T20 International (T20I) cricket has produced some of the most thrilling batting performances, with players setting remarkable records over the years. Among them, “batters with most runs in T20I history” has always been a popular topic of discussion due to its high competitiveness.

5 Most Runs in T20I History

The below data is as of February 4, 2025. In this article, we explore the batters with the most runs in T20I history, highlighting the T20I highest run scorer who has dominated the format with their consistency, power-hitting, and match-winning performances.

1. Rohit Sharma

Two-time T20 World Cup Champion, Rohit Sharma is the T20I highest run scorer. The former Indian T20I skipper has amassed 4231 runs in his overall 159 T20Is at an average of 32.05 with the career-best T20I score of 121*. Rohit Sharma also holds the record of joint most number of T20I centuries (5) to his name along with Australia’s Glenn Maxwell.

Rohit Sharma made his T20I debut at the age of 20 in the inaugural T20 World Cup against England at Kingsmead, Durban. Although he didn’t get an opportunity to bat in the game, where Yuvraj Singh created a world record by hitting 6 sixes in an over of Stuart Broad. In his debut T20I innings, Rohit scored an unbeaten 50* against South Africa at Kingsmead, where India went on to win the contest by 37 runs to seal a spot in the Semi-final. He was instrumental in India’s title win in the 2007 T20 World Cup, scoring another crucial knock of 30* in the high-voltage final against Pakistan. He finished the marquee event without getting dismissed in 3 innings he batted.

Rohit Sharma scored his first T20I century against South Africa (106) at Dharamsala in 2015, followed by 118 against Sri Lanka at Indore in 2017, his 3rd ton (100*) came against England at Bristol in 2018, in the same year he hammered (111*) against West Indies at Lucknow, while his 5th ton was against Afghanistan (121*) at Bengaluru in 2024. 4 of his 5 T20Is have come in the winning causes.

 

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He announced his T20I retirement after winning the T20 World Cup in 2024 in the Caribbean soil. Interestingly his career began with the T20 World Cup and also ended with the T20 World Cup in which India won both titles.

2. Babar Azam

Babar Azam is one of the two active cricketers to be in the top 5 most runs in the T20I history list. Pakistan’s modern-day great requires just 9 runs to overtake Rohit Sharma to become the new leading run-scorer in T20Is. In 128 T20Is, Babar Azam has smashed 4223 runs at an average of 39.83 with the top score of 122*. In his T20I career, he smashed 3 centuries and 36 half-centuries.

Babar Azam made his T20I debut against England back in 2016 at Old Trafford, Manchester, where he remained unbeaten on 15* to guide Pakistan to a 9-wicket win. His consistency has been the haul mark for his success as he didn’t get dismissed for a single-digit score in his first 11 innings which served as the stepping stone for something great in the years to come by.

Technically accomplished Babar Azam approaches the game in his way by taking his time to build the innings. He holds an astounding record while opening the batting for Pakistan in T20Is, smashing 2973 runs in 90 matches at an average of 38.11, where all of his 3 centuries have come. He has collected 1250 runs in 38 matches apart from his opening position, where the majority of the runs have come at No.3.

Babar Azam has led Pakistan in Three T20 World Cups in 2021, 2022 and 2024. Under his captaincy, Men in Green reached the Semi-finals in 2021 and ended up as runners up in the 2022 edition held in Australia with a defeat to England at the finals.

3. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli has set a new benchmark with his batting in the shortest format and created a lot of records in his 14-year-long career. His journey began against Zimbabwe in Harare back in 2010, where he made 26* to power India to a 6-wicket win. It took him close to two years for his T20I debut after earning his first ODI cap against Sri Lanka in 2008.

He wasn’t the first-choice batter for India back in those years but has to wait for his chances to make an impression. Virat Kohli is currently 3rd in the all-time T20I highest run scorer list, with an aggregate of 4188 runs in 125 matches, averaging 48.69 with the best score of 122*. In those years, India hardly played T20Is due to their packed Test and ODI schedule. Virat Kohli became a regular starter for India under the leadership of MS Dhoni and continued to shine at the No.3 position. His first breakthrough performance came in the 2012 T20 World Cup, where he finished as the leading run-scorer for India with a tally of 185 runs in 5 matches.

Virat Kohli won the Player of the Tournament award in the 2014 T20 World Cup held in Bangladesh for his outstanding run, where he hammered 319 runs in 6 matches at an average of 106.33. He was again the top-run-getter for India in the 2016 T20 World Cup in which the Men in Blue lost to West Indies in the Semi-final. Virat Kohli ended the competition as the 2nd leading run-scorer, accumulating 273 runs at an average of 136.5 with the top score of 89*. After a low-key T20 World Cup in Dubai 2021, he made it up in the 2022 marquee event held in Australia, finishing as the top-run scorer with 296 runs in 6 matches.

He played his last T20I game against South Africa in the final of the T20 World Cup 2024 and helped India to clinch their 2nd T20 World Cup title with a game-changing knock of 76.

4. Paul Stirling

It’s a surprise to see Ireland’s Paul Stirling in the top 5 most runs in T20I history list. He currently occupies 4th spot in the all-time T20I run-scorers chart with 3655 runs in 147 matches at an average of 27.07 with the top score of 115*. Paul Stirling made his T20I debut during the T20 World Cup in 2009 against Pakistan at the Oval.

Employed with strong natural striking ability and aggressive intent, Stirling initially earned praise during his 3-year stint with Middlesex. He then went on to become one of the all-time greats for Ireland across white-ball formats. Apart from representing his nation, Paul Stirling represented in various T20 leagues across the globe which is a testament to his skill.

His best T20I knock came against Zimbabwe in 2021 at Bready, where he slammed his only T20I (115*) century to help Ireland achieve a 40-run victory. Paul Stirling has captained Ireland in 32 T20Is and holds a win percentage of 46.87. He is still an active player in T20Is and will go down as one of the best batters in T20Is when he retires.

5. Jos Buttler

Current England white-ball skipper, Jos Buttler entered the top 5 leading run-scorers list in T20Is after making 7 runs in the 5th T20I against India at Wankhade Stadium on Sunday. Jos Buttler surpassed former New Zealand batter Martin Guptill’s tally of 3531 runs to gain a significant feat in the shortest format. Buttler is one of the only England batters to find a place in the top 15 of the all-time leading run-getters in T20Is.

In his 14-year long-lasting career, Jos Buttler has mustered 3535 runs in 134 matches at an average of 35.35 with the best score of 101*. He holds an astounding strike rate of 146.61, which is impeccable for someone with over 100 matches. The 34-year-old belligerent batter has scored one century and 26 half-centuries so far.

The list of T20I highest run scorer showcases some of the greatest batters in the shortest format, known for their stroke-making and ability to perform under pressure. With Rohit Sharma leading the charts for the most runs in T20I history and Babar Azam on the verge of surpassing him, the race for the top spot remains exciting. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli, Paul Stirling, and Jos Buttler continue to leave their mark in T20I cricket.