Highest Career Strike Rate in Test, T20 and ODI Cricket
Cricket is always changing, and players aim to hit the ball hard and fast to get the best strike rate. Whether it’s in Tests, T20s, or ODIs, having a high career strike rate shows a player’s skill in being both aggressive and accurate. Let’s take a look at the players who’ve been the best at this in each format.
Highest Career Strike Rate in T20 Cricket
| Player Name | Country | Matches | Innings | Runs | Highest | Average | Balls Faced | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kushal Malla | NEP | 28 | 25 | 585 | 137* | 32.50 | 335 | 174.62 |
| Faisal Khan | KSA | 27 | 27 | 700 | 83* | 29.16 | 402 | 174.12 |
| KJ Stagno | GIBR | 19 | 18 | 508 | 101 | 29.88 | 292 | 173.97 |
| A Johnson | CAN | 12 | 12 | 589 | 121* | 58.90 | 342 | 172.22 |
| SA Yadav | IND | 60 | 57 | 2141 | 117 | 45.55 | 1248 | 171.55 |
| Taranjeet Singh | ROM | 24 | 24 | 815 | 110 | 37.04 | 476 | 171.21 |
| Saber Zakhil | BELG | 27 | 25 | 687 | 100* | 32.71 | 404 | 170.04 |
| PD Salt | ENG | 20 | 19 | 601 | 119 | 35.35 | 363 | 165.56 |
| Zeeshan Kukikhel | HUN | 15 | 15 | 522 | 137 | 34.80 | 316 | 165.18 |
| HS Gericke | MLT | 21 | 20 | 541 | 91 | 27.05 | 330 | 163.93 |
| Mirza Ahsan | AUT | 30 | 27 | 443 | 70* | 21.09 | 271 | 163.46 |
| Iqbal Hossain | AUT | 25 | 21 | 532 | 71 | 25.33 | 328 | 162.19 |
| Kuldeep | PORT | 14 | 14 | 416 | 80 | 32.00 | 257 | 161.86 |
| R Pathan | CAN | 11 | 11 | 463 | 107* | 51.44 | 287 | 161.32 |
Highest Career Strike Rate in Test Cricket
| Player | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | Avg | HS | SR | 50s | 100s | 0s | Gold 0s | 4s | 6s | ct | st |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shahid Afridi | 27 | 48 | 1 | 1716 | 36.51 | 156 | 86.97 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 220 | 52 | 10 | 0 |
| Tim Southee | 41 | 67 | 6 | 1081 | 17.72 | 77* | 86.54 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 100 | 53 | 25 | 0 |
| Virender Sehwag | 104 | 180 | 6 | 8586 | 49.34 | 319 | 82.23 | 32 | 23 | 10 | 6 | 1233 | 91 | 91 | 0 |
| Adam Gilchrist | 96 | 137 | 20 | 5570 | 47.60 | 204* | 81.95 | 26 | 17 | 10 | 4 | 677 | 100 | 379 | 37 |
| Graeme Swann | 60 | 76 | 14 | 1370 | 22.09 | 85 | 76.49 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 181 | 19 | 54 | 0 |
| David Warner | 38 | 72 | 3 | 3231 | 46.82 | 180 | 74.37 | 14 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 386 | 33 | 29 | 0 |
| Muttiah Muralitharan | 133 | 164 | 56 | 1261 | 11.67 | 67 | 70.28 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 14 | 147 | 28 | 72 | 0 |
| Darren Sammy | 38 | 63 | 2 | 1323 | 21.68 | 106 | 67.88 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 157 | 34 | 65 | 0 |
| Stuart Broad | 79 | 112 | 13 | 2285 | 23.08 | 169 | 67.00 | 10 | 1 | 13 | 4 | 296 | 26 | 22 | 0 |
| Umar Akmal | 16 | 30 | 2 | 1003 | 35.82 | 129 | 65.98 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 117 | 17 | 12 | 0 |
| Tillakaratne Dilshan | 87 | 145 | 11 | 5490 | 40.97 | 193 | 65.52 | 23 | 16 | 9 | 5 | 647 | 22 | 88 | 0 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | 110 | 188 | 14 | 6973 | 40.07 | 340 | 65.27 | 31 | 14 | 9 | 6 | 910 | 59 | 78 | 0 |
