If you’re anything like me—cricket running through your veins—stats like “most runs ever?” get your pulse racing. Which is why here is a tally of the top names in the sport, based on not just feelings and biases but backed up by actual facts and stats.
So, let’s dive into it. Just simple talk, real numbers, and top-of-the-game accomplishments.
What Counts as the Cricket Highest Run?
This is cricket’s top score ranks across formats: Tests, ODIs, T20Is, and the overall big-picture combining all. We’ll move league by league, format by format—but always keeping it real, talking in numbers that are authentic and leave no room for dispute.
Master of All Formats: Sachin Tendulkar
When you hear “Cricket Highest Run,” one name towers above all: Sachin Tendulkar. He’s the highest by a mile and of course, all of that is for actual, proven reason.
- Combined (Test + ODI + T20I): A staggering 34,357 runs
- Tests only: Tops with 15,921 runs
- ODIs only: Also leads with 18,426 runs
That’s the legendary stuff that we have all grown up being accustomed to hearing about the God of Indian Cricket. And though T20s weren’t his playground, nobody’s even close when you look at total runs that this man got himself.
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T20 Smashers: The Powerhouses
T20 cricket is a newer creature, but its run giants are still massive and known by all like the stuff of myths and legends. Here is what it looks like:
- Chris Gayle leads with 14,562 T20 career runs
Behind him: Pollard (13,854), Alex Hales, Shoaib Malik, and yes—Kohli with 13,543
Now that’s a list full of hitters who make the ball disappear like magic and possess the power to change a game with a single swing.
Recent Espresso Shot: Joe Root Joins the Occasion
Just recently, England’s Joe Root passed two legends in Test runs. He’s now 3rd all-time in Test runs, trailing only Tendulkar and Ponting. That’s massive—Root’s name is right up there in cricket’s run charts.
This can be anticipated seeing as every news headline is busy racking up his name right beside Tendulkar, eager to see if we finally have someone who could perhaps touch the Tendulkar peak? Of course, only time can tell.
ODI Odyssey—Who Ranks Where?
Internationally, Tendulkar still reigns and honestly, it is a feat in its own capacity how it is even possible so long after his retirement:
- Sachin Tendulkar – 18,426 runs
- Kumar Sangakkara – 14,234 runs
- Virat Kohli – 14,085 runs (as of now, chasing ahead)
Kohli’s not just chasing—he’s breathing down the neck of Sangakkara, and Ponting’s rooting for him to chase history. He isn’t called the Chase Master for nothing after all. All his aggression and passion, of course they stand for something of their own ability in all his achievements.
T20Is—Short Format, Big Numbers
Faster, flashier, but still filled with run kings:
- Rohit Sharma – 4,231 runs
- Babar Azam – 4,223 runs
- Virat Kohli – 4,188 runs
These tallies show how these guys consistently score in high-pressure action.
Test Cricket Honours—The Marathon Kings
All-time Test runs go:
- 1st – Tendulkar (15,921)
- Followed by Ponting (~13,378), Kallis (~13,289), Dravid (~13,288), Root just over (~13,259)
Root’s recent rise reminds us how timeless the sport is—new chapters write themselves.
Top 15 Cricket Highest Run Scorers
Looking at the top 15 cricket highest run scorers in all formats brings a plethora of names and stats. Find below what that looks like and how many of your favourite players made it to the list.
