Jos Buttler overtook Rohit Sharma to become the second-highest run-scorer in men’s T20Is
Buttler smashed 80 off 44 balls against Sri Lanka, taking his T20I tally to 4,292 runs
Babar Azam remains the leading men’s T20I run-scorer with 4,596 runs
Jos Buttler added another major milestone to his remarkable T20I career during England’s first T20I against Sri Lanka in Southampton. The England wicketkeeper-batter moved past former India captain Rohit Sharma to become the second-highest run-scorer in men’s T20I cricket.
Buttler entered the match with 4,212 T20I runs and needed 20 more to overtake Rohit’s career tally of 4,231. He reached the landmark during an explosive innings at the Utilita Bowl, eventually scoring 80 runs from 44 deliveries. His knock featured eight fours and three sixes and formed a crucial 128-run partnership with Harry Brook.
Buttler’s effort helped England post 254/4 before Sri Lanka were dismissed for 135, giving the hosts a 119-run victory. Brook finished unbeaten on 114 from 49 balls and was named Player of the Match.
Most Runs In T20Is
With his latest innings, Buttler moved to 4,292 runs from 161 matches, leaving Rohit on 4,231 from 159 T20Is. Only Pakistan’s Babar Azam remains ahead of him on the all-time list with 4,596 runs.
| Rank | Player | Country | Matches | Runs | Best Score | 100s | 50s |
| 1 | Babar Azam | Pakistan | 145 | 4,596 | 122 | 3 | 39 |
| 2 | Jos Buttler | England | 161 | 4,292 | 131 | 2 | 29 |
| 3 | Rohit Sharma | India | 159 | 4,231 | 121* | 5 | 32 |
| 4 | Virat Kohli | India | 125 | 4,188 | 122* | 1 | 38 |
| 5 | Paul Stirling | Ireland | 163 | 3,895 | 115* | 1 | 24 |
| 6 | Martin Guptill | New Zealand | 122 | 3,531 | 105 | 2 | 20 |
| 7 | Mohammad Rizwan | Pakistan | 106 | 3,414 | 104* | 1 | 30 |
| 8 | Virandeep Singh | Malaysia | 123 | 3,402 | 116* | 1 | 23 |
| 9 | Muhammad Waseem | UAE | 99 | 3,371 | 112 | 3 | 26 |
| 10 | David Warner | Australia | 110 | 3,277 | 100* | 1 | 28 |
| 11 | Suryakumar Yadav | India | 113 | 3,272 | 117 | 4 | 21 |
Buttler Continues To Rewrite England’s T20I Record Book
The milestone is another landmark in Buttler’s long T20I career. He has now accumulated more runs than every England batter in the format and remains one of only a handful of players to cross the 4,000-run mark in men's T20Is.
His latest 80 also came during an important partnership with Brook. The pair added 128 runs before Buttler was dismissed, setting the platform for Brook’s spectacular century.
Buttler’s rise above Rohit is particularly notable because the Indian opener finished his T20I career as one of the format’s leading run-scorers before retiring from international T20 cricket after the 2024 T20 World Cup. Buttler now has Babar Azam’s 4,596-run mark in sight, although the Pakistan batter remains comfortably ahead on the current leaderboard.
England’s emphatic win also gave them a 1-0 lead in the three-match series against Sri Lanka.
