Top 10 Batsmen With Most Runs In International Cricket

Scoring runs in international cricket is not a piece of cake. It never was. International cricket is played at the highest standards of professional-level amid a very large competitive scale. Apart from the skills to pay the bills, another element that is needed to score a lot of runs is sustainability.

Today, we take a look at the top 10 batsmen in world cricket who have had the perfect mix of skills and sustainability and have scored a large number of runs in international cricket.

Top 10 Batsmen With Most Runs In International Cricket

10. Shivnarine Chanderpaul

Former West Indian, Chanderpaul has been one of the greatest ever batsmen for the Windies team. He is last on the list of top 10 batsmen with most runs in international cricket. Chanderpaul has scored a total of 20988 runs at an average of 45.72.

Chanderpaul has played 164 Test matches in his career and has scored a total of 11867 runs in the longest format of the game. He has also scored 8778 runs in the 268 ODI games that he has played for the Windies. Chanderpaul has scored more than 300 runs in T20Is.

9. Sanath Jayasuriya

Sanath Jayasuriya has played a total of 586 matches and scored a total of 21032 runs at an average close to 35. Playing more than 100 Test games, Jayasuriya scored a total of 6973 runs at an average of 40.07. In the 445 ODIs that he has played, Sanath has scored 13430 runs at an average of 32.76.

He has also played a total of 31 T20I matches and scored 629 runs with four half-centuries in the process.

8. Virat Kohli

Indian skipper Virat Kohli is arguably the best batsman in world cricket at the moment. He is racking up records for fun and he is likely to reach the summit in this list in coming times. Kohli is now 8th on the list but has a very long career ahead and the kind of form that he has been in, it seems a huge possibility that Kohli will lead this chart too.

Talking about statistics, Virat Kohli has scored a total of 21901 runs in international cricket so far at an average of 56.15. His average is the best in the list and this just goes on to show the amount of potential the Indian skipper has.

Virat has played a total of 86 Test matches so far and has scored 7240 runs at an average of 53.62 so far. He has also played 248 ODIs wherein, the star batsman has scored 11867 runs at an average of 59.33. He has also represented India in 84 T20Is and has smashed 2794 runs at an average of above 50.

7. Brian Lara

West Indies legend, Brian Lara is seventh on the list in the top 10 batsmen with most runs in international cricket. Lara has scored a total of 22358 runs in the game and is widely considered one of the best batsman ever. He is also considered the best left-handed batsman the world of cricket has ever witnessed.

Lara played more than 100 Test matches scoring 11953 runs at an average of 52.88. He holds the record of the highest individual score in Test cricket. He achieved this feat against England in the year 2004. Since then, no one has been able to beat this record and it seems a hard possibility in the coming days also.

Lara has also played 299 ODIs and scored more than 10000 runs in the format. These include 19 centuries and 63 half-centuries.

6. Rahul Dravid

Famously known as the Wall, Rahul Dravid has been an epitome of success throughout his career. His discipline and his commitment towards the game is unthinkable. The world of cricket has never witnessed a more resilient batsman than Dravid.

Dravid has scored a total of 24208 runs in international cricket at an average of more than 45 in international cricket. Dravid has played a total of 164 Test matches for India and scored more than 13000 runs at an average of above 50. He has also scored more than 10000 runs in the ODI format in the 344 games he has played.

5. Jacques Kallis

Jacques Kallis is the lone South African to feature in the list of the Top 10 batsmen with the most runs in international cricket. Kallis grabs the fifth spot with 25534 runs at an average of 49.10. Not only was Kallis a great batsman, but he was a key figure of the Proteas with the ball. He is certainly one of the best all-rounders the game of cricket has seen.

Kallis has scored more than 13000 runs in Test cricket in the 166 games he has played. He has also played 328 ODIs and scored more than 11500 runs with 17 tons and 86 half-centuries. Kallis has scored 666 runs in the 25 T20Is that he has played for South Africa.

4. Mahela Jayawardene

Mahela Jayawardene is another Sri Lankan legend who features in the list of the top runs scorers in international cricket. Jayawardene has scored a total of 25957 runs in international cricket at an average of 39.15. He has played a whopping more than 650 international games in his career.

Mahela has played a total of 149 Test matches scoring 11814 runs in the process at an average close to 50 in the longest format of the game. He has also played 448 ODIs scoring more than 12500 runs in the process. Mahela has also played more than 50 T20I games for Sri Lanka and scored more than 100 runs with a century and nine half-centuries.

3. Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting features third on the list with 27483 runs in more than 550 matches at a career average of more than 45. Apart from being a great batsman, Ponting is widely regarded as one of the best captains ever. He led Australia to a couple of world cup titles and was the leader of one of the greatest teams ever to grace the field of cricket.

Ponting has played more than 150 Test matches for Australia scoring 13378 runs at a career average of above 50. Punter has also featured in 375 ODIs scoring more than 13000 runs in the format. Ponting has also played 17 T20Is for Australia scoring more than 400 runs.

2. Kumar Sangakkara

Kumar Sangakkara is a Sri Lankan legend in and out. The wicket-keeper batsman is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in world cricket. Apart from batting, Sangakkara is also regarded as one of the most successful wicketkeepers the world of cricket has ever witnessed.

Sangakkara is second on the list after Sachin as he has scored a total of 28016 runs in international cricket across all formats. He has managed an average of above 46 throughout his career which is quite exceptional.

Sanga has scored more than 12000 runs in his Test career at a jaw-dropping average of 57.40. In more than 400 ODIs, he has scored close to 15000 runs in the format. He has scored a total of 1382 runs in the 56 T20Is that he played for Sri Lanka.

1. Sachin Tendulkar

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar is commonly known as the ‘God of Cricket.’ Sachin is arguably the best batsman ever to step on to the field of cricket. Not only cricketing legends and fans but also the records speak volumes about the fact.

Sachin has scored a total of 34357 runs in international cricket across all formats. He maintained a staggering average of 48.52 throughout his career and has smashed 100 international centuries, a record that is going to be unbreakable for ages.

The Mumbaikar has scored more than 15000 runs in the 200 Test matches that he has played for India. He has also played a total of 463 ODI games scoring more than 18000 runs in the format. The Master Blaster has played only one T20I game for India wherein he scored 10 runs.

Also Read: Top 10 Bowlers Who Have Conceded Most Runs In International Cricket

(All stats updated till 22nd March, 2020)