Top 5 Batsmen fastest to 23 hundreds in ODIs

Top 5 Batsmen fastest to 23 hundreds in ODIs: The record for the batsmen fastest to 23 tons in ODIs stood untouched for over 16 years after Sachin Tendulkar had set it in 1999. But it is now listed as the fourth since compatriot Hashim Amla scored as many hundreds in 132 innings, almost 80 innings less. Only 7 batsmen in the history of 50 overs cricket have been able to get past the twenty-three hundreds mark. 5. Ricky Ponting – 264 innings: Ricky Ponting hit 23 hundreds in ODI cricket in 267 innings. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Australian legend and probably the best limited overs captain in world cricket Ricky Ponting scored 23 hundreds in One Day International cricket after playing 267 innings from 270 matches. While he got to those many hundreds he also had scored 9969 runs at an average of 42.78 which is slightly higher than his career average of 42.03. Ponting also had 58 half-tons while he had hit 854 boundaries and 126 sixes in the stated innings. 4. Sachin Tendulkar – 214 innings: Sachin Tendulkar took 214 innings to score 23 hundreds in ODIs. (© Getty Images) The master batsman from India, Sachin Tendulkar was until today was the fastest batsman to score 23 hundreds in ODIs. Sachin got to the record after batting in 221 matches and for 214 innings. He scored his runs with a fine strike rate of 86.44 and an average of 42.61 a little less than his overall career average of 44.83. Sachin along with the hundreds had also scored 43 half-centuries in those innings. 3. AB de Villiers – 187 Innings: AB de Villiers. (Photo Source: BCCI) Undisputedly the best batsman in international cricket today AB de Villiers has developed his own technique, batting style and angles. He is never affected by the bowling attack he has to face, believes in himself, his own abilities and goes on to play his knock on his own terms. The smashing South African has played 187 innings in ODI cricket and has scored as many as 23 centuries. While he got to his 23rd against India today he became the 3rd fastest batsman to reach the milestone in ODI cricket. 2. Virat Kohli – 157 innings: Virat Kohli. (© Manjunath Kiran/AFP/Getty Images) In his 157th innings Virat Kohli scored the 23rd ODI century and walked past all the records the batting legends of the previous era had set over the years. He broke former team-mate and his idol Sachin Tendulkar’s record to now be crowned as the 2nd top batsman, as the second fastest to 23 tons in ODIs. The 100 that he got against South Africa, which made him the record holder is also his first ODI hundred against the team. Kohli has scored 6824 runs with his best score being 183, he has been able to maintain a rich average of 50.92 and has put together those runs at a strike rate of 89.48. VK has also hit 34 fifties and has eased through those runs with 641 fours and 67 sixes. 1. Hashim Amla – 132 innings: South African cricketer Hashim Amla is congratulated by teammate Quinton de Kock. (Photo by JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images) Hashim Amla has been one of the run machines for South Africa over the years. Indian batsman, Virat Kohli has been rewriting ODI records and the South African opening batsman has been right behind him chasing down Kohli’s records. In the 6th ODI of tri-series against West Indies at Warner Park, Amla played a scintillating knock of 110 during which he hit 13 fours, this hundred was the 23rd of his career and he got there in just 132 innings beating Kohli by a margin of 25 innings to become the fastest batsman to 23 ODI centuries. (All stats updated till 16th June 2016) Also read: 5 Riveting cricket moments caught in the stump mic