Sanju Samson, the wicketkeeper-batsman, who impressed in the match against Oman, is on the verge of a significant achievement, potentially becoming the 12th Indian player to reach the 1000-run milestone in T20 Internationals. It’s important to clarify: this doesn’t imply he won’t be in India’s playing eleven. He is expected to feature in the crucial Super-4 match against Pakistan. The ‘12th player’ designation refers to his possible inclusion in the list of Indian cricketers with over 1000 T20I runs. Presently, 11 Indian players have accomplished this feat, and Samson could join their ranks.
Before the Pakistan clash, let’s review the top 11 Indian run-scorers in T20Is. Rohit Sharma leads the chart with 4231 runs. Virat Kohli follows closely with 4188 runs. Both have retired from T20I cricket.
Suryakumar Yadav, India’s T20I captain, has 2652 runs, placing him third. KL Rahul is in fourth position with 2265 runs. Hardik Pandya, with 1813 runs, holds the fifth spot. Shikhar Dhawan has 1759 runs, while MS Dhoni has 1617 runs. Suresh Raina is eighth with 1605 runs. Rishabh Pant is ninth with 1209 runs, and Yuvraj Singh (1177 runs) and Shreyas Iyer (1104 runs) complete the list in tenth and eleventh positions.
Sanju Samson is on the cusp of becoming the 12th Indian player to join this elite group. To achieve this, he needs to score 83 runs in the Super-4 match against Pakistan. Having already scored 917 runs in 39 innings across 45 T20Is, Samson aims to reach this milestone in the upcoming match. Even if he falls short, he will have another opportunity in the Asia Cup 2025.