Virat Kohli, Babar Azam or Chris Gayle: Who Has the Fastest 10000 Runs in T20?

10000 runs in any format is a massive achievement for any batter in the game of cricket. However, achieving this in T20 cricket is a special feat in itself because of the nature of the way the format is played. T20 cricket, unlike ODIs and Tests, demands the batter to go after the bowlers right from the start and hence the risk of getting out is much higher. The 20-over cricket doesn’t allow batters to focus on the milestones because more than that, the impact made by the batter matters.

Over the years, we have seen batters with cameos making a much larger impact than batters with centuries or half-centuries. Such is the nature of the shortest format of the game as the impact is more valuable than the runs scored. While the T20s are known for the dashers, there have been various batters who have maintained consistency even in their format. This has been depicted by the amount of runs they have scored. In this piece, we will take a look at players who have scored the fastest 10000 runs in T20 cricket. 

1. Babar Azam scoring 10000 runs in 271 innings

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam is the batter who has the fastest 10000 runs in the T20s. He achieved the feat in his 271st innings while playing in the Pakistan Super League. The right-hander has been opening the batter in the format and is one of the most consistent batters going around. He broke Chris Gayle’s record of fastest 10000 runs earlier this year and topped the charts. He has been one of the best batters that Pakistan has produced and is also making the same kind of impact in the leagues all around the world. 

2. Chris Gayle scoring 10000 runs in 285 innings

Chris Gayle//Getty

West Indies legend Chris Gayle is the second fastest to 10000 runs in the T20 cricket. He became the first batter to go past 10000 runs in the shortest format of the game when he achieved the feat in Indian Premier League 2017.  It’s fair to say that there is no better batter than him in the format as the kind of impact that he has made is something no one has created. Being touted as “Universe Boss”, Gayle has broken and created a lot of records in the shortest format of the game. He scored the 10000th run in his 285th innings in the T20s. 

3. Virat Kohli scoring 10000 runs in 299 innings

India batter Virat Kohli, who is rated as the best cricketer of the current generation, is also on the list of fastest 10000 runs in T20. The batter has been sensational in all three formats as he has piled up truckloads of runs for the teams that he has played. He achieved 10000 runs in T20s in the 299th innings while playing in the Indian Premier League for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He reached the milestone while playing against Mumbai Indians in 2017 and is also the leading run-getter in the history of the league with over 8000 runs to his name. 

4. David Warner scoring 10000 runs in 303 innings

David Warner//Getty

The fourth batter to score the fastest 10000 runs in T20 is none other than the Australian opener David Warner. The left-hander was one of the best batters in T20 cricket. Not only for the national team, he was equally impressive in the leagues around the world. The opening batter got to 10000 runs in T20 in his 303rd innings. He achieved the feat while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL against Chennai Super Kings in 2021. He retired from international cricket recently but will be continuing to play in the leagues around the world. Therefore, the number of runs is only expected to rise.