Virat Kohli (L) and Rohit Sharma (R) (Source: AFP)
The arrival of T20 internationals has completely changed cricket. In this format, fearless stroke-play dominates, unlike the techniques and temperaments seen in ODIs and Tests.
Meanwhile, India have also produced a bunch of batters who’ve piled up the runs at the highest level instead of merely entertaining the fans. That said, here’s a look at the top 10 Indian batters with the most T20I runs since India played their first-ever T20I game in December 2006.
Top 10 Indian batters with the most T20I runs till January 23, 2026
Rohit Sharma (2007-2024) - 4,231 T20I runs
The former World T20 Champion skipper and two-time World Cup-winning batter, Rohit Sharma, was one of the most successful T20I batters ever to play for India. His journey started in the 2007 T20 World Cup and ended in the 2024 edition, when India lifted the title for the second time.
Interestingly, India won the T20 World Cup in both Rohit’s first and last appearances in the tournament. Meanwhile, the star opener also proved his mettle with the bat, scoring 4,231 runs in 151 innings of the 159 T20Is he played.
Rohit scored these runs with a decent batting average of 32.05, hitting five centuries and 32 half-centuries. He is the leading run-scorer of all time in T20Is for India.
Virat Kohli (2010-2024) - 4,188 T20I runs
Virat Kohli, the modern batting great and former World T20 Champion, played 125 T20Is for India from his 2010 debut until the 2024 T20 World Cup final. He set several records in the shortest format with his consistent batting.
Kohli scored 4,188 runs in 117 innings, averaging 48.69, with a century and 38 half-centuries. He ranks second in the list of top 10 Indian batters with the most T20I runs. Besides that, Kohli is the leading run-scorer in the history of the T20 World Cup, with 1,292 runs in 33 innings, hitting 15 half-centuries.
Suryakumar Yadav (2021-Present) - 2,902 T20I runs
India’s current T20I skipper and World Cup-winning batter, Suryakumar Yadav, has been one of the flamboyant batters for his side in T20Is. He has played 101 T20Is in his almost five-year-long career so far.
In these matches, SKY has scored 2,902 runs in 95 innings, averaging 36.27, with 4 centuries and 22 half-centuries. He is currently the third leading run-scorer of all-time in T20Is for India, alongside being the leading run-scorer among the active batters in T20Is.
KL Rahul (2016-Present) - 2,265 T20I runs
KL Rahul has been a key Indian batter in T20Is and ODIs since his debut in 2016. The 33-year-old has played 72 games and scored 2,265 runs in 68 innings, averaging 37.75, with two centuries and 22 half-centuries.
Even after more than four years of playing his last T20I in 2022, he ranks fourth in the list of the top 10 Indian batters with the most T20I runs.
Hardik Pandya (2016-Present) - 2,027 T20I runs
The flamboyant all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, is the only player of his kind for India. He ranks among the top five in the list of both the leading run-scorers and wicket-takers in T20Is for India. He has played 126 T20Is for India since his debut in 2016.
Speaking of his contributions with the bat, Pandya has scored 2,027 runs in 98 innings, with an average of 28.54, hitting seven half-centuries. He ranks fifth in the list of the top 10 Indian batters with the most T20I runs.
Shikhar Dhawan (2011-2021) - 1,759 T20I runs
The former blistering opener Shikhar Dhawan represented India in 68 T20Is for a decade from 2011 to 2021. He scored 1,759 runs in 66 innings, with an average of 27.92, hitting 11 half-centuries. Dhawan was the stable opening choice for India during his career from 2011 to 2021.
The former southpaw is placed at the sixth spot in the list of top 10 batters with the most T20I runs for India.
MS Dhoni (2006-2019) - 1,617 T20I runs
The first-ever World T20 Champion skipper, both for India and among all teams, MS Dhoni played T20Is for India for 13 years. He played 98 T20Is for India, scoring 1,617 runs in 85 innings at an average of 37.6, with two half-centuries.
Notably, Dhoni ranks seventh in the list of leading run-scorers of all-time in T20Is for India despite batting lower down the order throughout his T20I career.
Suresh Raina (2006-2018) - 1,605 T20I runs
The former batting all-rounder Suresh Raina was the first-ever Indian batter to score a century in T20Is. He achieved this feat during the 2010 T20 World Cup in the West Indies. Raina played 78 T20Is for India, scoring 1,605 runs in 66 innings with an average of 29.18, hitting a century and five half-centuries.
Suresh Raina is eighth among the top 10 Indian batters with the most T20I runs in India’s 19-year-long journey in the game’s shortest format.
Rishabh Pant (2017-Present) - 1,209 T20I runs
The star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been active in T20Is for India for almost eight years since his debut in 2017. He was also a part of India’s World Cup-winning side in the T20 World Cup 2024 in the Caribbean.
Pant has played 76 T20Is for India and has scored 1,209 runs in 66 innings, averaging 23.25 and hitting three half-centuries. He ranks ninth in the list of top 10 Indian batters with the most T20I runs.
Abhishek Sharma (2024-Present) - 1,199 runs
The young swashbuckling opener, Abhishek Sharma, has left everyone awestruck with his sensational batting in just a two-year T20I career. Abhishek made his debut for India in 2024 after the T20 World Cup concluded. Since then, he has featured in 35 T20Is for India.
In these matches, the 25-year-old has smashed 1,199 runs in 34 innings, with an average of 36.33 and an unbelievable strike rate of 190.62, hitting two centuries and seven half-centuries. He ranks 10th in the list of leading run-scorers of all-time in T20Is for India.
