Mar 2015 is the highest in the data. Chris Gayle’s 215 against Zimbabwe in Feb 2015 is next.
Where are the T20 World Cup run leaders listed?
This page covers the 50-over World Cup only: all 265 matches in its tables are men’s ODIs. T20 World Cup run scorers are listed edition by edition on the separate T20 World Cup runs page.
Source: ball-by-ball match data from Cricsheet.org (ODC-BY). See how we compile these records.