The ICC World Cup 2019 is all set to start from May 30 onwards in England and Wales. All eyes will be on batsmen with the pitches expected to serve the batsmen.
In the recently concluded ODI series between England and Pakistan, the tone of the series was high scores and we expect the same in World Cup 2019.
The number one side in the world – England, have enjoyed batting at almost every surface and especially at home. The Eoin Morgan-led side go into the tourney as the favourites.
They have scored 300-plus scores more than 10 times since the 2015 World Cup in Australia. Recently, England and Pakistan who are involved in a bilateral series went on to amass scores of 350-plus totals twice each.
So we expect plenty of runs to be amassed in the tourney. The pitches are expected to suit batting and we can be sure to see batsmen enjoying the conditions. There is a feeling that several records are expected to tumble in World Cup 2019. But can anyone surpass a record held by legend Sachin Tendulkar?
The Master Blaster holds a record for the last 16 years. He has scored the most runs in a single edition of the World Cup. Sachin was on song in the 2003 edition in South Africa, where he amassed 673 runs that year.He smashed one hundred and six half-centuries. Tendulkar set the stage on fire before falling perishing cheaply in the finale.
Only, Matthew Hayden (659 in 2007) came close to break Sachin’s record, but he couldn’t. The likes of Mahela Jayawardene (548 in 2007) and Martin Guptill (547 in 2015) also came to touching distance. One hopes that in the World Cup 2019, someone goes on to get past the record.
Here, we look at 5 possibilities of batsmen, who have the ability to go past Tendulkar’s mark at the World Cup 2019.
#1 Jonny Bairstow (England)
Jonny Bairstow looks like the real deal for England in the 50-over format. He enjoyed a terrific time in 2018 and was the first player to surpass 1,000-run mark. Bairstow’s aggression and ability to pick up boundaries at will will help his side. The Englishman has the knack of scoring hundreds and shares a special bond with his opening partner Jason Roy.
He has smashed one hundred this year and goes into the World Cup as an in-form batsman. He was superb in the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Bairstow will have the advantage of home conditions and that can do wonders for him.
#2 David Warner (Australia)
David Warner claimed a spot in the Australian line-up after a terrific IPL 2019, where he amassed 692 runs for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Prior to that, the Aussie underwent a 12-month ban fora ball-tampering scandal in South Africa in 2018. Now that he is back, Warner will look to make the most out of it.
Warner provides so many facets in his game. He runs well, hits boundaries and dispatches the bad balls. The southpaw’s hunger for runs could help him score immensely this term. He will be keen on proving his doubters wrong at the World Cup 2019. One hopes that Warner replicates the form he showed in IPL. He was a success in the 2015 edition.
#3 Virat Kohli (India)
Virat Kohli has dominated the proceedings in ODI cricket since the last two years and has been in the best of touches. He has developed a knack of scoring hundreds and also surpassing several records of Tendulkar in a short passage of time. Kohli is being backed to score immensely in the 2019 World Cup.
He will be leading from the front and the experience will be better after playing two World Cups earlier. Kohli is averaging close to 60 to show the form he enjoys in this format. He was the top run-scorer for the last two seasons in ODIs and notched over 1000 runs for two successive years.
He has also amassed 611 runs in 11 matches at 55.54 in 2019 that includes 3 hundreds. If there is anybody that can break the record held by Sachin, it’s none other than the 30-year-old Kohli.
#4 Chris Gayle (West Indies)
The ‘Universe Boss’ has enjoyed a stellar 2019 so far and if he gets going than one will find it extremely hard to stop the southpaw. Gayle’s eye for runs and big scores are the reasons for him being included in this list. The West Indian opener will enjoy batting in flat pitches in England and Wales.
He can dominate the show against both spin and pace. Gayle knows the English attack well and was the top run-scorer in the 5-match ODI series at home earlier this year. He had smashed 424 runs from just 4 innings, hitting 2 centuries and as many fifties. Gayle was superb in IPL 12 as well.
#5 Rohit Sharma (India)
Rohit Sharma is someone who can play the big innings. He has three double tons to his name to suggest how much he loves the format. Like Kohli, the opening batsman has been one of the pillars of this Indian team. He has scored a bagful of runs in every surface and is a big-match player.
The Indian vice-captain has been consistent in the 50-over format. Like the skipper, Rohit has also collected more than 1000 runs in ODIs in 2017 and 2018. He has notched 556 runs in 2019 so far and could make things work in the coveted tourney. He has all the attributes to come out and make his presence felt.
We feel these are the top five contenders to break Sachin Tendulkar’s record.
ALSO READ: