Top 5 run-getters among Indians in T20s

With millions of viewers across the globe, the shortest format of the game has carved its own niche in a relatively short period of time.

After being initially disinterested and deeply resistant to T20s, India's romance with the format began when a young Indian team led by a 26-year-old Mahendra Singh Dhoni reached the pinnacle of the cricketing world in South Africa in 2007.

The formation of the Indian Premier League the following year attracted millions of new viewers to the fast-paced entertainment, escalating the horizon and reinforcing India as cricket's biggest market.

From Yuvraj Singh's six sixes to Virat Kohli's remarkable chases, plenty of Indian batsmen have shined in the format. With international fixtures, IPL, and other domestic T20 tournaments, they have amassed tons of runs in a format that predominantly favors batsmen.

As T20s gain further popularity with each passing year in the country, we take a look at India's top five run-getters in the format:

#5 MS Dhoni - 6757 Runs

MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni is a legitimate T20 superstar and was the man who changed the face and fate of Indian cricket by winning the inaugural T20 World Cup. Dhoni has amassed 6757 runs, having consistently batted in the middle and lower middle-order.

The 39-year-old's international T20 numbers of 1617 runs in 98 matches don't do justice to his stature at first glance, as he rarely got the chance to play over 30 balls.

In the IPL however, the clinical finisher has excelled. Dhoni is one of the top run-scorers in tournament history with 4568 runs in 178 innings. The 199-game IPL veteran has an excellent average of 41.5 and a strike-rate of 137.7 to boot.

#4 Shikhar Dhawan - 7653 Runs

Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan slammed his maiden IPL hundred on Saturday against Chennai Super Kings to displace Chris Gayle as the highest run-scorer as an opener in IPL history.

The impulsive southpaw has garnered 4938 runs across 13 IPL seasons, having plied his trade for multiple franchises at a dependable average of 34.3 and strike rate of 126.

Dhawan holds the record for most runs in a calendar year in T20Is, having smashed 689 runs in 2019. Nevertheless, his international T20 numbers still fall in the category of mediocrity as he averages just 28.4 in 61 matches with 1588 runs.

#3 Suresh Raina - 8392 Runs

Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina has monopolized CSK's one-down position for over a decade in such a way that no one has been able to fill the void left by his absence.

The strokeful southpaw is a game-changer who can unsettle the best of bowling attacks on his day with explosive hits, innovative shots, and excellent running between the wickets.

MS Dhoni's go-to man is the highest run-scorer in CSK history and the second-highest run-getter in the history of the league, living up to his 'Mr. IPL' moniker with a daunting 5368 runs in 193 IPL matches.

At the 2010 T20 World Cup, Raina became the first Indian to score a T20I ton when he battered the South Africans with a quickfire 101 off 60 deliveries, studded with nine fours and five sixes.

#2 Rohit Sharma - 8893 Runs

Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma's T20 numbers at the international stage are simply incredible. The swashbuckling opener is the second-highest run scorer in T20Is and also the first Indian to hit 100 sixes in T20Is.

His record of four T20I hundreds is a testament to his renowned ability of converting good starts into big scores, which the 33-year-old achieves with great consistency and flair.

Despite being the Indian Premier League's most successful captain and piling up 5149 runs in the tournament, the 'Hitman' is yet to have a career-defining IPL season with the bat.

#1 Virat Kohli - 9169 Runs

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is the quintessential chase master and has consistently delivered in the slam-bang version of the game. The white-ball great has smacked the most runs in T20Is, having made 2794 runs in 82 appearances at a phenomenal average of 50.8 and strike-rate of 138.2.

He has also been named the 'Player of the Tournament' in two successive T20 World Cups for his exploits with the bat.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper is also the highest run-scorer in the history of the IPL with 5759 runs in his kitty. The exuberant run-machine had a once in a lifetime season in IPL 2016, smashing the first four of his five majestic hundreds in the tournament and helping RCB to a second-place finish.

He amassed 973 runs in that formidable campaign, which is still the highest by a player in a single edition.

With India's premier batsman still at the peak of his powers, Kohli could soon scale new unprecedented heights by becoming the first player to score 6000 runs in the history of the cash-rich league.