The five-match Test series of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 between India and Australia has concluded, in which Australia won by 3-1. The likes of Travis Head and Yashasvi Jaiswal stood out for their teams while debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy also impressed throughout the 5 matches. In this article, we will take a look at those batters who scored the most runs in BGT 2024-25.

Also Read: India under Gautam Gambhir coaching

Most Runs in BGT 2024-25

1# Travis Head | 448 Runs

Australia's dreaded batsman Travis Head was the highest run-scorer in the Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. He remained unbeaten once in 9 innings of 5 Test matches and scored the maximum of 448 runs at an average of 56 and strike rate of 92.56.

In this series, Head scored two centuries and one half-century. He hit 52 fours and 4 sixes in the entire series. Head's highest individual score in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 was 152 runs.

2# Yashasvi Jaiswal | 391 Runs

Indian young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal finished 2nd in the race for most runs in BGT 2024-25. It was his first series in Australia as well. Jaiswal scored 391 runs while remaining unbeaten once in 10 innings of five Test matches. He scored these runs at an average of 43.44 and strike rate of 53.41. 

Jaiswal scored one century and two half-centuries in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. He hit 44 fours and 4 sixes in the entire series. Jaiswal's top score in this series was 161 runs which came in Perth Test.

3# Steve Smith | 314 Runs

Australia's middle order batsman Steve Smith was the third top scorer in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The series saw the comeback of Aussie star batter who returned with a bang, scoring 314 runs in 9 innings of five matches including 2 brilliant hundreds to his name. Smith scored runs in this series at an average of 34.88 and strike rate of 54.99.

Smithp's best score in this series was 140 runs. He hit 31 fours and four sixes. However, Smith missed completing his 10,000 runs in Test cricket in this series by just 1 run.

4# Nitish Kumar Reddy | 298 Runs

Indian all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy made his Test debut in this series and he was successful in performing brilliantly. Nitish was a part of Team India in all five Tests. In his first Test series, Nitish scored 298 runs while remaining unbeaten once in nine innings of five matches at an average of 37.25 and strike rate of 64.22.

Nitish also scored a century in this series. He hit 30 fours and 8 sixes in the series. His best score was 114 runs.

Also Read: Most Test runs in 2024: Root, Jaiswal, Duckett and more

5# KL Rahul | 276 Runs

Indian opener KL Rahul, considered a liability at the start of BGT, scored 276 runs at an average of 30.66 despite having his role in the order changed to accomodate Rohit. Rahul started the series well and scored 26 and 77 in the Perth Test. He added 201 runs with Jaiswal in the second innings of the Perth Test and guided India to a historic win.

Rahul remained unbeaten once in 10 innings of five matches. He scored two half-centuries in the series and his highest score was 84 runs which came in Brisbane Test.

6# Rishabh Pant | 255 Runs

India's wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant’s overall performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 has been a mixed bag. While he has gotten starts, he has struggled to convert them into big scores. 

The third innings of the game saw Pant score the second-fastest half-century by an Indian in just 29 balls. This comes close to his own record of a half-century off 28 balls against Sri Lanka in 2022. This was his only fifty in BGT 2024-25 as he finished the series with 255 runs at an average of 28.33.

Cricket today is almost entirely a batsman's game. Flat pitches, small boundaries and bigger bats have tilted the game heavily in favor of the batsmen. The bowlers have got nowhere to hide and, the advent of T20s, where the batsmen go after them from the first ball itself have made it even more difficult.

The T20 format has brought about a revolution where the bowlers are more than grateful to keep the run rate down, rather than to take wickets. India made a wonderful foray into the shortest format of the game, winning the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. Over the years India is blessed to have got some big hitters in their line up who are capable of clearing any boundary in the world.

In this article we will take a look at those batters with most sixes for India in T20Is.

Most Sixes for India in T20Is

5. Hardik Pandya | 95

Hardik Pandya debuted in T20I cricket in 2016 and swiftly established himself as a key member of India's preferred playing eleven, serving as a seam-bowling all-rounder. His T20I career reached its peak in 2024, marked by outstanding all-round performances during the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, helping India clinch the title. In terms of batting, Pandya has struck 95 sixes across 90 T20I innings.

