Top 5 batters with most runs in T20I history

The cricketers playing T20 cricket with a slam-bang approach helped the format grow over the years. Sending the ball over the boundaries to collect a lot of runs within 20 over has made T20Is more enjoyable as viewers don’t have to wait much to see the scoreboard running.

And while the feeling of a Test victory after great toil gives a lot of satisfaction, in T20Is, batters have to accumulate runs at a faster rate and this rarely fails to grab the viewers’ attention. Compared to Test cricket and ODIs, where batters search for opportunities to hit runs and play defensively, T20Is don’t allow batters the time to think much.

With T20Is, some modern-day greats have emerged. Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Babar Azam, and several others have enthralled the fans with their ferocious and gallant innings.

The list here features the top 10 most run-scorers in T20Is:

S. No.	Batters	Runs
1.	Virat Kohli	4008
2.	Rohit Sharma	3853
3.	Martin Guptill	3531
4.	Babar Azam	3485
5.	Paul Stirling	3408
6.	Aaron Finch	3120
7.	David Warner	2894
8.	Mohammad Rizwan	2797
9.	Jos Buttler	2766
10.	Mohammad Hafeez	2514

Top 5 batters with most runs in T20I history

5. Paul Stirling (3408 runs in 130 innings)

The Irish batter has not played much cricket against strong teams like India, Australia, Pakistan, and New Zealand, but in his career so far, he has played 131 matches. Stirling scored 3408 runs, including a century (115*) and 23 half-centuries.

4. Babar Azam (3485 runs in 98 innings)

Former Pakistani skipper Babar Azam has enjoyed a steady rise in T20Is since his international debut in 2016. His strong performance as a newcomer quickly helped him cement his spot in the playing XI and three years later, he was handed T20I and ODI captaincy duty.

His T20I debut in 2016 came against England in Manchester, where he scored an unbeaten 15 off 11 balls. He has so far played 104 matches and collected 3485 runs with the highest for a 122-run knock. He has slammed three centuries and 30 fifties in the format.

3. Martin Guptill (3531 runs in 118 innings)

The New Zealand veteran played his first T20I match against Australia in 2009 and though his records in ODIs speak for themselves, he is no less dangerous in T20Is. He was part of the side that was the runners-up in the T20 World Cup in 2021.

In 2019, he topped this list until Rohit Sharma surpassed him with the most runs. In the 122 matches he played, Guptill scored 3531 runs with two centuries and 20 fifties with the highest of 105 runs.

2. Rohit Sharma (3853 runs in 140 innings)

The Indian captain never fails to entertain the viewers once he is on-song. He gives the start that the team needs, and the quick knock further helps the middle-order batters guide the team to a strong score.

With four centuries to his name, Sharma tops the list of most centuries in T20Is alongside Australia’s Glenn Maxwell. The 33 fifties he scored make him stand on the list of most 50s in the format. Not just the tons and fifties, Sharma also has slammed the most sixes in the format (182) and is also the third fastest to 3500 runs in T20Is.

After making his debut in 2007 against England (though he did not get the chance to bat) in the first-ever T20 World Cup, Sharma played 14 matches so far (the most by a player), and amassed 3853 runs with the highest being 118 runs.

1. Virat Kohli (4008 in 107 innings)

Virat Kohli does not need any introduction. He is breaking long-standing records in all the formats. His debut in the T20Is came against Zimbabwe in 2010, where he scored an unbeaten 26 runs off 21 balls.

Despite playing 115 T20I matches, he stands on top with 4008 runs with the highest of an unbeaten 122 which he scored against Afghanistan in the 2022 Asia Cup, his only century in the format. The Delhi-born batter also has 37 half-centuries to his name.

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