The leading run-scorers for each country among the ICC’s top 9
Kusal Perera recently overtook Tillakaratne Dilshan as Sri Lanka’s leading run-scorer in T20I cricket. Perera has been relatively prolific for his country in this format of the international game for an extended period.
Others have done the same, too, including Ireland’s Paul Stirling and Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza, but those small countries are not necessarily among the top nine in the International Cricket Council’s rankings for T20I teams.
Let’s take a look at the leading run-scorers for each top nine country on the ICC’s team T20I rankings.
Rohit Sharma – India
One of only two men to have hit five centuries in T20I cricket, alongside Glenn Maxwell, Sharma is India’s top run-scorer in T20I cricket with 4,200-plus runs in 150-plus innings. His closest rival overall and for India is Virat Kohli.
Babar Azam – Pakistan
The man with the most fours in T20I cricket is also Pakistan’s top run-scorer in the format. Azam has amassed 4,100-plus runs in almost 120 innings in the shortest format of the international game. A lot of this was done while captaining the team, too.
Martin Guptill – New Zealand
Guptill effectively exited T20I cricket in 2022, but not before coming New Zealand’s leading run-scorer in T20I competition with 3,531 in 118 innings. Nowadays, he travels the world on short-term contracts in domestic T20 competitions such as the Pakistan Super League.
David Warner – Australia
Warner has been a household name in T20I cricket for many years. He is Australia‘s top run-scorer in the format despite having only scored one century. Warner batted in each one of the 110 T20Is he played until late November 2024.
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Jos Buttler – England
Captain, wicketkeeper and main provider of top-order runs – the onus on Buttler to deliver on cue has been evident for a long time. And he has duly obliged as England’s top run-scorer in T20I cricket with more than 3,200 runs in nearly 120 innings.
Quinton de Kock – South Africa
De Kock has retired from Test cricket and done the same with ODI competition. Whether he will continue to play T20I cricket and add to his leading tally for South Africa remains in the balance. De Kock has hit 2,584 runs in 91 innings in this format.
Shakib Al Hasan – Bangladesh
As one of the top all-rounders in the format for several years, Al Hasan has ensured that his responsibility with the ball hasn’t necessarily taken away from his key contributions with the bat. He is Bangladesh‘s top T20I scorer with over 2,500 runs.
Nicholas Pooran – West Indies
Any player who has scored more T20I runs than countryman Chris Gayle deserves plenty of credit. Step up Pooran, who is the West Indies’ top run-scorer in T20I cricket. He has more than 2,200 T20I runs – and is still chasing a maiden ton in the format.
Kusal Perera – Sri Lanka
Perera, indeed, recently overtook Dilshan to become Sri Lanka’s top run-scorer in T20I cricket. Perera is closing in on 2,000 runs in the format. He’s also still waiting on a maiden T20I century.
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