Scoring a century in the Cricket World Cup is the real deal. While we have seen openers scoring hundreds, it is also important to praise the non-openers who give absolutely everything to score and contribute to the team’s scoreboard. Smashing a hundred is considered a significant milestone for a batsman.
While it is a remarkable achievement for the batsmen, it also showcases the player’s skill, concentration, and ability to perform under pressure in one of the most coveted cricket tournaments in the world. In this listicle, let’s know more about the names of four cricketers who essayed the most centuries in the World Cup as a non-opener.
1. Kumar Sangakkara
Kumar Sangakkara is widely regarded as one of the greatest wicketkeeper-batsmen in the history of cricket. The former Sri Lankan captain is known for his elegant batting style, impeccable technique, and potential to score runs consistently across formats.
Moreover, he was particularly known for his proficiency in playing spin bowling and his ability to anchor the innings for the team when it mattered the most. He scored five centuries in Cricket World Cups as a non-opener.
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2. Ricky Ponting
The two-time ODI World Cup-winning captain, Ricky Ponting was a world-class batsman during the playing days of his cricketing career. He was also an exceptional fielder and is widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time.
Popularly known as “Punter”, he has had a distinguished international cricket career. The former Australian captain also scored five centuries in Cricket World Cups as a non-opener.
3. Mahela Jayawardene
Sri Lanka’s batting great Mahela Jayawardene was one of the important pillars of the country’s history. He was an elegant right-handed batsman, known for his terrific batting technique and acumen to score runs in all formats of the game.
The former Sri Lankan cricketer was a key player for Sri Lanka in the middle order and played substantial roles in many important wins for his team. He mustered four centuries in the Cricket World Cups as a non-opener.
4. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is the best batsman across all three formats of the game. The former Indian captain is known for his aggressive playing style, tremendous chasing abilities and consistency across formats.
This is precisely the reason why he is the best all-format batsman in the world. The former Indian captain has scored four centuries in the Cricket World Cups as a non-opener.
