In India, cricket is a religion, and wherever they play, Indian cricketers find immense support from their fan bases. In addition, Indian cricketers are historically known to be brilliant batsmen.
The Indian cricket team has had the good fortune to play with some of the best players in history over the years. There has been no shortage of excellence and evidence as to why the Indian cricketers, especially the batters, are among the best, whether it is Virat Kohli’s class or Sachin Tendulkar’s masterful display.
This article has compiled a list of the most runs scored by Indian cricketers in International Cricket.
Most runs scored by Indian cricketers in International Cricket
1. Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar is arguably the best Indian cricketer of all time. He is the first Indian batsman to score 17000 runs in international cricket.
Sachin is known by the nicknames “The Little Master” and “Master Blaster,”. Sachin has amassed over 18000 and 15000 runs in ODI and Test cricket.
One of the most famous international cricketers, he is a figure who ESPNcricinfo refers to as “the most worshipped player in the world” due to his vast fan base. Tendulkar was among the 100 most influential persons in the world by Time magazine in 2010.
Moreover, Sachin Tendulkar is still the highest run-scorer for India. With 34,357 runs in 782 innings at an average of 48.52 under his belt. He also holds a unique record of scoring 100 total international centuries for India across ODI & Test cricket.
2. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is one of the greatest modern-day batsmen of all time. In both IPL and T20I matches, Kohli has scored the most runs. He also has 17000 runs in international cricket under his belt.
He secures his spot as the male cricketer of the decade in 2020 by the International Cricket Council.
Kohli found a place in one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2018 by Time magazine. He got a salary of over $26 million in 2020. That places him 66th out of the top 100 athletes in the world as per Forbes.
In addition, Kohli has scored 25,106 combined runs in 552 innings at an average of 53.53 with 74 centuries in total. He was named one of the most popular athletes in the world by ESPN in 2016 and one of the most valuable athlete brands by Forbes.
3. Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid is the current coach of the Indian national cricket team and former captain of the Indian national team. As of January 2022, Dravid is the second-highest run scorer for India in Test cricket, after Sachin Tendulkar. He too has 17000 runs in International cricket under his name.
Moreover, Dravid has scored 24064 combined runs for India in 599 innings at an average of 45.57. Besides, he has also scored 48 international centuries as well. In the 286 Test innings that he has played, Dravid has a unique record of never being out for a Golden Duck.
4. Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly, a former captain of India’s national cricket team and a cricket administrator. He also is the 35th President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). A fierce captain with an elegant batting style, Ganguly was the opening mainstay for India for years. He also has 17000 runs in International cricket under his belt.
In addition, Ganguly has scored 18433 runs in total for India in 485 innings at an average of 41.42 with 38 overall centuries to his name. He now ranks eighth among all-time One Day International (ODI) run scorers. He also became the third batter, behind Sachin Tendulkar and Inzamam Ul Haq, to reach the 10,000 run mark.
5. MS Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, better known as MS Dhoni, is an Indian cricketer. He led his country in limited-overs games from 2007 to 2017 and in Test matches from 2008 to 2014. Born on July 7, 1981, he is 33 years old.
India won the most trophies of any team during his captaincy. That includes the 2011 Cricket World Cup, the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, and the 2007 ICC World Twenty20.
He is still one of the best finishers in the game with the bat. Dhoni has 17000 runs in International cricket under his belt. In addition, he is one of the most skillful wicket-keepers in the world. Dhoni has played 523 combined innings for India, scoring 17092 runs at an average of 44.74. In addition, he also has 15 international centuries to his name.
6. Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma is the current captain of the Indian men’s cricket team in all formats. Captain Rohit Sharma became just the sixth Indian hitter to attain the milestone while making 35 runs in India’s first innings of the fourth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
Rohit has so far represented India in 437 matches overall in which he has scored 17420 runs. He also holds a unique record for scoring three double centuries in ODI cricket.
