Top 10 greatest men's T20I batters of all time ft. Virat Kohli & Glenn Maxwell
Rewind the clock to cricketing conversations two decades ago, and the popular lines read, 'Test Cricket is the purest form of cricket' and '50-over cricket in color clothing is the more exciting format and the fan favorite'. Yet, cut to the present, both the Test and 50-over formats are at the mercy of the shortest form of the sport, T20 cricket.
Meant for thrill-a-minute rides and attracting younger and more fast-paced audiences, T20s have captured the sport globally like fish to water. The traditional thumb rules of batting and bowling have gone for a toss with adaptability, variety, and versatility the only survival modes in this format.
Despite its volatile nature, however, several batters have found their respective methods for success - numerically and impact-wise. While the bilateral series occasionally struggles for context, T20 World Cups have been among the most sought-after events on the cricketing calendar.
Often referred to as the 'batter's game', T20 cricket has seen numerous batters showcase their stroke-making skill, temperament, and consistency baked into one over the years.
Yet, a select few have proven to be a cut above the rest and established themselves as all-time T20I legends with the bat.
Here, we rank the top 10 all-time batters in T20I history, starting with a few honorable mentions.
Honorable Mentions
Mahela Jayawardene, Muhammad Waseem, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni, Babar Azam, Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill, Yuvraj Singh, and AB de Villiers.
#10 Mohammad Rizwan
Pakistan wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan may not strike us as a specialist T20 batter yet his incredible numbers justified his appearance on this elite list. The 32-year-old is already sixth all-time in most T20I runs with 3,313 in 102 matches at an average of 48.72 and a strike rate of 126.45.
While his strike rate may be on the lower end of the spectrum, Rizwan has often had to play within himself due to Pakistan's usually suspect middle and lower order. The gloveman also boasts excellent numbers in T20 World Cups with 566 runs at an average of over 40, helping Pakistan enjoy semi-final and final runs in 2021 and 2022.
Mohammad Rizwan's T20I numbers
102 matches, 3,313 runs, 48.72 average, 126.45 strike rate, 50s - 29, 100s - 1
#9 Chris Gayle
How can anyone forget the boost Chris Gayle provided the T20I format, especially the inaugural World Cup in 2007? The West Indian legend smashed a 57-ball 117 in the first-ever T20 World Cup game against South Africa to set the tournament and the format on fire.
Gayle helped the West Indies win the 2012 and 2016 T20 World Cups and is the only batter to have scored multiple centuries in T20 World Cup history. The southpaw is the sixth leading run-scorer in T20 World Cups with almost 1,000 runs at an average of 34.46 and a strike rate of 142.75 in 33 outings.
Chris Gayle's T20I numbers
79 matches, 1,899 runs, 27.92 average, 137.50 strike rate, 50s - 14, 100s - 2
#8 Aaron Finch
Former Australian captain Aaron Finch provided the side with blistering starts and big scores at the top of the order in his T20I career. The 37-year-old is the ninth all-time leading scorer in T20I history with 3,120 runs at a healthy average of 34.28 and a strike rate of 142.53 in 103 matches.
The swashbuckling batter helped Australia win their lone T20 World Cup in 2021 and is among the few with multiple T20I centuries. Finch also boasts the highest T20I score of 172 against Zimbabwe in 2018 and is the only batter with two 150+ scores in T20Is.
Aaron Finch's T20I numbers
103 matches, 3,120 runs, 34.28 average, 142.53 strike rate, 50s - 19, 100s -2
#7 Glenn Maxwell
Arguably the greatest T20 match-winner in the middle to lower-middle order, the 'Big Show' Glenn Maxwell comes in at No.7. The 36-year-old boasts the joint-most centuries in T20Is with five - an incredible feat for a middle-order batter.
Maxwell is the tenth leading run-scorer in T20Is with 2,600 runs at an average of 29.88 and a phenomenal strike rate of 154.76 in 113 matches. The right-handed batter was also part of Australia's 2021 T20 World Cup-winning side.
Maxwell's 145* against Sri Lanka in 2016 is the fourth-highest score in a T20I innings.
Glenn Maxwell's T20I numbers
113 matches, 2,600 runs, 29.88 average, 154.76 strike rate, 50s - 11, 100s - 5
#6 Kevin Pietersen
Former England batter Kevin Pietersen almost single-handedly won the nation their first-ever World Cup title in the 2010 T20 World Cup in the West Indies. The right-hander was the Player of the Tournament, finishing with 248 runs at an average of 62 and a strike rate of 137.77.
