The longest format of the game, Test cricket, has evolved with time, as has the batter’s playing approach. There is no question about the greatness of the 20th-century batters, as they faced some of the most formidable bowling attacks.
But the modern-day Test batters have added a pinch of aggression to their style of play. Their ability to score runs against the best of the best bowlers at their will places them among the elites.
On that note, we’ll look at the top 10 active batsmen with the most runs in Test cricket.
Most Runs by Active Players in Test Cricket
| Player | Runs | Innings | High Score | Avg | 100/50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Root (ENG) | 12777 | 274 | 262 | 50.90 | 35/64 |
| Steven Smith (AUS) | 9702 | 197 | 239 | 56.40 | 32/41 |
| Virat Kohli (IND) | 9145 | 203 | 254* | 48.13 | 30/31 |
| Kane Williamson (NZ) | 9035 | 182 | 251 | 54.75 | 32/37 |
| Angelo Mathews (SL) | 7966 | 204 | 200* | 45.00 | 16/44 |
| Cheteshwar Pujara (IND) | 7195 | 176 | 206* | 43.60 | 19/35 |
| Dimuth Karunaratne (SL) | 7144 | 185 | 244 | 40.13 | 16/39 |
| Ben Stokes (ENG) | 6641 | 195 | 258 | 35.51 | 13/34 |
| Jonny Bairstow (ENG) | 6042 | 178 | 167* | 36.39 | 12/26 |
| Mushfiqur Rahim (BAN) | 6007 | 174 | 219* | 37.77 | 11/27 |
Key Insights
England’s former captain, Joe Root, is the only current player who has more than 10000 runs in Tests. Soon, he might be among the top 5 run scorers in this format.
There is competition among the Fab 4 batters to be the leading centurion. All of them have close to 30 Test centuries, which shows their temperament to tackle the challenges of Tests.
Most of the batters on this list have scored at least 1 double hundred, and Virat Kohli has the most Test double centuries to his name. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s prolific batter, Kane Williamson, has smashed the most double tons in the 2020s decade.
Speaking of the 2020s decade, Joe Root also leads the run charts here with over 4000 runs under his belt. And there is no doubt that he is going to extend his tally in the coming years.