Pandya has been included in the Men in Blue's 15-member squad for this year's Asia Cup. If Pandya manages to hit five more maximums in the Asia Cup, then he will go on to surpass KL Rahul's tally of 99 sixes in the shortest format. This will see the all-rounder become the Indian player with the fourth-most sixes in T20Is.

Also Read: Highest Wicket Taker in Asia Cup History (ODI + T20)

4. KL Rahul | 99

KL Rahul, who was once a consistent member of the T20I squad now finds himself out of favour in the T20I setup. Between 2016 and 2022, he played in 72 T20I matches and mostly batted in the top three.

He hit 99 sixes in 68 T20I innings. Following the T20 World Cup 2022, he was excluded from the shortest format due to his outdated approach to T20 cricket, as he did not improve his intent and strike rate.

3. Virat Kohli | 124

The Run Machine Virat Kohli has hit 124 sixes in 117 T20I innings for India. He is one of the most consistent players in the Indian team, with an average of 48.69. He made his T20I debut for India in 2010 and since then he has been a cornerstone of India's batting. Kohli also recorded 4,188 runs in T20I format, which included 38 fifties. 

“King Kohli” was part of the Indian team that won the T20 World Cup in June 2024. After winning the trophy, Kohli announced his retirement from the format. 

2. Suryakumar Yadav | 146*

Yet another batsman who has made six-hitting look extremely easy is India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav. Despite making his T20I debut in March 2021 with a match against England, the elegant middle-order batter has already launched 146 maximums in just 79 innings for Team India.

Having the ability to hit sixes at all parts of the ground with relative ease makes Yadav, a.k.a SKY, draw a comparison with South Africa’s great AB De Villiers who was called Mr. 360 in cricket. His centuries have also come against big teams like England, South Africa, and New Zealand apart from Sri Lanka. He has hit the most number of T20I sixes against West Indies (35).  

1. Rohit Sharma | 205

Former Indian T20I captain Rohit Sharma hit the most sixes for India in T20Is, having hit 205 sixes in 159 games he played. He made his debut for India in the 2007 T20 World Cup against South Africa. However, he failed to cement his place in the team. The turnaround came in the 2013 Champions Trophy when MS Dhoni promoted him up the order to open the batting with Shikhar Dhawan.

Also Read: Most matches by an Indian in international cricket

The mighty Australians have been Rohit's favourite opponent in this format against whom he has hit 29 sixes in 23 matches with Bangladesh being the second, conceding 22 sixes off his willow. Fondly called the “Hitman”, Rohit Sharma hung up his boots from T20Is after delivering the 2024 T20 World Cup title for India.   

The controversy over the key members of the Indian Test team not being selected for major domestic cricket tournaments continues to grow. Now The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has expressed strong displeasure over the exclusion of top international players like KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj from the South Zone team for the upcoming Duleep Trophy.

After this, the Board has officially written a letter to all the state associations asking them to give priority to the selection of centrally contracted players for this opening tournament of the domestic season.

Also Read: Ranji Trophy: Ajinkya Rahane steps down from Mumbai captaincy ahead of the new season

Many big names were not included

South Zone announced its team on July 27. Many big names like KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna and Sai Sudharsan were not included in it.

The Duleep Trophy, which begins in Bengaluru on August 28, is considered an important platform for domestic and national level talents. The board did not like the decision of the South Zone to not include these players in the team despite their availability during the off-season.

Abey Kuruvilla wrote the email

BCCI General Manager of Cricket Operations Abey Kuruvilla addressed the issue in an email sent to zonal coordinators and state units last week. According to the reports, Kuruvilla stressed the importance of ensuring the participation of all available Indian players to maintain the prestige and competitive level of the Duleep Trophy. 

Kuruvilla wrote in the email, “To uphold its prestige and ensure the highest quality of competition, it’s imperative that all currently available India players are selected for their respective zonal teams. Requesting the Zonal Convenors to ensure that all the current India players who are available to play Duleep trophy should be picked.”

