5 Indian batsmen with most runs in a single series

Across multiple tournaments and bilateral series, Indian batsmen have dominated some big bowlers which the opposition have boasted of: Sunil Gavaskar in his maiden Test series while on the tour of West Indies in 1971, Sachin Tendulkar during his Sharjah heroics in 1998 and Virat Kohli on the tour of Australia in 2014-15, among others.

Sportskeeda lists 5 instances when huge run accumulators from India ended up as the highest run-getters of the respective series or even created a world record for most runs in a single series.

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#5 Virat Kohli, ICC World T20 2014

319 runs at 106.33 in 6 matches

Virat Kohli continued his rise with exceptional consistency even in the shortest format of the game, that too on the biggest stage. In the 2014 ICC World T20 in Bangladesh, Kohli was instrumental in India's progress to the final, where they lost to Sri Lanka at Dhaka.

In six matches, including the semi-final and the final, Kohli accumulated 319 runs to be awarded the Man of the Tournament. While India struggled to go big during the death overs in the final, Kohli hit 77 in a losing cause; however, his most crucial innings was the unbeaten 72* in a challenging run chase against South Africa in the match before.

Two other half-centuries came against West Indies and Bangladesh, his lowest score remaining 23 against Australia. Despite possessing an orthodox technique and avoiding the modern scoops and reverse-sweeps, Kohli smashed runs at a quick pace while preferring to keep the ball on the ground.

#4 Virat Kohli, India's tour of South Africa 2018

Virat Kohli's 558 runs remain the highest aggregate by a batsman in a bilateral series

558 runs at 186.00 in 6 ODIs

India's captain Virat Kohli seemed unstoppable during the ODI series in South Africa early in 2018, hammering a record 558 runs in the six-match rubber in which India cruised to a 5-1 win. Kohli's bashing remains the highest aggregate by a batsman in a bilateral ODI contest, and that paved the way for India's first series win in any format on South African soil.

The 29-year-old started as well as ended with a century - knocks of 112 and 129* laid the platform in successful run chases - while his second hundred, a stabilising 160* at Cape Town, was a display of skill and concentration setting himself apart from others in ODI cricket.

His lowest score in 6 innings remained 36, with 46* and 75 completing the set. He was dismissed only thrice and showed impeccable resolve in encountering the opposition even while arriving early at the crease on most occasions. He also accelerated with ease during the death overs, thus leading by example in what turned out to be a one-sided series.

#3 Sachin Tendulkar, ICC World Cup 2003

Sachin Tendulkar slammed 6 fifties and 1 century in India's 2003 World Cup campaign

673 runs at 61.18 in 11 ODIs

The Man of the Tournament in the 2003 World Cup, Sachin Tendulkar had the grand event lit up with repeated sublime knocks, in the process thrashing 673 runs in India's campaign which ended with a defeat to Australia in the final.

The then 29-year-old carried India's mantle throughout with 6 half-centuries and 1 century in the 11 matches that he played. His highest of 152 came against Namibia, but what stood out was his blazing innings of 98 against Pakistan, who boasted of the likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar.

After near misses like that and 97 against Sri Lanka came an 83 in the semi-final against Kenya. But unfortunately for a rampaging India and an in-form Tendulkar, Glenn McGrath had him caught off his own bowling in the very first over of the final at Johannesburg, thus opening the floodgates early for a massive defeat in the tournament decider.

#2 Sunil Gavaskar, West Indies tour of India 1978-79

At home against West Indies in 1978-79, Sunil Gavaskar's big runs gave India a 1-0 series win

732 runs at 91.50 in 6 Tests

When the West Indies landed in India in 1978 having won both of the previous two series between the sides, they were almost assured of a hat-trick of wins. But Sunil Gavaskar came in their way to thwart them time and again with his sound technique and prolific run-scoring against whatever the visitors threw at him.

He began the series with a bang, posting 205 and 73 in the first Test at Mumbai; come the third match, twin centuries of 107 and 182* at Kolkata nearly took India to a thrilling win.

Gavaskar was not satisfied with those knocks and came up with a 120 in the fifth Test at Delhi. Though five out of six matches ended up being drawn, India took the series 1-0 and Gavskar ended with 4 hundreds and 1 fifty in the memorable series despite being dismissed for single-digit scores thrice.

#1 Sunil Gavaskar, India's tour of West Indies 1970-71

In his debut Test series, Sunil Gavaskar hit 4 centuries and 3 fifties on the West Indies tour of 1971

774 runs at 154.80 in 4 Tests

In his debut international series, the short but powerful Sunil Gavaskar showed that he belonged to the highest stage by bashing as many as 774 runs in 8 innings in which he raced to 4 centuries and 3 half-centuries. That remains the Indian record of most runs in a single Test series, and what better place to achieve it than the yesteryear pitches of the Carribean which were loaded with threatening pace and bounce.

Gavaskar was not included in the first Test of the series at Kingston, but in the second Test, which saw his debut, he slammed 65 and 67* in a seven-wicket win at Port of Spain, which remained India's only win on the tour of 5 Tests, with all four remaining matches being drawn. India went on to win their first Test series in West India against a dreaded unit, and Gavaskar slammed scores of 116, 117*, 124 and 220.