Cuttack ODI: Shai Hope faster than Viv Richards, Babar Azam to 3000 ODI runs

est Indies opener Shai Hope set a new record on Sunday when he became the fastest batsman from the Caribbean to score 3000 runs in ODI cricket.

Shai Hope got to the milestone during the ongoing series decider between India and West Indies in the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.

Shai Hope is only the 2nd fastest batsman overall to get 3000 runs. Hope achieved the landmark in 67 innings while former South Africa batsman Hashim Amla holds the record, having got there in just 57 innings.

However, Shai Hope has reached the 3000-run mark in ODI cricket faster than batting great Vivian Richards who needed 69 innings to get there. Pakistan's star batsman Babar Azam is 3rd on the list as he had reached the milestone in just 68 innings.

Shai Hope also finished 2019 as the batsman with 2nd most runs in a calendar year in ODIs in West Indies cricket. He fell just 4 runs short of the West Indies record (1349) set by Brian Lara in 1993.

Most ODI runs scored by a West Indies batsman in a calendar year: 1349 - Brian Lara - 1993, 1345 - Shai Hope - 2019, 1232 - Desmond Haynes - 1985, 1231 - Vivian Richards 1985,1217 - C Gayle 2006

Shai Hope has been in the form of his life in the ongoing year. The West Indies opener has scored more than 1300 runs in just 28 ODIs in 2019. He is second on the list of leading run-scorers in ODI cricket in the calendar year, only behind Rohit Sharma who has 1427 runs in 28 ODIs.

Hope has more runs than India captain Virat Kohli who had scored 1292 runs in 26 ODIs before the Indian innings on Sunday.

Hope finished the calendar year of 2019 with 1345 runs at an average of over 60. The right-hander has the best average for a batsman in ODIs this year (minimum 1000 runs).

Hope began well by playing some delightful drives even as West Indies made a cautious start after being sent into bat in the Cuttack ODI. The opener was cleaned up for 42 in the 20th over by Mohammed Shami who is all set to finish the year as the leading wicket-taker in ODIs.