A wicketkeeper’s role in the 20-over format is not just limited to keeping the wickets but also to scoring quick runs for their team. Most of the keepers come down the order to bat, and they have an enormous task to finish their team’s innings on a high or take their side over the ropes.
Since the inception of T20I cricket, this fast-paced format has seen some notable wicketkeeper-batters who have accumulated staggering runs.
So, in this article, let’s take a look at the top 10 wicketkeepers with the most runs in T20Is.
Most Runs by a Wicketkeeper in T20I
| Player | Team | Innings | Runs as WK | High Score | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jos Buttler | England | 115 | 3555 | 101* | 149.24 |
| Mohammad Rizwan | Pakistan | 80 | 3053 | 104* | 124.45 |
| Quinton de Kock | South Africa | 103 | 3005 | 115 | 142.95 |
| Mohammad Shahzad | Afghanistan | 72 | 2030 | 118* | 131.90 |
| Kusal Mendis | Sri Lanka | 72 | 1987 | 86 | 133.08 |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Afghanistan | 71 | 1976 | 100 | 137.41 |
| Nicholas Pooran | West Indies | 72 | 1790 | 98 | 136.53 |
| MS Dhoni | India | 85 | 1617 | 56 | 126.13 |
| Tim Seifert | New Zealand | 68 | 1590 | 89* | 136.24 |
| Lorcan Tucker | Ireland | 73 | 1491 | 94* | 124.14 |
| Didier Ndikubwimana | Rwanda | 87 | 1424 | 82* | 84.11 |
Key Insights on Top-Performing Wicketkeeper-Batters in T20Is
Elite Scoring Milestones and Boundary Records for T20I Keepers
Jos Buttler and Mohammad Rizwan are the two wicketkeeper-batters who have crossed 3000 runs in T20Is.
Buttler and Rizwan are also the two keepers who have smashed 25 or more fifty-plus scores in the shortest format.
Buttler is the only wicketkeeper who has hammered 150-plus sixes and 300-plus fours in the shortest format.
Buttler is the only wicketkeeper who has scored 1000-plus runs each in home and away conditions in T20Is.
Buttler is the only wicketkeeper to score 350 or more runs against six teams in T20Is, having done so against Australia, South Africa, India, the West Indies, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand.
Quinton de Kock is the only keeper-batter to score 500-plus runs in three countries – South Africa, India, and the West Indies – in T20Is.
Record-Breaking Calendar Year and Series Performances by T20I Keepers
Rizwan has scored the most runs as a wicketkeeper in a calendar year in T20Is. He amassed 1195 runs in 24 innings in 2021.
The next year, Rizwan created a record for the most runs as a keeper-batter in a bilateral T20I series. He collected 316 runs in six innings in the 2022 home series against England.
Statistical Leaders in Strike Rate and Consistency
Buttler, de Kock, and Zeeshan Ali (Hong Kong) are the only three wicketkeepers with a strike rate above 140 in T20Is (minimum 500 balls faced).
Rizwan is the only wicketkeeper to average above 50, though he strikes below 125 in T20Is (minimum 500 balls faced).
Highest Individual Scores and Century Records by Wicketkeepers
Brendon McCullum (New Zealand) and Brendan Taylor (Zimbabwe) hold the record for the joint-highest individual score by a keeper-batter in T20Is.
McCullum scored 123 runs off just 58 deliveries against Bangladesh in 2012. What’s more special about McCullum’s knock is that it came in a T20 World Cup encounter.
Taylor, on the other hand, brought up his 123-run knock against Botswana in the T20 World Cup Africa regional final in 2025.
Leslie Dunbar is the only wicketkeeper to score a century on a T20I debut. The Serbian batter accumulated an unbeaten 104 runs on his T20I debut against Bulgaria in 2019.
Sanju Samson became the first wicketkeeper-batter to score three centuries in T20Is. Dunbar and Phil Salt are the other two glovemen with two hundreds.
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