Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad's List-A Record Shattered By England's 33-Year-old Player

England player shatters Kohli, Gaikwad's feat [Source: AFP]

Virat Kohli has scored truckloads of runs across formats, but ODIs have been his bread-and-butter format as the champion batter has accumulated runs for fun. Scoring runs in List-A cricket has been Kohli’s favourite work as he averages a staggering 57.86.

Not only Kohli, but his Indian teammate, Ruturaj Gaikwad, also has a stellar record in List-A cricket, and he even boasts numbers that are even better than India’s number 3 (Kohli). However, there is one English batter who has surpassed the Indian pair to become the greatest List-A batter of all-time.

England's Jake Libby surpasses Kohli, Gaikwad to register best average in List-A cricket

Worcestershire and England batter Jake Libby scored his third consecutive hundred in the ongoing One-Day domestic cup to help his team secure a famous win in a tricky 334-run chase vs Surrey.

Batting at number 4, he stayed unbeaten at 109 off 96 balls as he helped his side steer past the target with utmost ease. Apart from his stellar hundred against Sussex, Libby also smashed centuries against Middlesex and Essex, and in the process, he surpassed Kohli, Gaikwad, and other top players.

The unbeaten 109 took Libby’s List-A average to a staggering 61.4 in 56 matches, and he became the player with the best average possessed in List-A cricket.

While Ruturaj has an average of 58.61, Kohli's numbers stand at 57.8. The other top players in the list are Sam Hain and Australia's Michael Bevan.

Cricketers with the highest List-A average

(Players with highest List-A average)

Libby tops the charts, overtaking some of the big names in the list. India and Maharashtra batter Gaikwad sits in second place as Libby displaced him from the top.

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Another English player occupies the charts as Sam Hain is placed in third position, followed by one of the greatest ODI finishers, Michael Bevan, and India’s Virat Kohli.

Jake Libby's career at a glance

While Libby has solid first-class numbers, it is in List-A cricket where he has truly shone and has become one of the best domestic performers.

In just 56 matches, the talented player has racked up 2456 runs and has become the only player at the moment to have his List-A average touch 60 (61.40). A technically sound player, Libby has registered 6 hundreds to his name, and he can play the dual role to perfection (anchor, as well as finisher).

Moreover, he has been in outstanding form in the One-Day Cup as the batter has slammed 366 runs in just six innings, with an average of 91.50, including 3 hundreds to his name.

Courtesy of his brilliant numbers, Worcestershire are sitting 4th in the Group B points table, with 4 wins out of 6 matches played.

Can Libby get a breakthrough in England's ODI team?

On paper, and purely going by statistics, Libby should be picked for England’s next ODI assignment. However, there are two major hurdles which has hampered his development in recent years.

First, Libby is 33-years-old, and has already entered the twilight of his career. If England do include him in their ODI setup, he won’t be able to give them more than 3 years of cricket at the highest level.

Secondly, England’s middle-order is stacked with quality players, and Libby, despite his recent numbers, might not get a place in their middle-order.

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