Most runs in career in Tests+ODIs+T20Is
Most runs
Player | Span | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 0 | 4s | 6s |
SR Tendulkar (IND) | 1989-2013 | 664 | 782 | 74 | 34357 | 248* | 48.52 | 50817+ | 67.58* | 100 | 164 | 34 | 4076+ | 264 |
KC Sangakkara (Asia/ICC/SL) | 2000-2015 | 594 | 666 | 67 | 28016 | 319 | 46.77 | 42086 | 66.56 | 63 | 153 | 28 | 3015 | 159 |
V Kohli (IND) | 2008-2025 | 550 | 617 | 89 | 27599 | 254* | 52.27 | 34856 | 79.18 | 82 | 143 | 38 | 2721 | 306 |
RT Ponting (AUS/ICC) | 1995-2012 | 560 | 668 | 70 | 27483 | 257 | 45.95 | 40130 | 68.48 | 71 | 146 | 39 | 2781 | 246 |
DPMD Jayawardene (Asia/SL) | 1997-2015 | 652 | 725 | 62 | 25957 | 374 | 39.15 | 40100 | 64.73 | 54 | 136 | 47 | 2679 | 170 |
JH Kallis (Afr/ICC/SA) | 1995-2014 | 519 | 617 | 97 | 25534 | 224 | 49.10 | 45346 | 56.30 | 62 | 149 | 33 | 2455 | 254 |
R Dravid (Asia/ICC/IND) | 1996-2012 | 509 | 605 | 72 | 24208 | 270 | 45.41 | 46564 | 51.98 | 48 | 146 | 21 | 2604 | 66 |
BC Lara (ICC/WI) | 1990-2007 | 430 | 521 | 38 | 22358 | 400* | 46.28 | 32839 | 68.08 | 53 | 111 | 33 | 2601 | 221 |
JE Root (ENG) | 2012-2025 | 370 | 487 | 53 | 21562 | 262 | 49.68 | 32397 | 66.55 | 57 | 113 | 24 | 2118 | 114 |
ST Jayasuriya (Asia/SL) | 1989-2011 | 586 | 651 | 35 | 21032 | 340 | 34.14 | 25910 | 81.17 | 42 | 103 | 53 | 2486 | 352 |
S Chanderpaul (WI) | 1994-2015 | 454 | 553 | 94 | 20988 | 203* | 45.72 | 40150 | 52.27 | 41 | 125 | 21 | 2041 | 126 |
Inzamam-ul-Haq (Asia/ICC/PAK) | 1991-2007 | 499 | 551 | 76 | 20580 | 329 | 43.32 | 32172 | 63.96 | 35 | 129 | 35 | 2076 | 193 |
AB de Villiers (Afr/SA) | 2004-2018 | 420 | 484 | 68 | 20014 | 278* | 48.11 | 26787 | 74.71 | 47 | 109 | 20 | 2004 | 328 |
RG Sharma (IND) | 2007-2025 | 499 | 532 | 65 | 19700 | 264 | 42.18 | 22575 | 87.26 | 49 | 108 | 34 | 1901 | 637 |
CH Gayle (ICC/WI) | 1999-2021 | 483 | 551 | 35 | 19593 | 333 | 37.97 | 25370 | 77.22 | 42 | 105 | 44 | 2332 | 553 |
Via ESPNcricinfo
Most runs
| Player | Mat | Runs |
| SR Tendulkar (IND) | 664 | 34357 |
| KC Sangakkara (Asia/ICC/SL) | 594 | 28016 |
| V Kohli (IND) | 550 | 27599 |
| RT Ponting (AUS/ICC) | 560 | 27483 |
| DPMD Jayawardene (Asia/SL) | 652 | 25957 |
| JH Kallis (Afr/ICC/SA) | 519 | 25534 |
| R Dravid (Asia/ICC/IND) | 509 | 24208 |
| BC Lara (ICC/WI) | 430 | 22358 |
| JE Root (ENG) | 370 | 21562 |
| ST Jayasuriya (Asia/SL) | 586 | 21032 |
| S Chanderpaul (WI) | 454 | 20988 |
| Inzamam-ul-Haq (Asia/ICC/PAK) | 499 | 20580 |
| AB de Villiers (Afr/SA) | 420 | 20014 |
| RG Sharma (IND) | 499 | 19700 |
| CH Gayle (ICC/WI) | 483 | 19593 |
Crazy Innings That Stun Everyone
Records aren’t just about consistent runs—they’re also about those once-in-a-lifetime stands:
- Test Innings: Sehwag 309, Nair 303*, Bradman 304, Cowper 307 Cricinfo
- ODI: Rohit’s 264 (highest ODI score ever)
- T20: Aaron Finch’s 172 is the gold standard, also Masakadza’s 162*, Zazai 162*
Imagine sitting through any of those innings—just magical.
Why These Stats Matter (And Why We Love Talking Them)
Because real runs are real talk. Those runs reflect years of effort, nerves, comebacks, and pure joy. We don’t just remember players—we remember their moments:
- Tendulkar’s masterclasses
- Gayle’s T20 fireworks
- Root’s steady alchemy
And the rest? They’re chasing, rising, and readying to make their own mark.
Conclusion: Who Owns the Crown?
In a pure “Cricket Highest Run” view:
- Tendulkar is the undeniable king of runs. He’s the encyclopedia, the record collector, the benchmark.
- Chris Gayle owns T20 runs like no other.
- Kohli, Root, Babar, Rohit—they’re all kings in their own right, in specific formats and moments.
Talking cricket runs isn’t just stats—it’s storytelling. It’s remembering how your heart raced when someone smashed a boundary, or held its breath through a nervous chase.
All these years and all these players culminated into a tally of numbers that have gone down in history. What better way to look at the past than this?
So, if someone asks “Who holds the Cricket Highest Run?” Here’s my heart-answer: Tendulkar across formats, Gayle in T20s, Kohli rising hard, Root rewriting history—and cricket’s story is far from over.
