Babar Azam has the most runs in men’s T20I cricket, with 4,596 runs. He leads Rohit Sharma, Jos Buttler, Virat Kohli, and Paul Stirling in the all-time run standings.
Most Runs in T20I: All-Time Top 10
| Rank | Player | Team | Matches | Innings | Runs | Highest Score | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s | Career Span / Last T20I |
| 1 | Babar Azam | Pakistan | 145 | 136 | 4,596 | 122 | 38.94 | 128.02 | 3 | 39 | 2016–2026 |
| 2 | Rohit Sharma | India | 159 | 151 | 4,231 | 121* | 32.05 | 140.89 | 5 | 32 | 2007–2024 |
| 3 | Jos Buttler | England | 160 | 147 | 4,212 | 131 | 33.96 | 148.93 | 2 | 28 | 2011–2026 |
| 4 | Virat Kohli | India | 125 | 117 | 4,188 | 122* | 48.69 | 137.04 | 1 | 38 | 2010–2024 |
| 5 | Paul Stirling | Ireland | 163 | 160 | 3,895 | 115* | 26.31 | 134.35 | 1 | 24 | 2009–2026 |
| 6 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | 122 | 118 | 3,531 | 105 | 31.81 | 136.72 | 2 | 20 | 2009–2022 |
| 7 | Mohammad Rizwan | Pakistan | 106 | 99 | 3,414 | 88* | 49.06 | 127.91 | 0 | 30 | 2015–2026 |
| 8 | Muhammad Waseem | UAE | 89 | 87 | 3,371 | 112* | 36.46 | 153.45 | 2 | 21 | 2021–2026 |
| 9 | Virandeep Singh | Malaysia | 104 | 101 | 3,370 | 117* | 37.44 | 131.50 | 3 | 22 | 2019–2026 |
| 10 | David Warner | Australia | 110 | 109 | 3,277 | 100* | 33.43 | 142.47 | 1 | 28 | 2009–2024 |
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Runs behind Babar
Jos Buttler is the closest active challenger in the current top tier, but the gap is still substantial. The table below shows how much ground each leading batter would need to make up to catch Babar Azam.
| Player | Runs | Runs Behind Babar |
| Jos Buttler | 4,212 | 384 |
| Paul Stirling | 3,895 | 701 |
| Mohammad Rizwan | 3,414 | 1,182 |
| Muhammad Waseem | 3,371 | 1,225 |
| Virandeep Singh | 3,370 | 1,226 |
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Runs, average, and strike rate
This format rewards both volume and tempo. Virat Kohli has the best average among the top five, while Jos Buttler has the highest strike rate, which is why the top run-scorer is not always the same as the most explosive batter.
| Player | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s | 100s |
| Babar Azam | 4,596 | 38.94 | 128.02 | 39 | 3 |
| Rohit Sharma | 4,231 | 32.05 | 140.89 | 32 | 5 |
| Jos Buttler | 4,212 | 33.96 | 148.93 | 28 | 2 |
| Virat Kohli | 4,188 | 48.69 | 137.04 | 38 | 1 |
| Paul Stirling | 3,895 | 26.31 | 134.35 | 24 | 1 |
Fastest to 4,000 runs
The 4,000-run milestone shows how quickly elite batters accumulated their runs. Virat Kohli reached the mark in the fewest innings among the players listed here, while Jos Buttler set the balls-faced benchmark.
| Player | Innings to 4,000 | Balls to 4,000 |
| Virat Kohli | 107 | 2,900 |
| Babar Azam | 112 | 3,081 |
| Jos Buttler | 137 | 2,670 |
| Rohit Sharma | 144 | 2,861 |
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Most centuries in T20I
The record for most centuries in T20I is shared by Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell, with five centuries each. Suryakumar Yadav is next on four.
| Rank | Player | Centuries | Highest Score |
| 1 | Rohit Sharma | 5 | 121* |
| 1 | Glenn Maxwell | 5 | 145* |
| 3 | Suryakumar Yadav | 4 | 117* |
Recent leaderboard changes
The most notable recent movement is Jos Buttler passing Virat Kohli for third place during England’s July 2026 T20I series against India. India still has two names high on the board, but Kohli’s retirement means his total will not change, while Buttler remains in the chase.
Country leaders
Country leaderboards make the all-time chart easier to read. Pakistan is led by Babar Azam, India by Rohit Sharma, England by Jos Buttler, Ireland by Paul Stirling, New Zealand by Martin Guptill, Australia by David Warner, UAE by Muhammad Waseem, and Malaysia by Virandeep Singh.
| Country | Leading T20I run scorer | Runs |
| Pakistan | Babar Azam | 4,596 |
| India | Rohit Sharma | 4,231 |
| England | Jos Buttler | 4,212 |
| Ireland | Paul Stirling | 3,895 |
| New Zealand | Martin Guptill | 3,531 |
| Australia | David Warner | 3,277 |
| UAE | Muhammad Waseem | 3,371 |
| Malaysia | Virandeep Singh | 3,370 |
Read more: Explore more cricket timelines, player profiles, team rivalries, and cricket records.
T20 vs T20I
T20I records cover only international matches between national teams. T20 records include domestic and franchise cricket too, so they are broader and usually much larger than T20I records.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has the most runs in T20I cricket?
Babar Azam has the most runs in men’s T20I cricket, with 4,596. He leads the all-time leaderboard in the current record snapshot.
Who has the most T20I runs for India?
Rohit Sharma is India’s all-time leading men’s T20I run scorer, with 4,231 runs. Virat Kohli is second among Indian batters with 4,188 runs, and both have retired from T20 internationals.
Who has the most T20I runs for Pakistan?
Babar Azam is Pakistan’s top T20I run scorer and also the overall all-time leader. His total is 4,596 runs.
Who is the highest run scorer among active T20I batters?
Among the current top names, Babar Azam leads the active chase, with Jos Buttler next among active players. The 384-run gap between them is significant, so catching Babar would require sustained scoring over multiple matches.
Who has the most centuries in T20I cricket?
Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell share the lead with five T20I centuries each. Suryakumar Yadav follows with four.
Who is the fastest to 4,000 T20I runs?
Virat Kohli reached 4,000 T20I runs in the fewest innings among the milestone group shown here. Jos Buttler holds the balls-faced record, reaching the mark in 2,670 deliveries.
How far is Jos Buttler behind Babar Azam?
Jos Buttler is 384 runs behind Babar Azam. That makes him the closest active challenger from the top tier, but the gap is still large enough to require a prolonged scoring run.
What is the difference between T20 and T20I records?
T20I records cover only international matches, while T20 records include domestic and franchise games too. A player’s totals across the two formats can be very different.
Why is Jos Buttler above Virat Kohli now?
Buttler moved above Kohli during England’s July 2026 T20I series against India. Kohli’s T20I career ended in 2024, so his total is fixed.
Which countries have the most players in the T20I top 10?
India and Pakistan each have two players in the top 10. India is represented by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, while Pakistan is represented by Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.
