Batsmanship has evolved in this generation. The advent of the T20 format has called for players to focus on adaptability apart from their core skill set. While this has proved to be hard for a few, some batsmen have managed to crack it. In this article, we take a look at seven active players who have scored more than 15000 International runs.
1) Virat Kohli – 23093 runs (491 innings)
Test – 7765 runs in 96 games || ODI – 12169 runs in 254 games || T20I -3159 runs in 90 games
Of course, Virat Kohli is one of the active players who have scored more than 15000 International runs. Test cricket was hard for him at the start, but as he started honing his skills, Virat became a complete batsman. ODI has always been his forte, but the Indian skipper managed to be a top T20 cricketer, too. Virat scored 15000 runs in 333 innings and is the fastest to do it in the game’s history. The Delhi lad also enjoys an average above 50 in all three formats of the game.
2) Chris Gayle – 19548 runs (546 innings)
Test – 7214 runs in 103 games || ODI – 10480 runs in 301 games || T20I -1854 runs in 74 games
Chris Gayle actually stands No.3 in the list of the highest international run-scorers for West Indies. While many identify him as a T20 basher now, Gayle did have a great Test and ODI career. Although he has not retired yet, a return to the longer format is out of the question for the Jamaican batsman.
3) Ross Taylor – 18054 runs (500 innings)
Test – 7564 runs in 108 games || ODI – 8581 runs in 233 games || T20I -1909 runs in 102 games
Ross Taylor happens to be one of the active players who have scored more than 15000 International runs. In fact, no one has scored more International runs for New Zealand than Taylor. While his average in Tests and ODIs are above forty, his T20I average is just 26. Hence, he is mostly restricted to the traditional formats now.
4) Joe Root – 16280 runs (372 innings)
Test – 9278 runs in 109 games || ODI – 6109 runs in 152 games || T20I – 893 runs in 32 games
Joe Root is just 30-years-old, but he is already the highest ever International run-scorer for England. This is despite Root not being known as a great limited-overs cricketer. The English captain could also become the first player of this generation to hit the 10000 run-mark in Tests. Although his T20I career looks to be sidelined, Root can still be a force to reckon with in the ODIs.
5) Kane Williamson – 15208 runs (357 innings)
Test – 7230 runs in 85 games || ODI – 6173 runs in 151 games || T20I -1805 runs in 67 games
Kane Williamson is around three thousand runs behind Ross Taylor in NZ’s list of highest run-scorers. Although Kane was initially earmarked as a Test cricketer, he has done exceptionally well to make a name in the other two formats. A terrific batsman in the red-ball format, Kane averages 54 in the white jersey.
6) Rohit Sharma – 15116 runs (397 innings)
Test – 3047 runs in 43 games || ODI – 9205 runs in 227 games || T20I -2864 runs in 111 games
The eighth Indian player to cross the 15000 run-mark in International cricket, Rohit Sharma is the latest addition to the list. Rohit’s career started slowly, but after he moved to become an opener, his career has changed. He has been an excellent limited-overs cricketer, but in the last two years, Rohit has also improved in the longer format. He is currently the highest-ranked Indian cricketer and even has an overseas Test century to his name.
7) David Warner – 15031 runs (366 innings)
Test – 7311 runs in 86 games || ODI – 5455 runs in 128 games || T20I – 2265 runs in 81 games
A player who made his International debut before his first-class debut, David Warner was initially demarcated for the T20 format. Although he proved his skills in the 50-over version, not many gave him a chance in the longer format. However, the southpaw is currently one of the best openers in Test cricket. Including an unbeaten triple-century, Warner has made more than 7000 runs in his Test career so far.
