Open any cricketing record book, and you will find Sachin Tendulkar’s name at the top. And there’s no surprise that Tendulkar has scored the most runs across formats.
However, scoring that many runs is not an easy job. To accumulate runs consistently, a batter must have top-notch skills, resilience, and dedication to dominate any type of bowling attack.
Over the years, some notable batting greats have dazzled the field with their impeccable strokeplay and hunger for scoring truckloads of runs.
In this article, we’ll list the top 10 batters with the most runs in all formats combined.
Most Runs in All Formats
| Player | Total Runs | Test Runs | ODI Runs | T20I Runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 34357 | 15921 | 18426 | 10 |
| Kumar Sangakkara (SL) | 28016 | 12400 | 14234 | 1382 |
| Virat Kohli (IND) | 27599 | 9230 | 14181 | 4188 |
| Ricky Ponting (AUS) | 27483 | 13378 | 13704 | 401 |
| Mahela Jayawardene (SL) | 25957 | 11814 | 12650 | 1493 |
| Jacques Kallis (SA) | 25534 | 13289 | 11579 | 666 |
| Rahul Dravid (IND) | 24208 | 13288 | 10889 | 31 |
| Brian Lara (WI) | 22358 | 11953 | 10405 | – |
| Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) | 21032 | 6973 | 13430 | 629 |
| Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI) | 20988 | 11867 | 8778 | 343 |
Key Insights
Sachin Tendulkar tops the run charts across formats, with 34357 runs under his belt. Moreover, he is the leading run-scorer in Tests (15921) and ODIs (18426).
Tendulkar is the only batter to score 15000+ runs each in Tests and ODIs, coupled with 30000+ runs across formats.
Over 12 batters have accumulated 20000+ runs in international cricket. Apart from the above 10 players, Pakistan’s Inzamam-ul-Haq and South Africa’s AB de Villiers have breached the mark.
Don Bradman holds the record for the highest Test batting average among the batters with 5000+ runs. The legendary Australian batter averaged 99.94, scoring 6996 runs in 80 Test innings.
Over 10 players featured in 500 or more international games, with Tendulkar (664) and Mahela Jayawardene (652) being the only 2 players to play 600+ matches.
The Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar’s 664-match career was dotted with 100 centuries and 264 fifty-plus scores — the most by a batter in all formats combined. Apart from him, Virat Kohli, Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara, and Jacques Kallis have notched up more than 200 fifty-plus scores across formats.
Wilfred Rhodes has the longest career span in international cricket. The Englishman played 58 Test matches across a span of 30 years and 315 days.
