Cricket
Best 50 to 100 Conversion Rate in ODIs? A Data-Driven Ranking
Compared to high-impact T20s and patience-based Tests, One-Day Internationals require batsmen to forge impactful innings balancing endurance and scoring. The players at the pinnacle of 50-over cricket are those who can consistently reach half-centuries and go beyond, turning those 50s into crucial centuries. When considering the most clinical ODI batsmen, the likes of Hashim Amla, Virat Kohli, and David Warner are widely praised for building match-winning innings.
Hashim Amla /Getty Images
Scoring 50 runs is an achievement worth applauding, but the ability to convert that total into 100 runs is what separates the greats of the game from the true icons.
SportsBoom looks at cricket batting statistics and media perception to try and answer a question about which player is best at turning a good score into a great one.
SB Market Index: How We Evaluate the Most Clinical Batsmen
This evaluation of cricket best conversation rate, ODI, combines a statistical analysis of their 50-to-100 conversion rate with expert and media perception to provide a comprehensive ranking of cricket's most ruthless converters, known as the SB Market Index.
Industry Insights
This is a curated analysis from top 10 cricketing and sports media sources measuring how prominently each player is featured in discussions of the ‘most clinical’, ‘most reliable’, or ‘greatest’ ODI batsmen of their eras.
| Source Name | CS MacLeod | Q de Kock | HM Amla | V Kohli | DA Warner | DJ Mitchell | Fakhar Zaman | JM Bairstow | SD Hope | VVS Laxman |
| ESPNcricinfo – ‘ODI Batsman of the Decade’ discussions | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wisden – ‘Modern ODI Greats’ feature | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| ICC Official Player Rankings (historical high positions) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Sky Sports Cricket – ‘Analyzing Conversion Rates’ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Cricbuzz – ‘The Art of Building an ODI Innings’ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| The Cricketer – ‘Top 10 ODI Openers’ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Cricket.com.au – ‘Warner, Amla, and Kohli: The Chase’ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Reddit r/Cricket – ‘Most Underrated Converters’ Poll | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Sportskeeda – ‘5 Batsmen with the Best Conversion Rates’ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| talkSPORT – ‘Cricket's Most Ruthless Finishers’ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Mentions | 3 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 3 |
SB Score
This score is calculated based on each player's career 50-to-100 conversion rate in ODIs (100% weightage). The raw stats are used to calculate the final SB Score.
| Player | 100s | 50s | Conversion Rate (%) | SB Score |
| C S MacLeod | 10 | 13 | 43.48 | 1.000 |
| Q de Kock | 21 | 30 | 41.18 | 0.947 |
| H M Amla | 27 | 39 | 40.91 | 0.941 |
| V Kohli | 51 | 74 | 40.80 | 0.938 |
| D A Warner | 22 | 33 | 40.00 | 0.920 |
| D J Mitchell | 6 | 9 | 40.00 | 0.920 |
| Fakhar Zaman | 11 | 17 | 39.29 | 0.904 |
| J M Bairstow | 11 | 17 | 39.29 | 0.904 |
| S D Hope | 18 | 29 | 38.30 | 0.881 |
| V V S Laxman | 6 | 10 | 37.50 | 0.862 |
SB Market Index
| Rank | Player | SB Score | Industry Insights | SB Market Index |
| 1 | Q de Kock | 0.947 | 10 | 8.189 |
| 2 | H M Amla | 0.941 | 10 | 8.188 |
| 3 | V Kohli | 0.938 | 9 | 7.388 |
| 4 | D A Warner | 0.920 | 9 | 7.384 |
| 5 | J M Bairstow | 0.904 | 8 | 6.581 |
| 6 | Fakhar Zaman | 0.904 | 4 | 3.381 |
| 7 | S D Hope | 0.881 | 4 | 3.376 |
| 8 | C S MacLeod | 1.000 | 3 | 2.600 |
| 9 | V V S Laxman | 0.862 | 3 | 2.572 |
| 10 | D J Mitchell | 0.920 | 2 | 1.784 |
The Kings of Conversion: De Kock and Amla
In terms of cricket best conversion rate, ODI, Proteas legends Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla are effectively level on score.
Leading South Africa in the format, their respective percentages of taking half-centuries to centuries are 41.18% and 40.91%.
Both also earned identical scores for Industry Insights, having both excelled in 50-over cricket thanks to their top-tier consistency.
De Kock is considered one of the Proteas’ greatest wicketkeeper-batsmen, with his explosive hitting translating to domestic form.
Even after retirement, Amla remains one of South Africa’s best opening batters, having broken the national record for his ODI tons.
The Modern Greats: Kohli and Warner
The next two positions in the SB Market Index belong to two fellow legends of 50-over cricket, who also carved their names in international history.
David Warner and Virat Kohli conversion rate, paired with near-perfect media consensus, saw them finish slightly off the pace of de Kock and Amla.
The former Australian skipper had an uncanny ability to root himself at the crease and this made him one of the most feared opening batters of all time.
The Indian icon, who retired in 2024, is considered one of the greatest players for good reason, with his consistency elevating him to cricket’s top tier.
David Warner /Getty Images
The Statistical Leader: Calum MacLeod
An intriguing name appearing on this comprehensive model is that of Calum MacLeod, a Scottish batsman who stands even above legends of the highest order.
He led the purely statistical SB Score with a superb 50 to 100 conversion rate of 43.48, showing an almost supernatural ability to construct meaningful innings in ODIs.
MacLeod could have been the top finisher in the SB Market Index if not for his lower Industry Insights score, likely driven by his country being an Associate nation.
However, this does not take away from the Scotsman’s maturity and determination while at the crease, which has allowed him to rank among some of the best ever.
Conclusion on the Art of Conversion
In conclusion, according to SportsBoom’s model that heavily favours expert perception, Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla are ODI cricket’s most reliable big scorers.
Both have displayed the mental muscle and wisdom in shot selection to turn good starts into match-winning innings, standing among the Proteas and global greats.
It is worth noting that each of the players in this ranking have proven themselves titans of the game and their conversion rate in 50-over cricket is worth celebrating.
Bruce Douglas has more than 12 years of experience in local news media. He has worked at all levels of print and online publication, from crime and politics to photography, newspaper layout, proofreading, mentoring, sub-editing, and leading a newsroom. He played numerous sports at the school level and enjoys keeping up to date.