“All players, contracted or otherwise, who make themselves available for selection into Team India, shall participate in domestic matches conducted by BCCI,” 

“In case any player opts not to participate in any domestic cricket tournaments in spite of availability, he/she shall not be considered for selection unless a prior recommendation is obtained to skip the match/tournament from the National coach and the chairman of the selection committee, and prior approval from the BCCI. In case any leave is granted, the same shall be considered on the basis of some valid and cogent reason.” the email said.

Instructions to give priority to domestic cricket

This directive is in line with the BCCI's policy of making participation of international players mandatory in domestic competitions. The board had previously warned players against giving priority to the IPL over first-class cricket and earlier this year reminded all contracted players to remain committed to the domestic calendar.

However, this instruction from BCCI has come after South Zone announced its team. It is still not clear whether the selectors will make any changes in their list or not. Tilak Verma was made the captain of the team.

Also Read: Duleep Trophy: Shardul Thakur to lead the West Zone; no Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara in the squad

Questions were raised on international players

Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh and Shreyas Iyer among many other players are expected to participate in the tournament representing their respective regions.

The state associations have previously expressed concern that the automatic inclusion of Indian stars in the regional teams overlooks Ranji players who have performed consistently throughout the season.

Many have argued that matches such as India A tours and Board President's XI would be a more suitable platform for international players, leaving regional tournaments as a rewarding avenue for domestic players.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has extended the contract of Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar. According to the report, he will remain in this position till June 2026. The decision came just two days after India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad announcement. Former fast bowler Agarkar was made the chairman of Team India's selection committee in July 2023.

Also Read: Five things from Asia Cup team announcement press conference

The contract was renewed before IPL 2025

According to the report, Agarkar's contract was renewed ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. During his tenure, the Indian team won titles and also saw changes (in Tests and T20s). The BCCI had extended his contract till June 2026 and he had accepted the offer a few months ago.

“Under his tenure the Indian team had won titles and had seen transition (of the Tests and T20) too. The BCCI had extended his contract till June 2026 and he had accepted the offer a few months back,” a BCCI official said.

Indian cricket team under Agarkar's tenure

During Ajit Agarkar's tenure, Team India won the T20 World Cup in 2024 and the Champions Trophy earlier this year. Apart from this, Team India also reached the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup. Where it lost to Australia.

Agarkar has also overseen leadership changes. Shubman Gill became Test captain. Suryakumar Yadav took charge of the T20I side. Meanwhile, senior stars like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma now play only ODIs. Ravichandran Ashwin has retired completely.

S Sharath could lose his place

Agarkar currently works with SS Das, Subroto Banerjee, Ajay Ratra and S Sharath. But changes are expected at the BCCI annual meeting in September.

Reports say S Sharath could lose his place. He has served close to four years as selector, the maximum allowed by BCCI rules. Sharath earlier headed the junior selection panel before joining the senior one in 2023. BCCI will soon invite applications to fill the vacancy. Officials are largely happy with the rest of the panel. Only Sharath’s role looks under review for now.

Changes will also be made for women’s and junior panels

The shake-up will not stop with the men’s committee. The BCCI will also invite applications for the women’s and junior selectors. Neetu David, head of the women’s panel, and members Arati Vaidya and Mithu Mukherjee, complete their terms this season. The junior men’s panel, led by Thilak Naidu and others, may also see changes.

Also Read: ICC Women’s World Cup 2025: Indian squad announced, Shefali Verma not in the team

Agarkar's international career

Ajit Agarkar has taken 349 international wickets in his career. He has taken 58 wickets in Tests, 288 in ODIs and 3 wickets in T20 Internationals.

Agarkar was also a part of the Indian team that won the T20 World Cup in 2007. He scored 15 runs and took one wicket in 2 matches of the tournament. India won the title by defeating Pakistan in the final of the tournament held in South Africa.

Agarkar is the fastest Indian batsman to score a half century in ODIs. He scored a half century in 21 balls against Zimbabwe in the year 2000. He has also completed the fastest 50 wickets in ODIs for India. He achieved this feat in 23 matches.

