Virat Kohli holds this illustrious record this decade despite form concerns; Shubman Gill to break soon

Virat Kohli’s cricketing journey this decade has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. Retiring from T20I cricket in 2024 and stepping away from Tests after a solitary match in 2025, Kohli endured fierce criticism about his form, with many experts questioning whether the legendary batter still belonged in India’s playing XI. But amid the noise and doubt, Kohli’s sheer class and hunger for runs remained untarnished.

Since 2020, Kohli has emerged as India’s highest run-scorer, compiling an extraordinary 6,155 runs across 173 innings, a feat no other Indian has matched in this decade. His mastery at the crease defied the critics and underlined why he has been the backbone of India’s batting lineup for so long. With India’s upcoming tour of Australia, there is every expectation that Kohli would add to this already stellar record.

However, Shubman Gill, India’s young Test captain and batting prodigy, is on the verge of rewriting history. The 26-year-old has already amassed 6,004 runs in 144 innings this decade, just 151 runs shy of Kohli’s tally. The ongoing Asia Cup presents the perfect stage for Gill to eclipse Kohli’s tally and signal the dawn of a new era for Indian cricket.

Most runs for India this decade:

Gill’s dream year

Notably, Gill has been in phenomenal form in 2025. After an impactful season with the bat in the IPL, the youngster defined excellence in the five-match England tour, scoring 752 runs, which is the most by any player since the World Test Championship cycle began. He also returned to the India T20I set-up and opened alongside Abhishek Sharma in India’s opening game of the Asia Cup against the UAE.

He seemed to be in cracking form, scoring an unbeaten 20 runs in nine balls, as India won the match by nine wickets. He will be hoping to keep up with the form and break Kohli’s record for most runs by an Indian player this decade soon.