Virat Kohli, Babar Azam or Chris Gayle: Who Has the Fastest 10000 Runs in T20?
Who is the king of T20 cricket? Discover who slammed 10000 runs in fewer innings in the shortest format of the game.
10000 runs in any format is a massive achievement for any batter in the game of cricket. However, achieving this in T20 cricket is a special feat in itself because of the nature of the way the format is played. T20 cricket, unlike ODIs and Tests, demands the batter to go after the bowlers right from the start and hence the risk of getting out is much higher. The 20-over cricket doesn’t allow batters to focus on the milestones because more than that, the impact made by the batter matters.
Over the years, we have seen batters with cameos making a much larger impact than batters with centuries or half-centuries. Such is the nature of the shortest format of the game as the impact is more valuable than the runs scored. While the T20s are known for the dashers, there have been various batters who have maintained consistency even in their format. This has been depicted by the amount of runs they have scored. In this piece, we will take a look at players who have scored the fastest 10000 runs in T20 cricket.
Fastest 10000 runs in T20
Fastest 10000 runs in T20
| Player | Teams played for | Matches | Innings | Opposition | Match Date |
| Babar Azam | Central Punjab (Pakistan), Colombo Strikers, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Islamabad Leopards, Islamabad Region, Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Lahore Blues, Lahore Eagles, Lahore Whites, Pakistan, Pakistan A, Peshawar Zalmi, Punjab (Pakistan), Rangpur Riders, Somerset, Sylhet Sixers, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited | 281 | 271 | Karachi Kings | February 21, 2024 |
| Chris Gayle | Barisal Bulls, Barisal Burners, Chittagong Vikings, Dhaka Gladiators, Jamaica, Jamaica Tallawahs, Karachi Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Lahore Qalandars, Lions, Matabeleland Tuskers, Melbourne Renegades, PCA Masters XI, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Somerset, Stanford Superstars, Sydney Thunder, West Indians, West Indies, Western Australia | 290 | 285 | Team Gujarat | April 18, 2017 |
| Virat Kohli | Delhi, India, Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore | 314 | 299 | Team Mumbai | September 26, 2021 |
| David Warner | Australia, Australia A, Delhi Daredevils, Durham, Middlesex, New South Wales, Northern Districts, St Lucia Stars, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Sydney Sixers, Sydney Thunder, Sylhet Sixers | 304 | 303 | Team Chennai | April 28, 2021 |
| Aaron Finch | Auckland, Australia, Australia A, Delhi Daredevils, Gujarat Lions, Kings XI Punjab, Melbourne Renegades, Mumbai Indians, Pune Warriors, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Ruhuna Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Surrey, Victoria, Yorkshire | 332 | 327 | Perth Scorchers | December 22, 2021 |
| Quinton de Kock | Barbados Royals, Cape Town Blitz, Delhi Daredevils, Durban's Super Giants, Easterns, Gauteng, Lions, Lucknow Super Giants, Melbourne Renegades, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Seattle Orcas, South Africa, South Africans, Southern Brave (Men), Sunrisers Hyderabad, Titans | 356 | 346 | San Francisco Unicorns | 20 July 2024 |
1. Babar Azam scoring 10000 runs in 271 innings
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam is the batter who has the fastest 10000 runs in the T20s. He achieved the feat in his 271st innings while playing in the Pakistan Super League. The right-hander has been opening the batter in the format and is one of the most consistent batters going around. He broke Chris Gayle’s record of fastest 10000 runs earlier this year and topped the charts. He has been one of the best batters that Pakistan has produced and is also making the same kind of impact in the leagues all around the world.
2. Chris Gayle scoring 10000 runs in 285 innings
Chris Gayle//Getty
West Indies legend Chris Gayle is the second fastest to 10000 runs in the T20 cricket. He became the first batter to go past 10000 runs in the shortest format of the game when he achieved the feat in Indian Premier League 2017. It’s fair to say that there is no better batter than him in the format as the kind of impact that he has made is something no one has created. Being touted as “Universe Boss”, Gayle has broken and created a lot of records in the shortest format of the game. He scored the 10000th run in his 285th innings in the T20s.
3. Virat Kohli scoring 10000 runs in 299 innings
India batter Virat Kohli, who is rated as the best cricketer of the current generation, is also on the list of fastest 10000 runs in T20. The batter has been sensational in all three formats as he has piled up truckloads of runs for the teams that he has played. He achieved 10000 runs in T20s in the 299th innings while playing in the Indian Premier League for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He reached the milestone while playing against Mumbai Indians in 2017 and is also the leading run-getter in the history of the league with over 8000 runs to his name.
4. David Warner scoring 10000 runs in 303 innings
David Warner//Getty
The fourth batter to score the fastest 10000 runs in T20 is none other than the Australian opener David Warner. The left-hander was one of the best batters in T20 cricket. Not only for the national team, he was equally impressive in the leagues around the world. The opening batter got to 10000 runs in T20 in his 303rd innings. He achieved the feat while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL against Chennai Super Kings in 2021. He retired from international cricket recently but will be continuing to play in the leagues around the world. Therefore, the number of runs is only expected to rise.
5. Aaron Finch scoring 10000 runs in 327 innings
Former Australian cricketer Aaron Finch is the fifth name in the list of fastest to 10000 runs in T20 cricket. The opening batter achieved the feat in his 327th inning while playing in the Big Bash League in 2021. He has been amongst the finest openers produced by Australia and made himself a huge name in the leagues around the world with his incredible batting at the top of the order. Finch was a veteran in T20 cricket as he was amongst the leading run-getters in international cricket when he retired. He also retired from the T20 cricket in 2023.
FAQs
Australia batter David Warner holds the record for fastest 5000 runs in IPL. The left-hander achieved the feat in his 135th inning. The batter surpassed the 5000-run mark while playing against Kolkata Knight Riders and ended with the knock of 47* off just 33 balls in a 164-run chase.
Former Australian Brad Hodge is the batter with the fastest 1000 runs in the T20. He achieved the feat while playing for Australia A against New Zealand A. He achieved the feat in his 23rd inning and his record is still intact.
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