Most Runs in All Formats in a Calendar Year
| Player | Year | Total Runs | Test Runs | ODI Runs | T20I Runs | Total Avg | 100/50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kumar Sangakkara (SL) | 2014 | 2868 | 1493 | 1256 | 119 | 53.11 | 8/18 |
| Ricky Ponting (AUS) | 2005 | 2833 | 1544 | 1191 | 98 | 56.66 | 9/15 |
| Virat Kohli (IND) | 2017 | 2818 | 1059 | 1460 | 299 | 68.73 | 11/10 |
| Virat Kohli (IND) | 2018 | 2735 | 1322 | 1202 | 211 | 68.37 | 11/9 |
| Kane Williamson (NZ) | 2015 | 2692 | 1172 | 1376 | 144 | 65.65 | 8/14 |
| Ricky Ponting (AUS) | 2003 | 2657 | 1503 | 1154 | – | 66.42 | 11/8 |
| Rahul Dravid (IND) | 1999 | 2626 | 865 | 1761 | – | 46.89 | 10/9 |
| Kumar Sangakkara (SL) | 2006 | 2609 | 1242 | 1333 | 34 | 52.18 | 5/16 |
| Babar Azam (PAK) | 2022 | 2598 | 1184 | 679 | 735 | 54.12 | 8/17 |
| Virat Kohli (IND) | 2016 | 2595 | 1215 | 739 | 641 | 86.50 | 7/13 |
Key Insights – Highest Run-scorers in a Year Across Formats
The All-Time Record: The record for the most runs in a calendar year across all formats is held by Kumar Sangakkara, who aggregated a colossal 2868 runs in 2014. Ricky Ponting is second on the list, having scored 2833 runs in 2005.
Captaincy & Wicketkeeper Single-Year Records Records
Wicketkeeper Dominance: Kumar Sangakkara is the only wicketkeeper-batter to amass more than 2000 runs in all formats in a single calendar year, scoring 2001 of his 2609 runs in 2006, while playing as a keeper.
Captaincy Excellence: Ricky Ponting’s 2833-run tally in 2005 is also the highest by a captain across all formats in a year.
Kohli and Ponting are the only two captains to score more than 2000 runs in three years each. Kohli uniquely achieved his feat in consecutive years (2017, 2018, and 2019). Virat also tops the ODI record for the same.
Format-Specific Single-Year Records (Test, ODI, T20I)
While Kumar Sangakkara holds the overall record, the highest run-scorers in a single calendar year for each format are distinct, reflecting the specialized nature of the modern game:
- Test Cricket: Mohammad Yousuf’s incredible tally in 2006. (Read the full Most Runs in a Calendar Year in Tests)
- ODI Cricket: Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record from 1998. (Read the full Most Runs in a Calendar Year in ODIs)
- T20I Cricket: Mohammad Rizwan’s phenomenal run in 2021. (Read the full Most Runs in a Calendar Year in T20Is)
Most Centuries in a Year: Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for the most centuries across all formats in a calendar year, hitting 12 hundreds in 1998.
Home/Away Dominance
Most Runs at Home: Michael Clarke scored 1738 of his 2251 runs in 2012 at home, making it the most by a batter at home in a calendar year. 1407 of the 1738 came in Tests for Clarke, that year.
Most Runs Away: Virat Kohli’s 2098 runs in 2018 away from home is the highest tally by a batter in all formats in a year.
Virat Kohli’s Consistency
Most 2000-Plus Years: Virat Kohli stands alone for his incredible consistency, having scored 2000-plus runs in seven calendar years, the most by any batter in history.
The Consecutive Feat: Virat Kohli holds the record for the most consecutive years with 2,000-plus international runs, achieving the feat in four straight years (2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019).
Virat Kohli Performance Table (2016-2019) – Across Formats
| Year | Total Runs (All Formats) | Total 100s/50s | Overall Average | Overall Strike Rate | Test Runs | ODI Runs | T20I Runs | Test 100s | ODI 100s | T20I 100s |
| 2016 | 2,595 | 7/13 | 86.50 | 80.92 | 1,215 | 739 | 641 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2,818 | 11/10 | 68.73 | 92.15 | 1,059 | 1,460 | 299 | 5 | 6 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2,720 | 11/9 | 68.00 | 72.36 | 1,307 | 1,202 | 211 | 5 | 6 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2,451 | 7/14 | 64.50 | 90.41 | 608 | 1,377 | 466 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| Total | 10,584 | 36/46 | 71.03 | 83.11 | 4,189 | 4,778 | 1,617 | 16 | 20 | 0 |
Elite Consistency: Kohli is the only batter in cricket history to aggregate over 2,500 runs across all formats in three consecutive years (2016, 2017, and 2018), a record unmatched by any other player.
Related Reads:
- Virat Kohli Overall Year-wise Runs (From his debut to present)
- Exclusive: Virat Kohli (2016–2019): The ODI Peak of All Time
