Most runs for England in Tests, ODIs, T20Is combined – who is their all-format king?

Jonhenry Wilson 24 Jul 2025

Jonny Bairstow is one of England's leading all-format run-scorers.

As cricket continues to grow across its formats, Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, specialisation has become the rule rather than the exception.

In the early days of white-ball cricket, players often sang the same tune across all formats, shifting from Test to ODI squads with little fuss. But times have changed. Now, even some of England’s finest are known more for their prowess in one realm.

Yet amid the shifting trends, a select group of players have amassed significant runs across all three formats since 2000.

Here’s an in-depth look at England’s leading all-format run scorers, a list that features both expected names and a few surprises.

1. Joe Root – 21,278 runs across 3 formats

Innings: 484
Average: 49.36
Active: 2012-present

Joe Root towers atop England’s run charts. A modern batting icon, Root’s mastery spans formats. In Tests, he’s England’s second-highest scorer ever; in ODIs and T20Is, he’s the go-to anchor when stability is needed.

Root’s technique, temperament, and hunger to evolve have kept him on top, across formats, for more than a decade, cementing his all-format brilliance. Never flashy, always reliable, Root goes about his business with a sense of calm and control.

2. Alastair Cook – 15,737 runs across 3 formats

Innings: 387
Average: 42.88
Active: 2006-2018

An opener built for endurance, Cook was an England stalwart for years. While his game was best suited to Test cricket, he adapted admirably to ODIs with measured aggression at the top.

Cook’s technique was tailor-made for tough, early innings conditions, and his endurance helped him compile huge runs across formats, even if his T20I career was brief – he played just four T20Is, scoring just 61 runs with a highest score of 26.

Also read: The fastest to 7,000 Test runs – which Australian is in a league of his own?

3. Kevin Pietersen – 13,779 runs across 3 formats

Innings: 340
Average: 44.30
Active: 2004-2014

The electrifying Pietersen remains a fascinating case. His flair, creativity, and match-winning ability made him stand out in Tests where, in many senses he was a pioneer of the Baz Ball way.

He averaged almost 50 in Test cricket and was above 40 in ODIs. Perhaps surprisingly his T20I average was his lowest, although at 37.93 with a strike-rate of 141.51 it is still very impressive.

While T20Is never fully realised his flashy talent, he still found runs across formats. His dynamic strokeplay revolutionised white-ball batting, and his Test record reflects a master of turning matches.

4. Ian Bell – 13,331 runs across 3 formats

Innings: 370
Average: 40.27
Active: 2004-2015

Perhaps a surprise to find Bell as high as number four on this list, the Warwickshire man thrived off the back of calmness, clarity, and consistency. His technique stood firm in Tests, and in ODI cricket he was a reliable middle-order run-getter.

Though not flashy, his high-quality, dependable batting kept the innings inching forward, a testament to his steady, dependable nature across formats. Bell played just eight T20Is boasting a high score of 60 not out.

5. Jos Buttler – 11,881 runs across 3 formats

Innings: 389
Average: 36.11
Active: 2011-present

Jos Buttler’s presence on this list reflects his adaptability and impact. Initially a dynamic white-ball specialist, he developed into a Test opener.

Buttler’s deft gliding between formats, switching gear from Test anchor to white-ball aggressor, was a game-changer for England. His records in T20Is and ODIs are outstanding, and his Test runs now reinforce his status as a genuine multi-format star.

Although he averages below 40 in each format, his runs are balanced well across all three versions of the game. He has also bagged centuries in each format with his highest score for England an undefeated ODI 162.

6. Jonny Bairstow – 11,581 runs across 3 formats

Innings: 348
Average: 37.11
Active: 2011-2024

Bairstow is a powerful and aggressive batter who brings energy and, much like Buttler, a true multi-format ability. From Test to T20I, Bairstow has regularly contributed crucial runs with match-defining knocks.

His ability to adapt to the requirements of a situation; solid in Tests yet explosive in ODIs and T20Is, has kept him among the top run scorers.

His best format is undoubtedly ODI where he averages 42.97, but with a Test average of 36.39 he is more than just a wicketkeeper who can bat a bit. Bairstow played a key role in delivering England their first World Cup title in 2019.

7. Andrew Strauss – 11,315 runs across 3 formats

Innings: 308
Average: 38.48
Active: 2003-2012

Strauss led by example. His Test record is one of resilience and high-class opening. In ODIs, he was similarly solid, providing England with a reliable anchor at the top of the order.

Strauss’s calm leadership on and off the field made him a quintessential all-format cricketer of his era. While he wasn’t the sort of batsman to set the pulse racing, he was a man who could dig in and compile innings.

He played only four T20I’s with the bulk of his runs coming from Tests where he scored 7037 runs with a best of 177 and an average of 40.91.

8. Ben Stokes – 10,939 runs across 3 formats

Innings: 340
Average: 35.63
Active: 2011-present

Like Joe Root, Stokes is still playing actively and yo can’t help but think that he will keep climbing this list as he continues to dazzle across all three formats.

His Test heroics; Ashes-winning innings and brilliant performances under duress; are legendary. But his white-ball game has also developed into a strong attacking force, and his ability to bat deeply has yielded big runs in ODIs and T20Is.

Stokes seamlessly adapts between formats, ensuring his presence in both Test and limited-overs squads.

He is a more than useful bowler as well, but it is his hunger and aggression that mark him out as special – there is something of Steve Waugh about him in the way that he is always coming at you and never giving anything away easily.

9. Marcus Trescothick – 10,326 runs across 3 formats

Innings: 268
Average: 40.97
Active: 2000-2006

Trescothick is a name often forgotten when youth-obsessed modern squads are discussed. His Test and ODI form in the early 2000s were phenomenal with the bulk of his contribution coming before the genuine emergence of T20Is.

Trescothick’s high average in fewer innings highlights how impactful and consistent he was in an era when formats were transitioning.

Trescothick played just three T20Is. If you are wondering about the parameters of this list, which only factors in runs scored from the start of 2000, all of Trescothick runs are included as he made both his Test and ODI debuts in 2000.