Most runs in T20 Cricket: Virat Kohli completes 12,000 Runs

Since its evolution, T20 cricket has been one of cricket's most watched and loved formats due to its fast pace and exciting games. It has always been a batter's format and the format was somehow made for batters to hit more boundaries and score some quick runs. However, scoring big runs has always been tough in T20 cricket due to the number of balls a batter gets in an inning. Despite that, few batters have been able to score a huge number of runs in T20 cricket and play some outstanding innings.

These innings have helped batters cross milestones. Virat Kohli on Friday during the opening game of IPL 2024 between CSK and RCB, completed another milestone in T20 cricket as a batter. He became the first Indian and second-fastest batter to complete 12000 T20 runs. On this occasion, we present you the players with the most runs in T20 cricket.

Read Also: Most Centuries in T20 Cricket

Most runs in T20 Cricket

1. Chris Gayle (WI) – 14,562 runs

Chris Gayle dominates the list in T20s, scoring an ample amount of runs in the format. In 17 years of his career from 2005 to 2022, Gayle has broken lots of batting records. The Caribbean legend has scored 14,562 runs in 455 matches. Gayle has hit 22 centuries in the format, the most among all batters in the history of T20 cricket. He also tops the six-hitting list with 1056 sixes. He is also the quickest batter to complete 12,000 runs in the format and is the only player with 14,000-plus runs.

2. Shoaib Malik (PAK) – 13,360 runs

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik played his first T20 game in 2005. The 42-year-old was recently part of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2024. He has scored 13,360 runs in the format, second among all batters in the history of the shortest format. The Pakistani legend has scored 83 half-centuries in the format with a career-best knock of 95*. He holds an average of 36.40 after appearing in 542 T20s.

3. Kieron Pollard (WI) – 12,900 runs

Kieron Pollard has always batted in the middle and lower order for West Indies and in every other sports league. He has scored nearly 12,900 runs in the T20 format. Pollard has appeared in 660 t20 matches, the most among all players in the history of T20 cricket. The West Indian all-rounder has struck 860 sixes, only second to Gayle. He has also scored 3,412 runs in the Indian cash-rich league after playing 13 seasons for five-time champions, Mumbai Indians.

4. Alex Hales (ENG) – 12,319 runs

English opener Alex Hales has amassed 12,319 T20 runs in his career in 449 matches with a highest knock of 116. He has scored six centuries and 78 half-centuries and is on the verge of completing 500 T20 sixes (494) in his career. Hales is the first English batter to score a T20I century and has the highest individual score of an English batter in the format with his 116 not out against Sri Lanka in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20. 

5. David Warner (AUS) – 12,065 runs

Australia veteran opener David Warner has always been consistent for every team he has played in the T20 format. The dangerous left-hander recently became the fifth batter to cross 12,000 runs, reaching the mark in just 368 innings. He was the quickest after Gayle to complete the feat but Virat Kohli then got past him.

The former captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad, David Warner, is the top run-getter in IPL among the foreign players and comes third overall. He has made 6397 runs in 176 matches at an average of 41.53 and a strike rate of 139.91 in the Indian cash-rich league and has scored 3099 runs for Australia in T20 internationals. Overall, the batter comes fifth in this list with 12,065 runs to his name.

6. Virat Kohli (IND) – 12,015 runs

India batter Virat Kohli comes sixth on this list. Kohli became the second-fastest batter to reach 12,000 T20 runs during the IPL 2024 opener for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Chennai Super Kings. He was also the quickest to 11,000 T20 runs, having reached the mark in only 353 matches. The 35-year-old has also scored eight T20 hundreds, the most among all Indians, with a career-best knock of 122 not out. King Kohli holds is the leading run-getter in T20Is for India (4037) and T20 World Cups (1141). The chase master is also the highest run-scorer in the IPL, scoring 7,284 runs in 238 matches.