Most Runs in Cricket History: The Game's Biggest Legends

People in India sat stuck in front of the television when Sachin used to bat. Everyone knew he would bat flawlessly and score very important runs for the team. He was the backbone of the Indian batting lineup for about two and a half decades. And by the end of his career, he ended up being the batsman with the most runs in cricket. Well, The God of Cricket was a different breed altogether and matching his numbers is a record to beat for any batsman. 

Last updated: October 6, 2026

But we cannot discount the fact that there have been other batters that have contributed to the sport and scored super valuable runs for the team. In this gentleman’s sport, where batting and outscoring the opponent is the main objective, holding the record for the most runs in all formats is a prestige. In today’s chapter of ZAP Records, let’s look at the batsmen with the most runs in test, ODI and T20 International Cricket. 

Most Runs in Test Cricket:

Credit: Hindustan Times

The God, Sachin Tendulkar dominated the format for over 20 years and played a record 200 test matches – the most by any player. And over the span of his career, he scored at an average of 53+ runs per innings. He was the format’s most prolific run getter scoring 15,921 runs throughout his career. Let’s look at the top 10 players with the most test match runs. 

Player	Test runs	Status
Sachin Tendulkar	15,921	Retired
Joe Root	14,278	Active
Ricky Ponting	13,378	Retired
Jacques Kallis	13,289	Retired
Rahul Dravid	13,288	Retired
Alastair Cook	12,472	Retired
Kumar Sangakkara	12,400	Retired
Brian Lara	11,953	Retired
Shivnarine Chanderpaul	11,867	Retired
Mahela Jayawardene	11,814	Retired

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Most Runs in T20I:

Credit: Business Today

T20 format is one of the most interesting formats for the spectators to watch and experience. Characterised by quick runs scoring, with boundaries raining and batsman hitting big sixes, the format is a true test of a players’ six hitting prowess. Chris Gayle, one of the most legendary players in the format, was also one of the most fearful batsmen to bowl to in this format. He could easily dispatch any ball out of the park! Let’s look at the top 10 batsmen with the most runs in t20 internationals. 

Player	T20I runs	Status
Babar Azam	4,596	Active
Jos Buttler	4,384	Active
Rohit Sharma	4,231	Retired from T20Is
Virat Kohli	4,188	Retired from T20Is
Paul Stirling	3,895	Active
Martin Guptill	3,531	Retired
Virandeep Singh	3,515	Active
Mohammad Rizwan	3,414	Active
Muhammad Waseem	3,371	Active
David Warner	3,277	Retired

The most important skill you can have as a player in the T20 format is being able to hit sixes at will. Read this Power Hitting in Cricket article by ZAP and learn this ability to hit sixes easily. 

Most Runs in ODI Cricket:

Sachin Tendulkar is the GOAT batsman of yet another cricket format. His 18K+ runs is a record that is unmatched by anyone, but Virat 'the run machine' Kohli could be on his way to eclipse that record. He still has about 8-9 years left in his career and could own the record. Let’s look at a list of top ten players with the highest runs in one day international cricket. 

Player	ODI runs	Status
Sachin Tendulkar	18,426	Retired
Virat Kohli	15,109	Active
Kumar Sangakkara	14,234	Retired
Ricky Ponting	13,704	Retired
Sanath Jayasuriya	13,430	Retired
Mahela Jayawardene	12,650	Retired
Rohit Sharma	12,120	Active
Inzamam-ul-Haq	11,739	Retired
Jacques Kallis	11,579	Retired
Sourav Ganguly	11,363	Retired

Cricket being a team game, it's important to never forget the fact that every single player contributes to the success equally. MS Dhoni goes very under the radar in this aspect. He has more than 10,000 runs in the ODI format and his ability to win the match from crunch situations is very underrated in terms of stats. He might not score the most runs for the team, but always made sure that he batted all the way and help the team across the line. His batting average of 102 in successful runs chases in ODI is a testament of this. After all, we all had the belief that "Dhoni Sambhal Lega"!

Most Runs in International Cricket:

The ultimate record in the sport for any player who wields the willow, is currently held by the man who is known as the God of Cricket. His runs tally is a result of over 24 years of playing career. Next on the list is Kumar Sangakkara, the left handed maestro from Sri Lanka. Ricky Ponting could easily be considered the greatest Australian batsman of all time. The list going forward is stacked with legendary batsmen, who have always stood up for their teams. Let’s look at the top 10 batsmen with the most runs in international cricket. 

Rank	Player	International runs	Status
1	Sachin Tendulkar	34,357	Retired
2	Virat Kohli	28,527	Active in ODIs
3	Kumar Sangakkara	28,016	Retired
4	Ricky Ponting	27,483	Retired
5	Mahela Jayawardene	25,957	Retired
6	Jacques Kallis	25,534	Retired
7	Rahul Dravid	24,208	Retired
8	Joe Root	23,074	Active
9	Brian Lara	22,358	Retired
10	Sanath Jayasuriya	21,032	Retired

You too can have your names in this list, but first perfect how you play on the field. Read the cricket batting tips and techniques article by ZAP and become a superstar with the willow in hand. 

Conclusion:

Always remember, that such records display the indomitable human spirit to outperform everyone else and contribute to the wins of their teams. And as the sport evolves, we will only get to see more and more players that shatter these records set by historic legends and write their names in the record books for the most runs in cricket!

 

Run tables refreshed through October 6, 2026. Active-player totals can change with each match.