The record for the most runs in a calendar year in men’s T20 internationals belongs to Austria’s Karanbir Singh, who scored 1,488 runs in 2025 at an average of 51.31 and a strike rate of 174.85, with two hundreds and 13 fifties in 32 innings. Figures are from ESPNcricinfo, to 1 November 2026.
Karanbir broke Mohammad Rizwan’s record of 1,326 runs, set in 2021, which is still the most by a batter from a Full Member nation. Rizwan made his runs at an average of 73.66 with one hundred and 12 fifties, the year Pakistan reached the T20 World Cup semi-finals.
Bahrain’s Fiaz Ahmed made 1,251 in 2025, the same year as Karanbir, and three of the top 10 seasons belong to Bahrain batters in 2025. Associate teams have played far more T20Is since every match between ICC members gained T20I status in 2019, which is why their batters now feature near the top.
Most runs in a calendar year in T20Is
| Batter | Year | Runs | Ave | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karanbir Singh (Austria) | 2025 | 1,488 | 51.31 | 174.85 |
| Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan) | 2021 | 1,326 | 73.66 | 134.89 |
| Fiaz Ahmed (Bahrain) | 2025 | 1,251 | 50.04 | 133.08 |
| Ishan Kishan (India) | 2026* | 1,220 | 35.88 | 171.58 |
| Suryakumar Yadav (India) | 2022 | 1,164 | 46.56 | 187.43 |
| Abhishek Sharma (India) | 2026* | 1,153 | 30.34 | 205.16 |
| Prashant Kurup (Bahrain) | 2025 | 1,037 | 31.42 | 114.45 |
| Bilal Zalmai (Austria) | 2025 | 1,008 | 31.5 | 155.07 |
| Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan) | 2022 | 996 | 45.27 | 122.96 |
| Asif Ali (Bahrain) | 2025 | 955 | 35.37 | 151.82 |
* 2026 is still in progress.
Most T20I runs in a calendar year by an India batter
Ishan Kishan holds the India record with 1,220 runs in 2026. He passed Suryakumar Yadav’s 1,164 from 2022 with 61 against New Zealand in Hamilton on 1 November, and India have three T20Is left in the year. Abhishek Sharma is on 1,153, and his strike rate of 205.16 is the highest of anyone in the overall top 10. The full India list, every season of 500 runs or more, is on our page for most T20I runs in a calendar year for India.
| Batter | Year | Runs | Ave | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ishan Kishan | 2026* | 1,220 | 35.88 | 171.58 |
| Suryakumar Yadav | 2022 | 1,164 | 46.56 | 187.43 |
| Abhishek Sharma | 2026* | 1,153 | 30.34 | 205.16 |
| Abhishek Sharma | 2025 | 859 | 42.95 | 193.46 |
| Virat Kohli | 2022 | 781 | 55.78 | 138.23 |
* 2026 is still in progress.
Counting all T20 cricket, franchise leagues included, the record is Nicholas Pooran’s 2,331 runs in 2024: see most runs in a calendar year in T20s.
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Featured photo: Aamir QURESHI / AFP