Pietersen also boasted excellent overall T20I numbers with 1,176 runs at an average of almost 38 and a strike rate of 141.51 in 37 games.
Kevin Pietersen's T20I numbers
37 matches, 1,176 runs, 37.93 average, 141.51 strike rate, 50s- 7, 100s- 0
#5 Rohit Sharma
The 2024 T20 World Cup-winning Indian skipper Rohit Sharma is a no-brainer selection as one of the top five T20I batters of all time. The 37-year-old is the all-time leading run-scorer in T20Is with 4,231 runs at an average of 32.05 and a strike rate of 140.89 in 159 games.
Rohit also boasts the most T20I centuries (5), along with Glenn Maxwell, and has the fourth fastest T20I century off 35 deliveries against Sri Lanka in 2017. The champion batter is also among the rare cricketers to win two T20 World Cups and is the second leading scorer in tournament history with 1,220 runs at an average of almost 35 and a strike rate of 133.04.
Rohit also has 14 Player of the Match awards in T20Is - joint-fifth most in history.
Rohit Sharma's T20I numbers
159 matches, 4,231 runs, 32.05 average, 140.89 strike rate, 50s - 32, 100s - 5
#4 David Warner
Legendary Australian opener David Warner was the last batter to win the Player of the Tournament award in a T20 World Cup in the 2021 edition. The southpaw scored 49 and 53 in the semi-final and final against Pakistan and New Zealand to help Australia win their first and only T20 World Cup.
Warner is the seventh leading run-scorer in T20Is with 3,277 runs at an average of 33.43 and a strike rate of 142.47 in 110 outings. He is also fifth all-time in T20 World Cup runs with 984, including 8 half-centuries in 41 matches. Warner's 12 Player of the Match awards is seventh all-time in T20Is.
David Warner's T20I numbers
110 matches, 3,277 runs, 33.43 average, 142.47 strike rate, 50s - 28, 100s- 1
#3 Suryakumar Yadav
India's Suryakumar Yadav may have just started playing T20Is in 2021 but his astonishing batting numbers are second to none. The 34-year-old is already among the top 15 all-time leading T20I run-scorers with 2,544 runs at an extraordinary average and strike combination of 42.40 and 169.48, respectively.
Despite playing only 74 matches, Surya has four T20I centuries - only one behind leaders Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell. Currently ranked No.2 in the latest ICC rankings among T20I batters, Suryakumar held the no.1 position for most of the last two years.
His 16 Player of the Match awards are the joint-most in T20I history with Virandeep Singh and Virat Kohli. Another two to three years of similar dominance and Suryakumar should be atop this ranking of all-time T20I batters.
Suryakumar Yadav's T20I numbers
74 matches, 2,544 runs, 42.40 average, 169.48 strike rate, 50s - 21, 100s - 4
#2 Jos Buttler
England skipper Jos Buttler is arguably the most destructive T20I opener in world cricket. The 34-year-old is eighth all-time in T20I runs with 3,264 at an average of almost 36 and a strike rate of 146.30 in 124 matches.
Buttler has also shown the tendency to rise to the big occasion, evidenced by his T20 World Cup average of 42.20 at a strike rate of 147.23 in 35 games. The right-hander is also the fourth-leading scorer in tournament history with 1,013 runs, helping England lift the trophy in 2022.
Jos Buttler's T20I numbers
124 matches, 3,264 runs, 35.86 average, 146.30 strike rate, 50s- 24, 100s- 1
#1 Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli epitomized the word 'consistency' in the volatile T20I format in his decorated career, making him the No.1 batter in history. The champion batter is the only cricketer to have won the Player of the Tournament award twice in T20 World Cups.
Kohli is the all-time leading scorer in T20 World Cup history with 1,292 runs at an other-worldly average of 58.72 in 35 outings. Fittingly, he finished his T20I career with a magnificent half-century in the final of the 2024 edition to help India win their second title.
Kohli is also the second leading run-scorer in overall T20Is with 4,188 runs at an average of 48.69 and a strike rate of 137.04 in 125 matches. His 16 Player of the Match awards are the joint-most in T20I history.
Virat Kohli's T20I numbers
125 matches, 4,188 runs, 48.69 average, 137.04 strike rate, 50s - 38, 100s - 1