T20 World Cup 2021: 3 Indian batters with the most runs in the tournament

The 2021 T20 World Cup is almost upon us, with the seminal tournament set to begin on October 17 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman. India will be one of the favorites going into the tournament, with a star-studded squad in terms of both batting and bowling.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma form the backbone of India's batting lineup, with the likes of KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant adding to their firepower.

Newcomers to international cricket like Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan will bolster the batting, while Ravindra Jadeja's growth as a T20 finisher and the presence of the explosive Hardik Pandya give India balance and depth.

The Indian batters will give fans something to be excited about, as they always have in the T20 World Cup over the years.

Going back to the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in 2007, the tournament has seen several Indian batters shine.

From Yuvraj Singh's phenomenal performance in 2007 to Virat Kohli's dominance with the bat in 2016, there have been several stars who have impressed on the biggest stage for the Men in Blue.

So before we find out who will star for India with the bat in 2021, here is a trip down memory lane.

We take a look at three Indian batters who have scored the most runs in the T20 World Cup:

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Virat Kohli

ICC World Twenty20 India 2016: Semi-Final: West Indies v India

It's no surprise that Virat Kohli tops this list. The India captain is one of the most prolific batters across all formats and is the leading run-scorer in international T20s.

Having played the 2012, 2014 and 2016 T20 World Cups, Kohli has 777 runs in the tournament. He's fourth overall in the list of highest scorers in the T20 World Cup, behind leader Mahela Jayawardene, Chris Gayle and Tillakaratne Dilshan.

In 2012, Kohli had a decent tournament, scoring 185 runs at a strike rate of 122.52.

In 2014, Kohli started to come into his own, and had his personal best World Cup. He scored 313 runs at a strike rate of 129.14 in six matches and finished as the highest run-scorer in the tournament as India lost out to Sri Lanka in the final. He was named player of the tournament

However, he was in a class of his own in 2016. Kohli scored 273 runs at a strike rate of 146.77 in five matches. He averaged a whopping 136.50 as he powered India into the semi-finals, only for the hosts to be beaten by eventual champions West Indies.

Kohli was once again named player of the tournament for his brilliant performances.

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Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma has played in all the editions of the T20 World Cup so far.

Rohit Sharma is next on the list of Indian scorers in the T20 World Cup. Rohit Sharma is the only player in this year's Indian squad to have played in the inaugural edition in 2007.

Rohit had impressed in 2007 in the middle order, but has since gone on to become one of the most destructive openers in international cricket.

Rohit Sharma has scored 673 runs in the T20 World Cup and is sixth overall on the scorers' list.

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Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh starred in India's T20 World Cup triumph in 2007.

When you think of India in the T20 World Cup, one of the first players that comes to mind is Yuvraj Singh and his six sixes against Stuart Broad.

The dashing left-hander played some crucial knocks as India won the inaugural T20 World Cup and went on to become a mainstay for India in the format.

With 593 runs, he is India's third-highest run-scorer in the tournament. He is also the third-highest run-scorer in the T20 World Cup among left-handers.

Having starred in India's 2007 triumph, Yuvraj went on to play in all the editions until 2016. This year will be the first T20 World Cup India will play without him.