Listing fastest batters to complete 4,000 T20I runs (by balls)
What's the story
England's Jos Buttler has become the fastest cricketer in the world to score 4,000 T20I runs in terms of balls faced. The record-breaking achievement came during England's ICC T20 World Cup 2026 match against Scotland in Kolkata on Saturday. Buttler needed just three runs to reach the milestone and achieved it on the fourth ball of his innings while chasing a target of 153 runs. Here we list down the fastest batters to complete 4,000 T20I runs (by balls).
#1
Jos Buttler - 2,690 balls
Buttler's achievement comes after he took just 2,690 balls to score his 4,000th run in T20Is. Meanwhile, the batter was dismissed for exactly three in the aforementioned game. Having played 150 games, Buttler has scored 4,000 T20I runs with an average of 34.78 and a strike rate worth 148.58. He has scored 28 half-centuries and a century with a highest score of 101.
#2
Rohit Sharma - 2,860 balls
Buttler went past former Indian skipper Rohit Sharma to top this list. The latter took 2,860 balls to complete 4,000 runs. Rohit ended his T20I career with 4,231 runs from 159 games at an average of 32.05. His strike rate was an impressive 140.89 and he registered 37 50-plus scores, including five centuries. This puts him level with Australia's Glenn Maxwell for the most centuries in T20I cricket history.
#3
Virat Kohli - 2,900 balls
The talismanic Virat Kohli was the first batter to complete 4,000 T20I runs, having taken 2,900 balls. He compiled 4,188 runs across 125 T20Is at an average of 48.69. Kohli's average is the best among full-member team players with at least 1,000 runs. His strike rate is 137.07. Kohli recorded 39 fifty-plus scores (one century), the second-most for a batter in the format to date.
#4
Babar Azam - 3,081 balls
Pakistan's Babar Azam is the only batter to consume over 3,000 balls (3,081) to accomplish 4,000 T20I runs. With 4,566 runs from 141 matches at a fine average of 39.36, Babar is the leading run-getter in T20Is. His strike rate of 128.29 is, however, on the lower side. The Pakistan star has tallied 39 fifties besides three tons.