Fastest Runners Between Wickets in Cricket

The development of cricket from Test cricket to the modern era of T20 and T10 has often emphasized the importance of hitting boundaries. However, it often undermines the value of the singles, doubles, and triples. Running between the wickets is as essential for a batter in cricket as smacking boundaries. It helps in the rotation of strikes, avoiding dot balls, easing pressure, and in risk mitigation. The ability to convert a single into a double and a double into a triple are certain traits that often have an impact on close games. However, it is also one of those aspects of the game that often goes unnoticed and paid less heed.

In the pantheon of the sport, there have been certain individuals who made the most out of every given chance, when it came to running between the wickets. From converting a run to pushing the ball onto the gaps and picking up runs with quick limbs, a few notable names have made the most out of their fitness. In his article, we shall have a look into the popular names that were one of the best when it came to running between the wickets in cricket.

1. MS Dhoni (ODI, T20, Test)

Not all players in the world can match the charisma that the former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni possesses. An ice-cool man when it comes to decision-making under tough circumstances, Dhoni often received praise for his game awareness and tactics. But these are not the only traits that define the Jharkhand-bred star. He was also one of the fastest between the wickets, known to convert singles into doubles. 

Dhoni arrived on the scene in an era where Indian cricket was transcending into the shorter form of cricket. It was such a time when 300 runs in ODIs started to become the new normal. Batters found ways to chase down hefty totals with quick running between the wickets and fantabulous ball-striking. Apart from building a reputation for smacking majestic sixes, he was also a swift runner between the stumps. In those times, the likes of Virender Sehwag, and Sourav Ganguly, among others used to fall short of the margin quite often. But Dhoni seemed to be a different beast in this particular aspect of the sport. 

In 538 innings across formats, the wicketkeeper-batter was runout only 28 times. This accounts for just four percent of his overall dismissals. The 2019 World Cup semi-final where he was runout by the barest of margins against New Zealand was one of the notable runouts in International cricket history.

2. Virat Kohli (ODI, T20, Test)

Talk about fitness, running along the pitch for runs, and one cannot discount this gentleman – Virat Kohli. The stalwart has revolutionized fitness in the Indian cricketing realm with his measured diet, work ethic, endurance, and training. He has raised the bar for fitness in not just Indian cricket but also in world cricket. Kohli has been leading as an example for the generations to come and aspires – to learn to sacrifice food, and lethargy with a monotonous, yet rewarding approach.

Kohli, one of the greatest cricketers ever seen on the planet, is also one of the best sprinters in the woods. The 37-year-old tends to convert singles into doubles, and the two’s into three’s. There’s been many occasions when his teammates hailed Kohli due to his incredible running between the wickets approach. Not only does he run quickly between the wickets but compels his partner to compliment him in the process. This often induces the fitness mentality in the ally, helping his side overcome the dot ball pressure or the required run-rate pressure.

One of the finest examples is his unbridled 82 off 51 balls against Australia during the Super 10 clash of the 2016 T20 World Cup. India were struggling to chase down a 161-run target after sluggish starts from Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma. Even Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh failed to strike the ball at a higher rate when Kohli’s ability to convert singles into twos helped the team in a formidable victory. 

Years after the match, Kohli cited his understanding with former India captain Dhoni, who complimented to the best of his capability in running between the wickets.

"MS [Dhoni] and I have great understanding. While running between the wickets, if he says two, I just close my eyes and run because I know his judgment is so correct, I will make it."

3. AB de Villiers (ODI, T20, Test)

AB de Villiers is regarded as the best 360 batter of cricket, who had the ability to clobber to all parts of the field. However, his ability to hurl between the stumps often goes unnoticed. The Proteas batter – yet another candidate who shared a great on-field relationship with Kohli – was an incredible runner between the wickets.

De Villiers donned the Royal Challengers Bengaluru jersey and hustled alongside Kohli for eleven years. During this tenure, he experienced a brotherly relationship with Kohli, often bailing the team out of scrutiny together. The two used to be the backbone of the franchise until 2021 when the Proteas star decided to hang boots from cricket. 

De Villiers was also one of the best batters when it came to adapting to formats and conditions. The South Africa wicketkeeper-batter was equally good in sprinting between the sticks as he was with smoking boundaries. 

One of the finest examples to express de Villiers’ brilliant running between the wickets is his 217 against India in the second Test of South Africa’s 2008 tour. He played 333 balls and stayed for 480 minutes, striking only 17 fours and a couple of sixes in the innings. It accounts for 137 runs of his knock coming in strike rotation – which is roughly 63% of his runs. At a strike rate of 65.16, de Villiers personified grit and endurance with top-level fitness when it mattered the most to his team. South Africa won the game by an innings and 90 runs, highlighted by a Dale Steyn eight-fer in the Test with de Villiers earning the Player of the Match award.

