Sachin Tendulkar
Viv Richards
Stat by stat
Bars are scaled to the leader in this list.
The verdict
Sachin Tendulkar leads 2 of 2 categories. Our all-time ranking places Sachin Tendulkar at #2 and Viv Richards at #6.
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The case for Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar is the most prolific run-scorer the game has known. Across a 24-year international career he amassed 34,357 runs, 15,921 in Tests and 18,426 in ODIs, both records, and scored 100 international centuries, a milestone no one else has reached. He played 200 Tests and 463 ODIs, carrying the expectations of a cricket-obsessed nation from the age of sixteen. He finished his ODI career holding the first men's ODI double century, 200 not out against South Africa in 2010. Tendulkar's technique was near-flawless against pace and spin alike, and his straight drive became an emblem of orthodox batting. He finally won the World Cup at home in 2011, in his sixth attempt, on a wave of national emotion. For sheer weight of runs and longevity at the top, he is without peer.
The case for Viv Richards
Vivian Richards was the most intimidating batsman of his generation, a swaggering strokemaker who never wore a helmet even against the fastest bowling. He scored 8,540 Test runs at 50.23 and 6,721 in ODIs, and in 1976 alone he plundered 1,710 Test runs, a calendar-year record that stood for decades. His 56-ball century against England in 1986, still among the fastest in Tests, captured his disdain for bowlers. As the batting heart of the West Indies side that went fifteen years unbeaten in Test series, Richards blended Caribbean flair with ruthless dominance, walking to the crease chewing gum with an air of total authority. He later captained the team without losing a series. More than his numbers, it was the psychological ascendancy he held over every attack that marks him among the greatest and most feared batsmen ever.