India’s talismanic opener, Rohit Sharma, reached a historic milestone today by surpassing 20,000 runs across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. The achievement came during India’s 3rd ODI against South Africa in Vishakhapatnam, further solidifying his status as one of cricket’s modern greats.
A Career Marked by Consistency and Power
Over more than a decade, Rohit has been a mainstay at the top of India’s batting order, combining flair, patience, and destructive hitting. His performances have been instrumental in India’s white-ball success, and today’s landmark is a testament to his resilience, longevity, and versatility across all formats.
| Most career runs in cricket across formats | ||||||||||||||
| Player | Span | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 0 | 4s | 6s |
| SR Tendulkar (IND) | 1989-2013 | 664 | 782 | 74 | 34357 | 248* | 48.52 | 50817 | 67.58* | 100 | 164 | 34 | 4076 | 264 |
| KC Sangakkara (Asia/ICC/SL) | 2000-2015 | 594 | 666 | 67 | 28016 | 319 | 46.77 | 42086 | 66.56 | 63 | 153 | 28 | 3015 | 159 |
| V Kohli (IND) | 2008-2025 | 555 | 622 | 90 | 27910 | 254* | 52.46 | 35162 | 79.37 | 84 | 144 | 40 | 2746 | 315 |
| RT Ponting (AUS/ICC) | 1995-2012 | 560 | 668 | 70 | 27483 | 257 | 45.95 | 40130 | 68.48 | 71 | 146 | 39 | 2781 | 246 |
| DPMD Jayawardene (Asia/SL) | 1997-2015 | 652 | 725 | 62 | 25957 | 374 | 39.15 | 40100 | 64.73 | 54 | 136 | 47 | 2679 | 170 |
| JH Kallis (Afr/ICC/SA) | 1995-2014 | 519 | 617 | 97 | 25534 | 224 | 49.1 | 45346 | 56.3 | 62 | 149 | 33 | 2455 | 254 |
| R Dravid (Asia/ICC/IND) | 1996-2012 | 509 | 605 | 72 | 24208 | 270 | 45.41 | 46564 | 51.98 | 48 | 146 | 21 | 2604 | 66 |
| BC Lara (ICC/WI) | 1990-2007 | 430 | 521 | 38 | 22358 | 400* | 46.28 | 32839 | 68.08 | 53 | 111 | 33 | 2601 | 221 |
| JE Root (ENG) | 2012-2025 | 377 | 495 | 53 | 21774 | 262 | 49.26 | 32643 | 66.7 | 58 | 114 | 25 | 2139 | 114 |
| ST Jayasuriya (Asia/SL) | 1989-2011 | 586 | 651 | 35 | 21032 | 340 | 34.14 | 25910 | 81.17 | 42 | 103 | 53 | 2486 | 352 |
| S Chanderpaul (WI) | 1994-2015 | 454 | 553 | 94 | 20988 | 203* | 45.72 | 40150 | 52.27 | 41 | 125 | 21 | 2041 | 126 |
| Inzamam-ul-Haq (Asia/ICC/PAK) | 1991-2007 | 499 | 551 | 76 | 20580 | 329 | 43.32 | 32172 | 63.96 | 35 | 129 | 35 | 2076 | 193 |
| AB de Villiers (Afr/SA) | 2004-2018 | 420 | 484 | 68 | 20014 | 278* | 48.11 | 26787 | 74.71 | 47 | 109 | 20 | 2004 | 328 |
| RG Sharma (IND) | 2007-2025 | 504 | 537 | 66 | 20000* | 264 | 42.4 | 22870 | 87.33 | 50 | 110 | 34 | 1930 | 645 |
| CH Gayle (ICC/WI) | 1999-2021 | 483 | 551 | 35 | 19593 | 333 | 37.97 | 25370 | 77.22 | 42 | 105 | 44 | 2332 | 553 |
| KS Williamson (NZ) | 2010-2025 | 374 | 445 | 48 | 19168 | 251 | 48.28 | 29028 | 66.03 | 48 | 103 | 21 | 1950 | 145 |
| DA Warner (AUS) | 2009-2024 | 383 | 474 | 26 | 18995 | 335* | 42.39 | 21944 | 86.56 | 49 | 98 | 23 | 2106 | 321 |
Earlier in the series, Rohit had also broken Shahid Afridi’s record for the most sixes in ODI cricket, demonstrating that even after years at the international level, he remains a formidable force.
Joining India’s Exclusive 20,000-Run Club
| Most runs for India across all formats | ||||||||||||||
| Player | Span | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 0 | 4s | 6s |
| SR Tendulkar | 1989-2013 | 664 | 782 | 74 | 34357 | 248* | 48.52 | 50817 | 67.58 | 100 | 164 | 34 | 4076 | 264 |
| V Kohli | 2008-2025 | 556* | 622 | 90 | 27910 | 254* | 52.46 | 35162 | 79.37 | 84 | 144 | 40 | 2746 | 315 |
| R Dravid | 1996-2012 | 504 | 599 | 71 | 24064 | 270 | 45.57 | 46332 | 51.93 | 48 | 145 | 20 | 2593 | 66 |
| RG Sharma | 2007-2025 | 505* | 538 | 67 | 20000* | 264 | 42.45 | 22897 | 87.33 | 50 | 110 | 34 | 1933 | 646 |
| SC Ganguly | 1992-2008 | 421 | 485 | 40 | 18433 | 239 | 41.42 | 29305 | 62.9 | 38 | 106 | 29 | 2004 | 246 |
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By reaching 20,000 runs, Rohit enters an elite list of Indian cricketers who have achieved this extraordinary milestone. He now joins:
Sachin Tendulkar: The all-time run-scoring leader with 34,357 international runs.
Virat Kohli: The fastest player to reach 20,000 runs, currently with 27,808 runs.
Rahul Dravid: The dependable “Wall” of Indian cricket, who amassed 24,064 runs through his career.
This accomplishment places Rohit firmly in the upper echelons of Indian cricket history, highlighting his ability to dominate bowling attacks across formats.
Crossing the 20,000-run barrier is not just a number, it is a symbol of Rohit’s enduring excellence. As India continues its series against South Africa, his experience and skill at the top of the order will remain invaluable. Fans can expect more memorable innings as Rohit continues to add to his already remarkable career.

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