India's success in the maiden edition of the T20 World Cup was largely due to batters scoring the crucial runs in close contests. Be it the final against Pakistan or their games against England or South Africa, Indian batters did their job to perfection.
As India struggled to get going in the 2009 and 2010 editions, the batters were guilty of not scoring runs against well-directed short-pitched bowling. As India reached the semis in 2014 and 2016, Indian batters were again on the money.
It underlines how batters have always been crucial for India's success at T20 World Cups. This blog looks at the five top run-getters for India in the T20 World Cup. Which batter will rack up the most runs for India in the 2024 T20 World Cup? Make your predictions and get big rewards on online cricket betting sites.
5 Most Prolific Indian Batters in T20 World Cup History
Legendary names Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, and Gautam Gambhir are India's top five run scorers in the T20 World Cup. These batters have not delivered on the big stage but have consistently delighted cricket fans in the IPL betting, too, where the cricket fans earn considerable rewards thanks to the batters' top-notch performances.
Virat Kohli:
Kohli has the most runs in the history of the T20 World Cup. He has played 27 matches, scoring 1141 runs at a strike rate of 131.30. The top-order batter has made 14 fifties in the tournament since his debut in 2012. He has played every edition since then, appearing in the 2014, 2016, 2021, and 2022 editions. Under his captaincy in 2021, India failed to reach the semi-finals after defeats against Pakistan and New Zealand in the first two matches.
Rohit Sharma:
Rohit has played in every edition of the T20 World Cup. He was part of the squad that lifted the trophy in 2007 and led the team in the 2022 edition, where the team reached the semi-finals. He has played 39 games and amassed 963 runs, which had nine fifties. The 37-year-old's highest-ever individual score of 79* came against a rampaging Australian in the 2010 T20 World Cup group stage match.
Yuvraj Singh:
Yuvraj became a legend in 2007 when India lifted its maiden T20 World Cup. Be it his excellent knock against Australia in the semi-final or his six sixes against Stuart Broad, Yuvraj was on a roll. The dashing batter scored 593 runs in 31 matches, with 70 being his best score. His performance dwindled in the subsequent two editions, and he was guilty of eating up too many balls against Sri Lanka in the 2014 final. The 2016 edition was his last edition, as he retired from international cricket in 2019.
MS Dhoni:
The man who led India to its first T20 World Cup title, Dhoni, played 33 T20 World Cup games, making 529 runs at a strike rate of 123.88. Being a finisher, Dhoni never had the time to get to a big score. However, he has come to India's aid several times. Despite his success as a captain in 2007, he was never quite able to repeat these performances in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016 editions. The 2016 T20 World Cup also turned out to be his last edition as he relinquished his captaincy to Virat Kohli.
Gautam Gambhir:
Opening batter Gautam Gambhir is another Indian player with over 500 runs in the T20 World Cup. He made his debut in 2007 and played his last edition in 2012. The opening batter has scored 524 runs in 21 matches, with four fifties. His highest score of 75 came in the final of the inaugural edition, which India won by five runs, and the left-handed batter finished as the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament.