Top 3 batters with most ODI runs before turning 25

Every batter dreams of playing for his country at the highest level and making an impact in international cricket at a young age. However, most players take time to get used to the rigours of top-level cricket and only flourish after the initial few years.

While many batters blossom in their late twenties, a select few established themselves much before celebrating their 25th birthday. Here are the three players who scored the most ODI runs before turning 25:

1. Sachin Tendulkar (India)

Having made his ODI debut as a 16-year-old in 1989, Sachin Tendulkar had the worst start to his career. Coming into international cricket as a teenage batting sensation, Tendulkar registered successive ducks in his first two ODI innings.

He scored just 1758 runs from his first 66 innings at an average of 30.84 with 13 half-centuries. However, the legendary batter transformed his career after being promoted to open the innings from March 1994 onwards and got on a dream run.

He went on to accumulate an astonishing 6,522 runs in 181 innings at an average of 39.52 and a strike rate of 84.19 before turning 25, a record that still stands comfortably ahead of the rest.

2. Virat Kohli (India)

Virat Kohli rose to the limelight after captaining India to the 2008 Under-19 World Cup title. He made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka on 18^th August 2008, opening the innings alongside Gautam Gambhir. Kohli had a subdued start to his career, scoring 377 runs from his first 12 innings at an average of 37.7 and a strike rate of 73.92.

However, he finally proved his mettle with his maiden ODI century, scoring a match-winning 107 (114) against Sri Lanka in a 316-run chase. From there on, there was no looking back for the ‘chasemaster’ as Kohli went on to amass 4,919 runs in just 113 ODI innings at an average of 51.77 and a strike rate of 88.48 before turning 25.

3. Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)

Shahid Afridi made his ODI debut at the age of 16 against Sri Lanka on 2^nd October, 1996, in Nairobi, but didn’t get a chance to bat in his first game. However, he got his opportunity in his second match and took the cricketing world by storm, shattering the world record for the fastest century in ODIs in his maiden outing as a batter in international cricket.

Afridi slammed a 37-ball hundred, playing an innings of 102 off just 40 balls against Sri Lanka and won the Player of the Match award in Pakistan’s 82-run victory. After a remarkable beginning, Afridi’s stature only grew in world cricket as he completed 4,356 runs in 190 ODI innings before turning 25.