Glenn Turner of New Zealand was the first batsman to score more than 500 runs in a single World Cup tournament. He achieved this milestone in the inaugural 1975 World Cup. Turner scored 333 runs in that edition, but it was later players like Sachin Tendulkar and Matthew Hayden who surpassed the 500-run mark in single tournaments.

Tendulkar scored 523 runs in 1996, making him the first to cross 500 in a tournament. Such milestones signify consistency and high performance across multiple matches in the competition.