Top 5 Indian batters with fewest innings to 1,000 T20I runs ft. Abhishek Sharma

The fifth and final T20I of the series between India and Australia at The Gabba in Brisbane on Saturday, November 8 produced no result due to rain. Only 4.5 overs of play was possible after which players were instructed to come off the field due to lightning. Heavy rain followed, forcing the game to be abandoned.

Earlier, Australia yet again won the toss and opted to bowl first. In the 4.5 overs that were sent down, India raced away to 52-0. When weather interrupted proceedings Shubman Gill was batting on 29 off 16 balls and Abhishek Sharma on 23 off 13 balls.

While no result was possible in the contest and India ended up winning the series 2-1, Abhishek reached a major landmark, crossing the 1,000-run mark in his T20I career. In this feature, we look at five Indian batters who have reached 1,000 T20I runs in the fewest innings.

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#5 Rohit Sharma (40 innings)

Former captain Rohit Sharma is fifth on the list of Indian batters to reach 1,000 T20I runs in fewest innings. The right-handed batter needed 40 innings to reach the landmark. Rohit reached the feat in Sydney in the third T20I of the three-match series against Australia in January 2016. The Hitman scored 52 off 38 balls, hitting five fours and a six, as India won the game by seven wickets.

Rohit ended his T20I career with 4,231 runs in 159 matches, averaging 32.05 at a strike rate of 140.89, with five hundreds and 32 half-centuries. He is currently second on the list of leading run-getters in T20I cricket.

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#4 Suryakumar Yadav (31 innings)

Current T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav is fourth on the list of Indian batters who took fewest innings to reach 1,000 runs in the format. He got there in 31 innings, during a match against South Africa in Guwahati in October 2022. Suryakumar slammed a scintillating 61 off 22 in this game, hitting five fours and five sixes.

Suryakumar has so far featured in 95 T20I matches. In 89 innings, he has scored 2,754 runs at an average of 36.72 and a strike rate of 164.41. The right-handed batter has slammed four hundreds and 21 half-centuries in the format. He is currently third on the list of Indian batters with most T20I runs.

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#3 KL Rahul (29 innings)

In a stat that might surprise many, KL Rahul needed fewer innings that Rohit and Suryakumar to reach 1,000 T20I runs. He got there in just 29 innings. Rahul reached the landmark during a game against West Indies in Hyderabad in December 2019. Opening the innings, he scored 62 off 40 balls, with five fours and four sixes, as India chased down a target of 208.

Rahul has not played T20I cricket for India since the 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal against England in Adelaide. In 72 matches, the right-handed batter has scored 2,265 runs at an average of 37.75 and a strike rate of 139.12, with two hundreds and 22 half-centuries.

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#2 Abhishek Sharma (28 innings)

The aggressive Abhishek Sharma is second on the list of Indian batters with fewest innings to reach 1,000 T20I runs. The left-handed batter hammered 23* off 13 balls in the fifth T20I of the series against Australia. He struck one four and one six before the match was abandoned due to lightning and rain.

In 28 innings, Abhishek has scored 1,012 runs at an average of 37.48 and a strike rate of 189.51, with the aid of two tons and six half-centuries. The left-hander was named Player of the Series for scoring 163 runs at a strike rate of 161.38.

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#1 Virat Kohli (27 innings)

Virat Kohli holds the record for being the Indian batsman to reach 1,000 T20I runs in fewest innings. He got there in just 27 innings, reaching the landmark against South Africa in Dharamsala in October 2015. Kohli scored 43 off 27 in the game, hitting one four and three sixes. India, however, lost the match by seven wickets.

Kohli ended his T20I career with 4,188 runs in 125 matches, averaging 48.69 at a strike rate of 137.04. The former India captain has one century and 38 half-centuries in the format. Kohli is currently third on the list of batters with most runs in T20Is. Only Babar Azam and Rohit are above him on the list.

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Edited by Renin Wilben Albert