The game of cricket changed a lot when T20I cricket came along. T20 made the game faster, more creative, and more exciting. Cricket has a long history, going back to the 16th century.
T20 matches have become very popular, making a lot of money for cricket boards. People love to watch T20 matches, both at the stadium and on TV. This popularity has made cricketers focus more on T20 skills, hoping to play in leagues.
Some players are really good at T20 cricket. The best batters are not only creative with their shots but also have good technique and keep things simple.
This article talks about the top 5 international batters who have scored the most runs in T20 matches and have impressed audiences all over the world.
1. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli, who used to captain the Indian cricket team, has scored the most runs in T20 International matches. He has scored 4,008 runs, which is more than anyone else. Kohli is known for playing proper cricket shots even in the fast-paced T20 format, where most players focus on hitting the ball hard.
Kohli started playing T20 Internationals for India in June 2010. He has played 115 matches and scored 4,008 runs. He has scored one century and 37 fifties. In the recent ICC T20 World Cup 2022, Kohli scored the most runs in the tournament, with 296 runs. He played a memorable innings against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Kohli also holds other records in T20 Internationals. He has been awarded the Player of the Series title seven times, has scored the most fifties (38), and reached 3,500 runs in the fewest innings (96).
2. Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma from India has played in every T20I World Cup since it started in 2007. In the first World Cup, he played really well in the final against Pakistan, helping India win the title.
Over the years, Sharma has made history by hitting the joint-most centuries (4) in T20I matches. He’s also the second-highest scorer in T20Is, with 3,853 runs in 148 matches, including four centuries and 29 half-centuries. He’s known for hitting centuries in just 35 balls, which is one of the fastest in T20Is.
Sharma has played the most T20I matches (148) and has hit the most sixes (182) in this format.
ALSO READ: Top 5 fastest centuries by Indian batsmen in T20Is
3. Martin Guptill
Martin Guptill from New Zealand is one of the toughest players in white-ball cricket. He really wanted to play in T20 international matches. Guptill, who bats first for New Zealand, starts their innings really fast. This helps other players on his team to get comfortable and play well during the first part of the game.
Guptill started playing for New Zealand in 2009. Now he’s 37 years old and has scored 3,531 runs in T20 internationals. He has scored two centuries and 20 fifties. Guptill hasn’t said he’s retiring yet. His last T20 international match for New Zealand was in October 2022.
Guptill has achieved some impressive records in T20 internationals. He’s hit the second-highest number of sixes (173), reached 3,500 runs really quickly, and taken the second-highest number of catches (68).
4. Babar Azam
Babar Azam is a really good cricket player from Pakistan. He’s especially good at T20 cricket, but he’s also good at other types of cricket. In the T20 games he played between 2016 and 2023, he scored 3,845 runs and made 330 half-centuries. Even though he doesn’t have lots of different shots, he still scores a lot.
Usually, he plays as a stable player on the team. He’s also the first player to score three tons (100 runs) as captain. Babar is really fast at scoring runs, and he’s played the most games in a row as captain (55 games). He’s also hit the second-most number of fours (hitting the ball to the boundary) in T20 cricket (371 fours).
ALSO READ: Top 5 Indians with the most sixes in Test cricket
5. Paul Stirling
Paul Stirling from Ireland is a really good T20I player, but not many people realize it. He has played in 132 matches, which is the second most after Sharma, who has played 148 matches.
Stirling started playing T20 cricket early in his career and has scored 3,422 runs in T20I matches. He has hit one century and 23 half-centuries. He first played a 20-overs game for Ireland in June 2009.
Stirling holds two records in T20I cricket for Ireland. He has hit the most fours (397), which is impressive. But he also has the most ducks (13), which is not so good. He is currently Ireland’s white-ball captain.
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