The Buchi Babu 2025 tournament has started by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association from 18 August to 9 September. In Round 1, TNCA XI and Mumbai are facing off at Gojan College B Ground. On the very first day of this match, India's Out-of-favour middle-order batsman Sarfaraz Khan has attracted everyone's attention by scoring a brilliant century.

Also Read: BCCI Central Contract 2025: Talking points from BCCI's contract announcement

Sarfaraz hit 92-ball century

Sarfaraz Khan scored this century while batting at number 5. When he came to bat, Mumbai had lost three wickets for 98 runs. After this, Sarfaraz Khan handled the team's innings and scored a stormy century. Sarfaraz reached the 100-run mark in just 92 balls. During this, he also hit 9 fours and 3 sixes. 

Not selected for England tour

This innings is special for Sarfaraz Khan in many ways, because recently he was not selected in the Indian Test team for the England tour. Sarfaraz has been in the news for his fitness for some time now. After not being selected in Team India, he worked a lot on his fitness. Sarfaraz Khan surprised everyone by losing about 17 kg in just one and a half months.

This is his first match after losing weight and he has been successful in leaving his mark in this match. Sarfaraz Khan is now eyeing to make his place in the home Test series to be played against West Indies.

Sarfaraz's Test performance for India so far

The last of Sarfaraz’s six Tests came during New Zealand’s tour of India last year. After scoring a brilliant 150 in the first Test against the Kiwis in Bengaluru, Sarfaraz just managed 21 runs in the subsequent four innings as India was blanked 0-3 at home. In 11 Test innings so far, Sarfaraz has scored 371 runs at a middling average of 37.10.

Also Read: Shreyas Iyer's best knocks in Tests

Though Sarfaraz was picked in the squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia, he didn’t play a single game in the five-match affair.

However, with Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan failing to make a statement with the willow during the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series in England, Sarfaraz has a golden opportunity to be in the scheme of things again ahead of a packed home season.

Australia and South Africa are playing the 3rd T20I match Today at Cazaly’s Stadium in Cairns, a winner-takes-all contest with the series currently level at 1-1. The Aussies took the opening game by 17 runs, but the Proteas bounced back in style in the second match, defeating the hosts by 53 runs.

With the Australia vs South Africa series tied at 1-1, both sides have everything to play for, but for the Proteas, this contest carries added weight, they are chasing a piece of 16-year-old history.

Also Read: Highest Wicket Taker in Asia Cup History (ODI + T20)

The three-match series result so far

In the Australia vs South Africa first T20I in Darwin, Australia took the early lead thanks to a power-packed 83 from Tim David, who smashed eight sixes to break a 16-year-old record for most sixes by an Aussie in a T20I innings against South Africa. His fireworks ensured a 17-run victory for the hosts.

In the second T20I in Darwin, South Africa roared back spectacularly. Youngster Dewald Brevis produced a breathtaking unbeaten 125 off just 56 balls, the highest T20I score by a South African. Chasing 218, the Proteas cruised home and snapped Australia’s nine-match winning streak in the format.

This sets up a mouth-watering decider, with both teams desperate to close out the series.

The 16-year old history

South Africa has never won a bilateral T20I series in Australia since the two teams first met in the shortest format back in 2006. Every attempt since then has ended in disappointment. Now, with the series tied and momentum on their side, the Proteas have a golden chance to rewrite history. 

For Australia, pride and dominance at home are at stake. Tim David’s heroics in the first game showcased their explosive batting depth, but their bowlers will need to find answers to Brevis’ fearless hitting.

South Africa can rewrite history in Cairns

Australia won the toss and opted to bowl first in Cairns, hoping to exploit the conditions under lights. South Africa, brimming with confidence after their record chase, will look to put runs on the board and apply scoreboard pressure.

A historic first-ever T20I series win on Australian soil beckons for South Africa. For the Aussies, it’s about reasserting their dominance at home and denying the Proteas a slice of history.

Also Read: Highest Run Scorer in Asia Cup History (ODI + T20)

Every Australia vs South Africa T20I series Results