If there is any living example of consistency, fitness and technical superiority in the world of white-ball cricket in the modern history of international cricket, it is India's star batsman Virat Kohli. It is considered extremely difficult for any batsman to establish his dominance in any one format on the cricket field, but to simultaneously score runs continuously for more than a decade in both limited overs formats like fifty overs One Day International (ODI) and fast-paced T20 International (T20I) is an extraordinary achievement in itself. If we look at the statistics, in the global list of batsmen who have scored the most runs in both these limited overs formats, Virat Kohli remains the world's number one batsman with the magical figure of 19,129 runs. In his career, Kohli has added 14,941 runs in the 50-over ODI format, while he has scored 4,188 runs in 20-over international cricket. His unmatched run chasing ability in both formats and the art of strike rotation have made him the most complete limited overs batsman in the history of cricket.
The name of India's greatest batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who is called the God of Cricket, is recorded at the second place in this prestigious list. Sachin Tendulkar has scored a total of 18,436 international runs in his historic career, including both formats. The most special and surprising thing about this statistic is that during Sachin's era, T20 cricket was in its initial stage and he played only one T20 International match in his entire career, in which he scored only 10 runs. This simply means that out of his total runs, Sachin had scored 18,426 runs on the basis of 49 centuries and 96 half-centuries in 50 overs ODI cricket alone. This huge record of ODI runs established by Sachin remained a milestone for all the batsmen of the world for decades, which was considered almost impossible to touch. Holding on to world number two in this cumulative list on the strength of just one format is a living testament to Sachin Tendulkar's incredible class and consistency.
Indian cricket team captain and 'Hitman' Rohit Sharma, one of the most explosive opening batsmen in the world, is firmly in the third position in the list. Rohit Sharma has scored a total of 16,126 runs in both limited overs formats. If analyzed according to formats, Rohit has added 11,895 runs in ODI International, which includes such a charismatic record of scoring three historic double centuries in ODI history which no other batsman in the world could do till date. At the same time, Rohit Sharma has scored 4,231 runs in T20 International, where he has been at the top among the selected batsmen in the world to score five centuries in this shortest format. Rohit's specialty has been to sense the conditions at the beginning of the innings and destroy the bowlers at the end. His excellent use of powerplay and his natural style of hitting sky-high sixes has made him one of the most dangerous match-winners in limited overs cricket.
The only non-Indian player in the top four of this list is the great Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batsman and former captain Kumar Sangakkara. Sangakkara scored a total of 15,616 runs in both limited overs formats during his illustrious international career. If we look at the statistics, he has scored a huge mountain of 14,234 runs in ODI cricket, which also includes the unique record of scoring four consecutive ODI World Cup centuries. At the same time, he scored 1,382 runs for his team in T20 International and also made Sri Lanka the world champion by scoring a match-winning half-century in the 2014 T20 World Cup final. This classical left-handed batsman ruled for decades as the backbone of Sri Lankan batting on Asian and foreign pitches with his effortless cover drive and the patience to stay at the crease for hours.
| batsman's name | Country | One Day Run (ODI) | T20 International Run (T20I) | total limited over runs |
| Virat Kohli | India | 14,941 | 4,188 | 19,129 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | India | 18,426 | 10 | 18,436 |
| Rohit Sharma | India | 11,895 | 4,231 | 16,126 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 14,234 | 1,382 | 15,616 |
Looking at this exclusive list of the top four limited overs batsmen, one thing becomes completely clear that the dominance of Indian batsmen in the shorter formats of world cricket has been undisputed. All three batsmen in the top-3 are from India – Sachin Tendulkar, who gave global recognition to Indian batting in the 90s and 2000s; Virat Kohli, who redefined fitness and chase-master in modern cricket; And Rohit Sharma, who created fear among the bowlers with his aggressive opening. There has been a huge increase in the pace of the game and the average run rate since the advent of T20 cricket, but joining this cumulative club of 15 thousand to 19 thousand runs shows that it requires not only aggression but also the unbreakable mental balance to withstand the pressure of all three formats while avoiding injuries for years. Reaching this pinnacle will be one of the toughest challenges in cricket for any young batsman in the coming years.