When it comes to naming the greatest one-day international (ODI) batter of all-time, former India player Sanjay Manjrekar has no doubt that the title should go to West Indies legend Vivian Richards.
Despite the impressive performances of modern-day greats like Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, and MS Dhoni, Manjrekar believes that Richards’ statistics and dominance in the sport during the 70s and 90s solidify his spot as the all-time great.
Virat Kohli, who has hit three hundreds in recent times and is just 4 centuries away from breaking Tendulkar’s all-time record of 49 ODI centuries, is considered by Manjrekar as one of the best ODI batters in the modern era.
However, he argues that Richards’ statistics in 187 ODIs, where he scored 6721 runs at an average of 47 and a staggering strike rate of 90, make him truly unbeatable.
Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni are also considered greats by Manjrekar, but he maintains that there is no one who can come close to the dominance and consistency of Vivian Richards. He had a sensational career from the 70s to the 90s, averaging 47 runs per game with a strike rate of 90.