Who is the Run Machine of Cricket? Top 5 Players Ranked

Scoring centuries and achieving multiple individual milestones have always been appreciated by the fans and experts. However, there are players who have not just achieved these milestones but have also remained consistent throughout their careers, scoring a plethora of runs across formats. To get the tag of ‘Run Machine’, one must show discipline, adaptability, and the will to remain consistent. The debate of who are ‘Run Machines’ in the current generation can go four hours. However, in this article, we will talk about five players who are worthy of this elite tag.

Ranking Factor

There are many players who have immense talent and score runs, but it’s not easy to become a ‘Run Machine’. There are some factors that will be considered for this ranking.

Consistency: Players who have shown consistency in all three formats have a higher chance of featuring in the list.

Match-winning contributions: Match-winning contributions are also a key factor to be considered.

Runs: Scoring runs in different conditions, and performance under pressure are also very important to become a ‘Run Machine.’

List of the Top 5 Run Machine of Cricket

Here's the list of cricketers who are known as the run machine of cricket:

Who is the Run Machine of Cricket?

Players who show consistency irrespective of the formats and who have the hunger to score runs in any pitch conditions or situation get the title of ‘Run Machine of Cricket’. There were players like Sir Don Bradman, Sir Viv Richards, Sachin Tendulkar, Kumar Sangakkara, and others who have shown consistency throughout their careers and scored plenty of runs. However, it's not the same in the current generation as batters these days lack consistency. Even if they are scoring brilliantly in one format, it gets hard for them to maintain the same form in other formats.

5. Yashasvi Jaiswal | India

The young Indian prodigy, Yashasvi Jaiswal, has become a permanent member of the Indian Test squad in just a short span. The 23-year-old has already played 19 Test matches and has scored 1798 runs so far at an impressive average of 52.88, which includes 10 half-centuries and four centuries. He has only played one ODI game in his career so far and scored 15 runs. However, he has featured in 23 T20I matches and has scored 723 runs at an average of 36.15 with five half-centuries and one century. As the left-handed batter is just 23 years old, he is most likely to achieve success in all three formats.

4. Harry Brook | England

The young right-handed batter, Harry Brook, has been one of the key players for England over the years. Ever since his debut, Brook has always shown consistency, especially in red-ball cricket. He became the fastest player to score 800 runs in Test cricket. His Test average is 58.48 currently, which is definitely phenomenal after 24 matches. He has scored 2281 runs so far with 10 half-centuries and eight centuries. The 26-year-old is yet to make his name heard in the limited-overs game with 816 runs in 26 ODI games and 798 runs in 44 T20Is.

3. Marnus Labuschagne | Australia

Australia’s star middle-order batter, Marnus Labuschagne, has become one of the most important players of the Australian Test squad ever since he entered as a concussion substitute for Steve Smith during the 2019 Ashes series. The right-handed batter has featured in 57 Test matches so far and scored 4396 runs at an average of 46.76, including 23 half-centuries and 11 centuries.

Talking about his ODI career, Labuschagne has played 63 matches and has scored 1869 runs. His unbeaten 58-run knock against India in the 2023 ODI World Cup final is one of the most important ODI knocks of his career. He hasn’t been very successful in the shortest format as he has played only one T20I game till now, in which he scored only two runs.

2. Mohammad Rizwan | Pakistan

Pakistan’s star wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan is one of the most consistent batters in the current generation. The right-handed batter plays in different batting positions in different formats of the game. His 40+ batting average in all three formats speaks volumes of his consistency. The star batter has played 39 Test matches and has scored 2273 runs so far in his career with 11 half-centuries and three centuries.

Rizwan has featured in 91 ODIs and has scored 2644 runs at an average of 41.31, including 15 half-centuries and four centuries. Talking about T20Is, he has played 106 matches and scored 3414 runs at an average of 47.41 with 30 half-centuries and a century as well. His consistent performances across formats make him one of the contenders to be called a ‘Run Machine’.

1. Virat Kohli | India

The original ‘Run Machine of Cricket’, Virat Kohli, is highly regarded as one of the most consistent batters in the history of the sport. The veteran Indian batter has retired from the Test and T20I formats of the game, leaving a great legacy behind. Kohli played 123 Test matches in his career and scored 9230 at an average of 46.85, including 31 half-centuries and 30 centuries.

While in T20Is, he played 125 matches and scored 4188 runs at an impressive average of 48.69, including 38 half-centuries and a century. However, he still plays in the ODI format, which is undoubtedly the best format for him, considering his performances in it. Kohli has played 302 ODI matches so far and has scored 14181 runs at a magnificent average of 57.88, including 74 half-centuries and 51 centuries.

Why is Virat Kohli known as the Run Machine of Cricket?

Virat Kohli comes among the top cricketers of all time, and it took a lot for him to achieve multiple milestones in the game of Cricket. Not just India’s, Kohli is known as the Run Machine of world cricket. The right-handed received another elite tag from the fans and cricket experts, which is ‘King Kohli.’ His batting prowess and leadership skills have helped him to become the face of sport. The star batter has scored a plethora of runs across all formats, including the richest cricket league in the world, the Indian Premier League (IPL). There are multiple reasons why Kohli is known as the Run Machine of Indian Cricket.