Openers often provide solid starts. Here are those openers who’ve done it more consistently and piled up runs in T20Is.
Most T20I Runs as Openers
| Player | Team | Innings | Runs | High Score | Average | Strike Rate | 100/50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | India | 124 | 3750 | 121* | 32.60 | 143.02 | 5/27 |
| Paul Stirling | Ireland | 146 | 3633 | 115* | 26.91 | 136.27 | 1/24 |
| Muhammad Waseem | UAE | 90 | 3183 | 112 | 37.44 | 152.00 | 3/25 |
| Martin Guptill | New Zealand | 102 | 3170 | 105 | 32.68 | 139.83 | 2/20 |
| Mohammad Rizwan | Pakistan | 76 | 3162 | 104* | 51.83 | 127.70 | 1/30 |
| David Warner | Australia | 103 | 3109 | 100* | 34.16 | 142.15 | 1/27 |
| Babar Azam | Pakistan | 87 | 2973 | 122 | 38.11 | 130.56 | 3/25 |
| Aaron Finch | Australia | 91 | 2848 | 172 | 33.90 | 143.69 | 2/17 |
| Quinton de Kock | South Africa | 92 | 2585 | 100 | 30.41 | 138.53 | 1/16 |
| Reeza Hendricks | South Africa | 82 | 2428 | 117 | 30.35 | 130.81 | 1/18 |
Key Insights on Leading Run-Scorers as Openers in T20 International Cricket
Milestone Run Aggregation in T20Is
New Zealand’s Martin Guptill was the first opener to aggregate 3000 runs in T20Is, crossing the mark in 2022.
India’s Rohit Sharma and Ireland’s Paul Stirling are the two openers who’ve scored 3500-plus runs in T20Is.
Rohit Sharma has smashed the most centuries as an opener, bringing up five 100-plus scores in T20Is.
Rohit and Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan) are the two openers with 30 or more fifty-plus scores in T20Is.
Pace and Consistency Records
Mohammad Rizwan is the fastest opener to score 1000 (20 innings), 2000 (40 innings), and 3000 runs (71 innings) in T20Is.
Karanbir Singh (Austria) and Rizwan are the two openers to average above 50 in T20Is (minimum 30 innings batted).
Karanbir Singh is the only opener to maintain a strike rate above 160 in T20Is (minimum 1000 balls faced). This also makes him the only opener to average above 50 and strike above 150 in T20Is.
Seasonal and Boundary-Hitting Benchmarks
Karanbir Singh has scored the most runs as an opener in a calendar year in T20Is. He scored 1488 runs in 32 innings at a strike rate of 174.85 in 2025. This is also the most runs by a batter at any position in a year in T20Is.
Mohammad Rizwan is the other opener to aggregate 1000-plus runs in a year in T20Is, having achieved the feat in 2022 with 1326 runs in 26 innings.
UAE’s Muhammad Waseem and Rohit Sharma are the two openers who’ve hit 180 or more sixes in T20Is.
Paul Stirling is the lone batter to smash more than 400 fours as an opener in T20Is.
Relevant Records: Most Sixes in a Calendar Year in T20Is | Most Sixes in Powerplay Overs in T20Is
Contextual and Opponent-Specific Performance
Paul Stirling has recorded the most ducks among all openers in T20Is, with over 13 dismissals on the score of zero to his name.
Paul Stirling has aggregated the most runs in overseas conditions in T20Is, with him being the only opener with 2800-plus runs.
Martin Guptill scored 1835 of his 3170 runs in New Zealand, the most by an opener on home soil in T20Is.
David Warner has scored the most runs as an opener against a team in T20Is. The former Australian opener accumulated 662 runs against the West Indies in 15 innings at a strike rate of 160.67.
Warner is the only opener to aggregate 600-plus runs against two opponents in T20Is, with Sri Lanka (653 runs) being the other team.
