Leading from the front: Five captains with most runs in T20 cricket

The role of the captain in any format of the game is of extreme importance. Generally, we have seen that batsmen are given the responsibility of captaincy. In a format like T20, where a bowler has only four overs to bowl, and need to plan spells of other bowlers as well, it makes sense to free him from captaincy responsibility during the field. In this article, we will be discussing five players who have scored the most runs as a captain in T20 cricket.

5. Aaron Finch – 4051

Australian limited-overs captain Aaron Finch has played 126 matches as a skipper in T20 cricket so far. He has accumulated 4051 runs in these games at an average of 35.22. This includes 28 fifties and three hundreds with a high score of 172 against Zimbabwe. Apart from being captain of the Aussie team, Finch has also been leading Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League.

4. Rohit Sharma – 4160

Indian opener Rohit Sharma is fourth in this tally of leading run-scorers as T20 captain. Rohit has so far scored 4160 runs at an average of 32.50 in 146 innings. This includes 29 fifties and two hundreds with a high score of 118 against Sri Lanka. The majority of these runs have come while captaining Mumbai Indians in IPL.

3. Gautam Gambhir – 4242

Gautam Gambhir is regarded among the best captains in IPL history. He led the Kolkata Knight Riders team to season victories in 2012 and 2014. Gambhir scored 4242 runs as a T20 captain at an average of 28.46 including 36 fifties. Apart from KKR, he also captained the Delhi team in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. In the IPL too, he was the captain of the Delhi franchise in several games.

2. MS Dhoni – 5909

MS Dhoni has established himself as the greatest ever captain not just in T20 cricket but other formats as well. He has played most matches as a captain in the 20-over format and has scored 5909 runs at an average of 39.39. He has smashed 23 fifties as a captain till now in T20 format.

1. Virat Kohli – 6176

Virat Kohli is the only player to complete 6000 runs as a captain in T20 cricket. He achieved this milestone in this year’s IPL. Overall, Virat has accumulated 6176 runs in 174 innings at an average of 44.43. These runs have come while leading the Indian team and the RCB team. He has smashed five centuries and 45 fifties in the format as a skipper.