This year, due to the Corona pandemic, cricket teams got to play less cricket. Especially ODI cricket in particular has suffered a lot. New cricket teams have played more ODI matches in comparison to big teams. That is the reason why in the list of top-5 batsmen scoring the highest runs in ODI internationals players from the big teams are absent.
These are top-5 Run scorers of 2021:
1. Paul Stirling: This Ireland all-rounder is the highest run-scorer in ODI Internationals in 2021. Paul Stirling has scored 705 runs in 14 ODIs this year at an average of 54. He has also scored 3 centuries during this time.
2. J.N. Malan: This young South African batsman has scored 509 runs in 8 ODIs this year at an average of 84. Malan has also scored 2 centuries and 2 fifties at a strike rate of 92. He is the only player on this list that belongs to the big teams.
3. Tamim Iqbal: Bangladesh's Tamim Iqbal has scored 464 runs in 12 matches at an average of 38 in 2021. He has scored 1 century and 4 fifties.
4. Harry Tector: This is the second Irish player in the top-5 to score the highest number of runs this year. The Irish middle-order batsman has scored 454 runs in 14 ODIs this year at an average of 37. Tector has 4 half-centuries to his name.
5. Andy Balbirnie: This Irish player is actually a spinner but has scored a lot of runs this year. Andy has scored 421 runs in 14 ODIs at an average of 32. He has also recorded a century and three half-centuries.