Highest Career Strike Rate in ODI Cricket
| Player | Span | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 0 | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AD Russell (WI) | 2011-2019 | 56 | 47 | 9 | 1034 | 92* | 27.21 | 794 | 130.22 | – | 4 | 6 | 94 | 57 |
| GJ Maxwell (AUS) | 2012-2023 | 138 | 127 | 17 | 3895 | 201* | 35.40 | 3069 | 126.91 | 4 | 23 | 10 | 373 | 150 |
| JC Buttler (ENG) | 2012-2023 | 181 | 154 | 27 | 5022 | 162* | 39.54 | 4288 | 117.11 | 11 | 26 | 14 | 407 | 170 |
| LOB Cann (BER) | 2006-2009 | 26 | 25 | 3 | 590 | 52 | 26.81 | 504 | 117.06 | – | 1 | 3 | 46 | 29 |
| Shahid Afridi (Asia/ICC/PAK) | 1996-2015 | 398 | 369 | 27 | 8064 | 124 | 23.57 | 6892 | 117.00 | 6 | 39 | 30 | 730 | 351 |
| H Klaasen (SA) | 2018-2023 | 53 | 49 | 7 | 1702 | 174 | 40.52 | 1474 | 115.46 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 148 | 60 |
| L Ronchi (AUS/NZ) | 2008-2017 | 85 | 68 | 9 | 1397 | 170* | 23.67 | 1220 | 114.50 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 149 | 43 |
| MA Leask (SCOT) | 2014-2023 | 69 | 57 | 11 | 1268 | 107* | 27.56 | 1114 | 113.82 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 100 | 57 |
| YK Pathan (IND) | 2008-2012 | 57 | 41 | 11 | 810 | 123* | 27.00 | 713 | 113.60 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 62 | 43 |
| Sharjeel Khan (PAK) | 2013-2017 | 25 | 25 | 0 | 812 | 152 | 32.48 | 716 | 113.40 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 104 | 28 |
| NLTC Perera (SL) | 2009-2021 | 166 | 133 | 16 | 2338 | 140 | 19.98 | 2086 | 112.08 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 176 | 84 |
| Rizwan Cheema (CAN) | 2008-2013 | 33 | 32 | 1 | 764 | 94 | 24.64 | 685 | 111.53 | – | 6 | 3 | 92 | 35 |
| HH Pandya (IND) | 2016-2023 | 86 | 61 | 9 | 1769 | 92* | 34.01 | 1603 | 110.35 | – | 11 | 4 | 132 | 67 |
| Imad Wasim (PAK) | 2015-2020 | 55 | 40 | 17 | 986 | 63* | 42.86 | 894 | 110.29 | – | 5 | 1 | 91 | 19 |
Conclusion
In the dynamic world of cricket, the pursuit of the highest career strike rate across Test, T20, and ODI formats reveals the adaptability and prowess of players. From the strategic precision of Test cricket to the explosive power of T20s, and the adaptable finesse of ODIs, top performers showcase a unique blend of skills. As the game continues to captivate fans, the quest for the highest career strike rate remains a testament to the evolving nature of cricket. See Also: Cricket vs Football
FAQs
A1: Strike rate measures a player’s ability to score runs quickly, reflecting their impact in different formats.
A2: It is calculated by dividing the total runs scored by the total balls faced, then multiplying by 100.
A3: As of now, AD Russell boasts one of the highest career strike rates in T20 cricket.
A4: Yes, a player’s strike rate can change based on evolving skills, experience, and tactical adjustments.
A5: While a high strike rate is indicative of a player’s ability, cricket success involves various factors like consistency and adaptability.
