T20 cricket is a very difficult format of cricket. It is because it gives very little time to settle down if you are a batsman. And with that, batters need to adjust and score quickly. Thus, performing consistently in this format is not easy even if you are the world’s top batsman. However, some batters have already mastered the art of batting in the T20 format.
A few players are in the 3000-run club in the shorter format. But do you know who has scored the fastest 3000 runs in T20 internationals? Well, there are five players who have crossed the 3000-run mark. So let’s check the complete list.
5. Paul Striling (Ireland) – 113 innings
Ireland’s explosive opener Paul Striling is fourth overall on this list. Being a player on an associate team is itself a big achievement. Striling made his T20I debut in June 2009 against Pakistan, and since then, he has performed consistently at the top of the order. Striling took 113 innings to complete 3000 T20I runs. Overall, he has scored 3011 runs in 113 innings, including 1 century and 20 half-centuries.
4. Rohit Sharma (India) – 108 innings
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma is the third fastest overall on this list. Rohit is a T20 legend with the most runs, most centuries, and most sixes as well. He made his debut in the 2007 T20 World Cup against South Africa and it took 108 innings to reach the 3000-run mark in T20I. He played in the middle-order initially in his career. Rohit has scored the most runs in the shorter format with 3737 runs in 134 innings, including four centuries and 28 fifties.
3. Martin Guptill (New Zealand) – 101 innings
Next on the list is New Zealand’s veteran opener, Martin Guptill. The 36-year-old is the second fastest player to complete 3000 T20I runs and it took 101 innings to do so. Guptill made his debut in February 2009 against Australia. So far, he has scored 3497 runs in 117 innings, with two centuries and 20 half-centuries. He is the third highest run-getter in this format.
2. Babar Azam (Pakistan) – 81 innings
Next on the list is certainly the top all-format batter in the world right now. Babar Azam recently joined the 3000-run club and became the joint-fastest to reach this milestone. He took 81 innings to complete 3000 runs. Babar made his t20I debut in September 2016 against England. So far, Babar has scored 3039 runs in 82 innings, including two centuries and 27 fifties in T20 internationals.
1. Virat Kohli (India) – 81 innings
There might not be many batting records that this man doesn’t have in his ketty. The former Indian skipper, Virat Kohli, holds the joint-fastest record of reaching 3000 runs in T20 internationals. He took 81 innings to do it in his career. Virat made his debut against Zimbabwe in June 2010 and is currently the second highest run-scorer in T20Is. He has scored 3712 runs in 101 innings, including one century and 33 half-centuries.
Fastest 3000 Runs in T20 Cricket
| Player | Mts | Inns | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli (IND) | 87 | 81 | England | Ahmedabad | 14 March 2021 |
| Babar Azam (PAK) | 86 | 81 | England | Lahore | 30 September 2022 |
| Martin Guptill (NZ) | 105 | 101 | Scotland | Dubai | 3 November 2021 |
| Rohit Sharma (IND) | 116 | 108 | Namibia | Dubai | 8 November 2021 |
| Paul Stirling (IRE) | 114 | 113 | Afghanistan | Belfast | 17 August 2022 |