5 All-Time Highest Run Scorers In T20 World Cup History

Rohit Sharma (L) and Virat Kohli (R) (Source: AFP) 

In its nine editions over 19 years, the T20 World Cup has seen some excellent performances. It includes both the individual heroics in a game and batters with some all-time achievements. 

There have been some batters in the tournament history since 2007 who have left a long-lasting legacy with their brilliant batting and consistency over the different editions. 

Therefore, in this article, we’ll have a look at the five all-time highest run scorers in T20 World Cup history. 

5 All-time highest run scorers in T20 World Cup history 

Virat Kohli (India) - 1,292 runs 

Former India skipper and the World T20 champion batter, Virat Kohli, ended his T20I career as the most successful batter of all time in the T20 World Cup history. He finished his T20 World Cup career as the leading run-scorer of all time in the tournament. 

He scored 1,292 runs in 33 innings of the 35 games he played in his T20 World Cup career. Kohli scored these runs with an amazing average of 58.72, hitting 15 half-centuries. 

He retired from the T20Is immediately after playing a 76-run knock for India against South Africa in the T20 World Cup final. In this game, the Men in Blue defeated the Proteas to lift their second World T20 title, with Kohli winning the ‘Player of the Match’ award. 

Rohit Sharma (India) - 1,220 runs 

The former World T20 champion skipper, Rohit Sharma, was the only Indian player to be a part of India’s World Cup-winning team in both 2007 and 2024. Besides that, he was one of the top performers with the bat for his side throughout his 17-year-long T20I career. 

In his T20 World Cup career, Rohit played 47 games and ended his journey as the second leading run-scorer of all time in the tournament’s history. He scored 1,220 runs in 44 innings at an average of 34.85, hitting 12 half-centuries. 

He is also in the second spot on the list of batters with the most sixes in the T20 World Cup history. He smashed 50 sixes in his T20 WC history, following the former Caribbean great, Chris Gayle’s 63 sixes. 

Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) - 1,016 runs 

The former Sri Lanka skipper and World T20 champion batter, Mahela Jayawardene, is still the most successful batter for Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup history. He is the all-time leading run-scorer in T20 World Cups for Sri Lanka. 

Besides that, he is the third leading run-scorer of all time in the entire history of the tournament, following Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. In his T20 World Cup career across five editions in seven years, Jayawardene scored 1,016 runs in 31 innings. 

He scored these runs at an average of 39.07, hitting a century and six half-centuries, including 111 fours and 25 sixes. 

Jos Buttler (England) - 1,013 runs 

Out of the top five leading run-scorers of all time in the T20 World Cup history, former England skipper and blistering top-order batter, Jos Buttler, is the only active player. The former World T20 champion skipper will be in action for his side in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. 

He is currently placed at the fourth spot in the list of five all-time highest run scorers in T20 World Cup history, being just four runs away from surpassing the former Sri Lanka legend, Mahela Jayawardene. 

Buttler has scored 1,013 runs in 34 innings of the 35 games he has played in his T20 World Cup career. He has an average of 42.20, including a century and five half-centuries. 

In the T20 World Cup 2026, the English batter will also have a chance to become the third or second leading run-scorer of all time in the T20 World Cups, surpassing Jayawardene and Rohit. 

David Warner (Australia) - 984 runs 

The former Australian batting great and the World T20 champion batter, David Warner, ended his T20 World Cup career as the fifth leading run-scorer of all time in the tournament’s history. He scored 984 runs in 41 innings of the 41 games he played. 

The batting maestro scored these runs at an average of 25.89 and a strike rate of 134.24, hitting eight half-centuries. Warner is also the leading run-scorer of all time for Australia in the T20 World Cup history.