Scoring 1,000 T20I runs in a calendar year is rare. For years, only one Indian batter had done it. In 2026, two have gone past that mark, and one has broken the record. India also plays far more T20Is than before, with 37 to 39 matches in a year for the top batters in 2026. Here are the Top 5 players with the most runs for India in a calendar year in T20Is
Players With Most Runs for India in a Calendar Year in T20Is
1. Ishan Kishan: 1,220 runs in 2026
Kishan broke Suryakumar Yadav’s four-year-old record in the fifth T20I against New Zealand in Hamilton on 1 November 2026. He reached the mark with a 61 off 32 balls, finishing the year, so far, on 1,220 runs in 37 matches at a strike rate of 171.58.
His year has been remarkable. It included a maiden T20I century, 103 off 43 balls against New Zealand in Thiruvananthapuram in January, and a 54 off 25 in the T20 World Cup final in March, which India won. He became a regular opener and finisher in a very aggressive batting line-up. His season also had a quiet patch late on, when he scored one run from two innings in the New Zealand series before the Hamilton fifty.
2. Suryakumar Yadav: 1,164 runs in 2022
Suryakumar held the record for four years. He scored 1,164 runs in 31 innings in 2022 at an average of 46.56 and a strike rate of 187.43. The total included two centuries and nine fifties, plus 106 fours and 68 sixes, the most by an Indian batter in a year.
His highlights included 117 against England in Nottingham and an unbeaten 111 against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui. He was named ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year, and he reached the top of the T20I batting rankings that October. For many fans, 2022 remains the standard for T20 batting by an Indian.
3. Abhishek Sharma: 1,153 runs in 2026
Abhishek is only 36 runs away from second place and was close to the record itself. He has scored 1,153 runs in 39 T20Is this year at a strike rate of 193.50, which is the highest of anyone in the top three. He has struck a hundred, including a 38-ball 113 against New Zealand in Wellington, and he became the fastest Indian to 2,000 T20I runs.
His year was also uneven. He recorded five ducks in the first eight matches, which tied the Indian record for ducks in a calendar year, then recovered to finish as one of the most destructive openers in the world. In 2025, he had scored 859 runs in 21 matches at an average of 42.95 and a strike rate of 193.46, including a best of 135. That total would rank fourth on a list of seasons, so he appears twice among India’s best years.
4. Sanju Samson: 810 runs in 2026
Samson had the best year of his career. He scored 810 runs in 2026, helped by the T20 World Cup, where he was the Player of the Series with 321 runs, the most by an Indian in a single edition. His highlights included an unbeaten 97 in a crucial match and 89 off 46 balls in the final against New Zealand.
He also set a record in 2024, when he scored three T20I centuries in a single calendar year, the first batter to do so. In 2026, his strike rate was above 177, and he was one of the key reasons India won the title.
5. Virat Kohli: 781 runs in 2022
Kohli’s 2022 was a return to form. He scored 781 runs in 20 innings, an average that was among the highest on this list. The year included his first T20I century, an unbeaten 122 against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup, and a brilliant T20 World Cup in Australia, where he was named Player of the Tournament.
His total is the lowest on this list, but it came in fewer innings than most of the others, and he did it while anchoring rather than hitting at the pace of the openers.
FAQs
Q. Who has scored the most runs for India in a calendar year?
A. Ishan Kishan holds the record with 1,220 runs in 2026 so far.
Q. How many runs did Suryakumar Yadav score in T20Is in 2022?
A. Suryakumar scored 1,164 runs in 2022.
Q. What is Abhishek Sharma’s T20I run total for 2026?
A. Abhishek has scored 1,153 runs in 2026 so far.
Q. How many runs did Sanju Samson score in T20Is in 2026?
A. Sanju Samson scored 810 runs in 2026.
Q. How many T20I runs did Virat Kohli score in 2022?
A. Virat Kohli scored 781 runs in 2022.
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