Cricket in Numbers: Who Are India’s Top Overseas Run-Scorers in Tests Since 2020?

These runs didn’t just help the team, they also showed how reliable and adaptable these players are. In this list, we are highlighting the top five Indian batters who have scored the most runs overseas since 2020, the real backbone of India’s Test success away from home.

Top 5 Indian Batsmen with the Most Overseas Test Runs Since 2020

Overseas Test cricket is a beast for Indian batsmen. Players have got swing in England, bounce in Australia, and pace in South Africa, all trying to knock you out. Since 2020, it’s been a grind, but five Indian players, Rishabh Pant, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Rohit Sharma have stepped up big time, racking up the most runs for India in these tough conditions. Each one has got his own vibe, from Pant’s in-your-face aggression to Pujara’s stubborn defense. Let’s dive into how they’ve done, series by series, with the numbers to back it up.

Rishabh Pant — 1569 Runs

Rishabh Pant is the top man, piling on 1569 runs in 22 Tests since 2020. He’s batted 40 times, averaging 41.28, which is huge when you’re playing away. Pant’s all about attack, scoring at a strike rate of 68.39, hammering 166 fours and 36 sixes. He’s got four hundreds, six fifties, with his best being 146, and only one duck. Think of him as that guy who walks into a fight swinging, no fear.

Span	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100s	50s	0s	4s	6s
2020–2025	22	40	2	1569	146	41.28	2294	68.39	4	6	1	166	36

In Australia during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Pant was a hero in India’s 2-1 series win. He scored 274 runs in three Tests, batting five times, averaging 68.50, and staying not out once. His strike rate was 69.89, with 30 fours and four sixes. That 97 in Sydney? Unreal.

He took on Australia’s quicks like Cummins and Starc, smashing drives and lofted shots, saving the game and keeping India in the series. It was pure guts. Then, in South Africa in 2021-22, he made 186 runs in six innings, averaging 37.20. His unbeaten 100 in Cape Town, scored at a strike rate of 65.95 with 18 fours and four sixes, was a gem in a rough series. Pant just loves tearing into bowlers, no matter where he’s playing.

Virat Kohli — 1250 Runs

Virat Kohli comes in second with 1250 runs in 23 Tests, batting 42 times since 2020, averaging 31.25. He called it quits from Tests on May 12, 2025, but his overseas game was rock-solid. With a strike rate of 46.64, he kept things tight, hitting 145 fours and five sixes, scoring two centuries and six fifties.

Span	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100s	50s	0s	4s	6s
2020–2025	23	42	2	1250	121	31.25	2680	46.64	2	6	1	145	5

His best was 121, with just one duck. Kohli’s like that intense friend who never backs down and in South Africa in 2023-24, he scored 172 runs in two Tests, batting four times and averaging 43.00. His strike rate was a punchy 79.63, with 25 fours and two sixes. One of those knocks felt like classic Kohli, full of crisp shots and fire, holding India together on spicy pitches.

Back in England in 2021-22, he made 249 runs in five Tests, batting nine times and averaging 27.66. His top score was 55, with two fifties and 37 fours at a strike rate of 47.15. He had one duck, but watching him battle Anderson’s swing was like seeing a master at work, even if the big scores didn’t always come. Kohli’s focus kept India fighting in tough spots.

KL Rahul — 1166 Runs

KL Rahul, third on the list, is pure class, like watching a painter at the crease. Since 2021, he’s scored 1166 runs in 17 Tests, batting 33 times, averaging 36.43. His strike rate of 46.30 shows his smooth flow, with 150 fours and seven sixes, four centuries, and four fifties. His best is 137, with two ducks. In England in 2021-22, Rahul was on fire, scoring 315 runs in four Tests, batting eight times, averaging 39.37.

Span	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100s	50s	0s	4s	6s
2021–2025	17	33	1	1166	137	36.43	2518	46.30	4	4	2	150	7

His 129 at Lord’s, part of a hundred and a fifty, came at a strike rate of 42.85 with 39 fours and two sixes. That innings, with those silky cover drives, was a game-changer, even with one duck in the series.

In Australia during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he scored 276 runs in five Tests, batting ten times, averaging 30.66. His high of 84, with two fifties and 28 fours at a strike rate of 50.09, showed his grit, despite one duck. Rahul’s got this calm vibe that makes tough conditions look easy, and his shots are just poetry.

Cheteshwar Pujara — 1087 Runs

Cheteshwar Pujara, sitting fourth, is India’s number four wall, scoring 1087 runs in 18 Tests since 2020, batting 36 times and averaging 31.97. His strike rate of 36.14 is slow but steady, with 141 fours and no sixes, showing his old-school Test match heart. He’s got one hundred, nine fifties, a best of 102*, and two ducks.

Span	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100s	50s	0s	4s	6s
2020–2023	18	36	2	1087	102*	31.97	3007	36.14	1	9	2	141	0

Pujara’s like that player who’d stand in front of a deadly attack for the team. In Australia in 2020-21, he scored 271 runs in four Tests, batting eight times, averaging 33.87. His high of 77, part of three fifties, came at a strike rate of 29.20 with 29 fours. He had one duck, but his long stays, like at the Gabba, broke Australia’s bowlers, helping India win 2-1.

In England in 2020-21, he made 306 runs in five Tests, batting ten times, averaging 34.00. His best of 91, with three fifties and 43 fours at a strike rate of 36.95, showed he could handle swing and spin for hours. Pujara’s stubbornness was India’s shield overseas.

Rohit Sharma — 950 Runs

Rohit Sharma, fifth, hung up his Test boots on May 7, 2025, but not before scoring 950 runs in 15 Tests since 2021, batting 28 times and averaging 36.53. His strike rate of 47.90 gave him 111 fours and 14 sixes, with two centuries and five fifties. His best was 127, with one duck. Rohit’s batting is like watching a breeze, effortless and beautiful.

Span	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100s	50s	0s	4s	6s
2021–2024	15	28	2	950	127	36.53	1983	47.90	2	5	1	111	14

In England in 2020-21, he smashed 368 runs in four Tests, batting eight times, averaging 52.57. His 127, part of a hundred and two fifties, came at a strike rate of 42.49 with 42 fours and four sixes. Those innings, full of lazy-elegant drives, bossed England’s attack.

In South Africa in 2023-24, he scored 60 runs in two Tests, batting four times, averaging 20.00. His strike rate was 63.83 with 10 fours, but big runs didn’t come. Rohit’s flair lit up India’s overseas battles.

Pant’s been the spark, Kohli the warrior, Rahul the artist, Pujara the anchor, and Rohit the stylist. They have faced the world’s toughest pitches and bowlers, each leaving their mark with runs that mattered. From Pant’s 97 in Sydney to Pujara’s marathon grinds, these guys have carried India’s hopes, showing what it takes to shine far from home.