Introduction
In Twenty20 cricket, a run is the basic unit of scoring. A team scores runs by hitting the ball with their bats and then running between the wickets. The team with the most runs at the end of the match wins. As of 2019, the player with the most runs in Twenty20 cricket is Virat Kohli of India, who has amassed 2,625 runs in 86 matches.
List of Batsmen with Most Runs in T20
Many batsmen have scored a lot of runs in T20 cricket but only a few have been consistent throughout their careers. Here is a list of the top 5 batsmen with the most runs in T20 cricket.
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is an Indian cricketer who currently captains the India national team. A right-handed top-order batsman, Kohli is regarded as one of the best batsmen in the world. He plays for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, and has been the team's captain since 2013. Since October 2017, he has been the top-ranked batsman in the world in T20I and ODI formats of the game. Kohli made his international debut in August 2008, when he was 19 years old. He played his first Test match against West Indies in November 2011 and made his first ODI century against Sri Lanka in December 2009. He quickly established himself as a regular player for the Indian team in both Test and ODI cricket. In June 2016, he became India's Test captain following Mahendra Singh Dhoni's retirement from Tests. Under Kohli's captaincy, India won nine Test series, including series victories in Australia and South Africa. He also led India to their second highest ever run chase in Tests, when they chased down 410 runs against England at Eden Gardens in December 2016. In early 2017, he became only the third batsman after Don Bradman and Steve Smith to have scored 1,000 or more Test runs four times consecutively within a span of 12 months (January 2016 – January 2017). In October 2018, he was ranked by ICC as the world's top batsman in Test cricket for a record 8th consecutive year (since 2011).
Rohit Sharma
In November 2019, Rohit Sharma became the first batsman to score five centuries in Twenty20 International cricket. He reached the milestone with a score of 118 not out against Bangladesh in the second T20I of the three-match series, which India won 2–1. Rohit Sharma is an Indian cricketer who has represented India in all three formats of the game. He is a right-handed batsman and an occasional right-arm off break bowler who plays for Mumbai in domestic cricket. He is the vice-captain of the India national team in limited overs formats. Rohit made his One Day International (ODI) debut against Ireland in June 2007 and scored his maiden century in December 2009 against Sri Lanka. He holds the records for the highest individual score (264) and most runs in an ODI inning (242). In August 2013, he scored his maiden Test century against Zimbabwe and followed it up with another century in November 2013 against West Indies. In July 2014, he was awarded Test Player of the Year at ICC Awards.
Brendon McCullum
Brendon McCullum is a former New Zealand international cricketer and current captain of the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League. He is a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper and currently plays first-class cricket for Otago in New Zealand's Plunket Shield competition. McCullum was a core member of the New Zealand national team from 2005 until his sudden retirement from international cricket in late December 2012, after which fellow Test players Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson were appointed as jointly captains for New Zealand's Test match series against South Africa.
Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina, who has been an integral part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) since its inception in 2008, is the leading run-scorer in the shortest format of the game. The Uttar Pradesh-born batsman has so far scored 5368 runs in 260 matches he has played in the IPL at an impressive average of 33.34. He is also the only batsman to have scored more than 5000 runs in the tournament's history. Raina made his IPL debut for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the inaugural edition of the tournament and went on to play a pivotal role in their victories in 2010 and 2011. He was also one of the key members of CSK's squad that reached the final of the 2018 edition. After being released by CSK ahead of the 2020 season, Raina joined Uttar Pradesh-based franchise, Ghaziabad Lucknow Supernova.
David Warner
David Warner is an Australian cricketer and the current vice-captain of the Australian national team. He plays for New South Wales and the Sunrisers Hyderabad. A left-handed opening batsman, Warner is the first Australian cricketer in 132 years to be selected for a national team in any format without experience in first-class cricket. He originally played as a right-arm off spin bowler, but converted to batting after being dropped from the New South Wales U-19 cricket team. He plays in the Big Bash League for the Sydney Thunder. In 2016, he became captain of Australia across all three formats, although he stepped down from this role after a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. Warner was widely regarded as one of Australia's best batsmen, particularly in limited overs cricket, until his involvement in the scandal led to a significant drop in his reputation.
Conclusion
As of July 2019, the cricketer with the most runs in T20 internationals is Virat Kohli of India. In second place is New Zealand's Brendon McCullum, while Australia's David Warner rounds out the top three.