The No. 3 batting position is one of the most important slots in any format of the game, and T20 is no different. The role of the batters batting in this position is to stabilize the start provided by the openers and should have the ability to play the field in the middle overs.
While they still have to play the role of anchors like the other traditional formats, they need to accelerate at the right time. Those who found the right balance on when to anchor and attack have flourished at the No. 3 batting position.
This article will delve into batters who have the most T20I runs while batting at No. 3.
Most T20I Runs at No. 3
| Player | Innings | Runs | High Score | Strike Rate | 100s/50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli (IND) | 80 | 3076 | 94* | 135.26 | 0/32 |
| David Malan (ENG) | 49 | 1603 | 103* | 133.36 | 1/13 |
| Kane Williamson (NZ) | 47 | 1375 | 95 | 124.43 | 0/13 |
| Faf du Plessis (SA) | 41 | 1304 | 119 | 135.41 | 1/8 |
| Babar Hayat (HKG) | 47 | 1303 | 122 | 134.32 | 1/8 |
| Mitchell Marsh (AUS) | 40 | 1276 | 92* | 142.56 | 0/9 |
| Babar Azam (PAK) | 35 | 1245 | 86 | 127.17 | 0/12 |
| Nicholas Pooran (WI) | 45 | 1241 | 98 | 141.18 | 0/8 |
| Kusal Perera (SL) | 38 | 1152 | 101 | 139.13 | 1/10 |
| Andrew Balbirnie (IRE) | 43 | 1125 | 83 | 128.27 | 0/4 |
Key Insights on Elite T20I Batting at Number 3
All-Time Consistency and T20I Batting Supremacy at No. 3
Virat Kohli leads the way with the most runs at number 3 in T20Is, having accumulated a whopping 3076 runs at a strike rate of 135.26 in 80 innings.
Kohli has smashed the most fifty-plus scores at No. 3 in T20Is, with 32 knocks to his name.
Kohli’s average of 53.96 is the highest among No. 3 batters who have batted in a minimum of 50 T20I innings.
Match-Winning and Role-Specific Feats for No. 3 T20I Batters
2269 of Kohli’s runs came in T20I wins for India, the most by a No. 3 batter. 1502 of them came in successful run chases, again the most by a No. 3 batter in T20Is.
Kohli aggregated 659 runs in 19 innings in 2022, the most by a No. 3 batter in a calendar year in T20Is.
1012 of Nicholas Pooran’s 1241 runs came as a designated wicketkeeper, the most at the No. 3 position in T20Is.
Kane Williamson scored 1318 of his 1375 runs while leading New Zealand, the most by a captain at No. 3 in T20Is. Faf du Plessis (1177) is the other skipper with 1000-plus runs at No. 3.
Record-Breaking Individual T20I Performances
Mitchell Marsh’s strike rate of 142.56 is the highest among batters with 1000 or more runs in this position.
Kushal Malla’s unbeaten 137 for Nepal against Mongolia in 2023 is the highest individual score at No. 3 in a T20I innings. Malla reached his 100 off 34 balls, the fastest century by a No. 3 batter in T20Is.
Leslie Dunbar (Serbia), Rilee Rossouw (South Africa), Josh Inglis (Australia), and Tilak Varma (India) have scored two centuries each at the No. 3 position in T20Is.
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