4. Jonty Rhodes (ODI and Test) – A fast mover in the early years of ODI cricket

If fielding was an art, Jonty Rhodes would’ve been the Picasso of it. One of the top-level athletes during his time, Rhodes was an exceptional fielder who used to enforce runouts out of nowhere. He was agile, had sharp reflexes, and didn’t hesitate to throw his body on the line. If not the most complete batter of the South African team, then, Rhodes was definitely a team man who chipped in with handy contributions at the need of the hour. 

What Rhodes did during his time, present cricketers are doing it now. His fitness and achievements in fielding have been nothing but extraordinary. It also had a direct reflex on his running between the wickets during matches. Rhodes, who represented the Men in Green and Gold in 297 matches, scored 49.35% of his runs with strike rotation. 

5. David Warner (ODI, T20, Test) – Explosive runner, especially in limited-overs cricket

Known as the ‘Bull’ or the ‘Reverend’, David Warner’s fitness regime is inspired by his wife Candice, who is an Ironwoman and a professional surf lifesaver. There are enough reports to verify Warner’s wife’s endeavours to make him the fit cricketer he is. The southpaw has also collaborated with sprint coach Roger Fabri for several years. He tried to get a little extra into the game by learning advanced fitness techniques and learning to find the gaps. 

The Aussie veteran came into the limelight due to his swashbuckling approach in batting. He never let the Aussie fans or the cricket enthusiasts feel the void left by Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist. But his explosive batting often overshadowed his ability to run fast between the wickets. Warner is an incredibly hardworking person who came up the ranks fighting the odds. Unlike most batters, the left-handed batter moves into the run after playing his strokes and often transcends his pace smoothly while dashing across the crease. He has a smooth slowdown before pacing up for the next run. When it comes to athletes with incredible speed and unending spirit, Warner will certainly be among the top professionals in the cricket universe.

6. Kane Williamson & Ross Taylor (ODI, T20, Test)– Great understanding and coordination as a pair

Running between the wickets is not just about speed, quick reflexes, stamina, and acceleration. It is also about understanding, cooperation, and mutual collaboration with the partner. If there was one of those duos that excelled in running between the stumps together as a unit, it has to be Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor. The pair played all three formats – T20I, ODI, and Test – for the Black Caps and shared a special bond on the field. 

Taylor and Williamson are also the cricketers who have scored the most runs across formats for New Zealand. While the former has mustered 18199 runs at an average of 42.72, the latter belted 19086 runs at an average of 48.56. They hold the first and second positions in the chart irrespectively.

Williamson and Taylor often held the third and fourth position in the New Zealand batting order, increasing their chance to score as a unit more often than other pairs. While the pair was technically brilliant and were responsible for tough nights for the opposition bowlers, it was mainly built on a fair understanding of the game between the two. They understand the situations of the matches well and planned their innings accordingly. As a duo, one of their prominent moments was the 2021 World Test Championship Final against India when the two were unbridled in an epic win. They won the inaugural Test Championship mace in Southampton, their first ICC title in nearly 21 years.

7. Ravindra Jadeja (ODI, T20, Test) 

One of the prominent all-rounders to have been produced from the western part of India, Ravindra Jadeja is well known for his agility and fitness. A gun fielder in the field, Jadeja is also well known for his left-arm orthodox bowling and lower-middle order batting. One of the notable traits of the Saurashtra-bred was his ability to create moments of magic with his three-dimensional skills. Even on his worst days, Jadeja had the uncanny ability to make things happen with his fielding.

Undoubtedly, one of the best fielders to have come from the peninsular nation, Jadeja transcended his natural fitness into his batting. When one ran with Jadeja, it was certain that the individual had to be on their toes when converting singles into doubles. The left-hander had a great sense of field placements coupled with incredible reflex and agility, helping him pace the innings without being solely dependent on boundaries.

8. Sachin Tendulkar & Rahul Dravid (ODI and Test) – Known for their seamless running partnership.

Some of the notable names that troubled the opposition bowlers with their copybook-style batting technique during the late 1990s and early 2000s were Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. The pair often batted in the middle order in the red-ball format and dominated the era with their sheer batting. While Tendulkar is hailed as the ‘God of Cricket’ or ‘Master Blaster’, Dravid is renowned as the ‘Wall’ or ‘Mr. Dependable’. The pair also forged numerous breathtaking partnerships for the Men in Blue, where they had to be fit enough to hit the gaps and run wild for couples and triples. 

In their era, running between the wickets was not an emphasized term in cricket. Even teams scored fewer runs as 250 was seen as a fighting total in the fifty-over format while chasing 300-plus was seen as a heist until it became normal with the advent of the T20 format. Notably, Sachin and Dravid held the record for most (20) hundred-run partnership in Tests. This required incredible understanding and mutual cooperation over a consistent period of time for India. The Mumbai and Karnataka lad not only forged these stands with disdain but also shared a great understanding that demanded excellent sprinting between the stumps.