Asia Cup Top Run Scorers: ODI and T20 Records
Sanath Jayasuriya is the leading run scorer in the 50-over Asia Cup with 1,220 runs, and Pathum Nissanka leads the T20 Asia Cup with 434 after the 2025 tournament, five ahead of Virat Kohli. The two formats keep separate records, and most lists online mix them up or stop before 2025. These are the top ten in each, from ESPNcricinfo's records pages, with the innings that put them there.
ODI Asia Cup, Most Runs
| Rank | Player | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka | 1,220 |
| 2 | Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka | 1,075 |
| 3 | Sachin Tendulkar, India | 971 |
| 4 | Rohit Sharma, India | 939 |
| 5 | Mushfiqur Rahim, Bangladesh | 830 |
| 6 | Shoaib Malik, Pakistan | 786 |
| 7 | Virat Kohli, India | 742 |
| 8 | Arjuna Ranatunga, Sri Lanka | 741 |
| 9 | Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka | 674 |
| 10 | MS Dhoni, India | 648 |
Jayasuriya's six Asia Cup hundreds, from 25 matches, are the most by anyone. Kohli's 183 against Pakistan in Mirpur in 2012 is the highest individual score in the tournament's history; it is not, as sometimes claimed, India's highest ODI score, which is Rohit Sharma's 264. The 2023 tournament was the last 50-over edition.
T20 Asia Cup, Most Runs
| Rank | Player | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pathum Nissanka, Sri Lanka | 434 |
| 2 | Virat Kohli, India | 429 |
| 3 | Abhishek Sharma, India | 314 |
| 4 | Babar Hayat, Hong Kong | 292 |
| 5 | Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan | 281 |
| 6 | Kusal Mendis, Sri Lanka | 277 |
| 7 | Fakhar Zaman, Pakistan | 277 |
| 8 | Rohit Sharma, India | 271 |
| 9 | Ibrahim Zadran, Afghanistan | 226 |
| 10 | Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka | 224 |
Three T20 editions have been played, in 2016, 2022 and 2025. Kohli's average of 85.80 across them is the highest of anyone in the top ten, and his 122 not out against Afghanistan in Dubai in 2022 is the highest T20 Asia Cup score. Nissanka's 434 came in twelve matches with a highest score of 107. Abhishek Sharma's 314 runs in the 2025 tournament, at a strike rate of 200, came in a single edition and won him player of the tournament.
The 2025 Leaders
The 2025 tournament's top five were Abhishek Sharma 314, Nissanka 261, Sahibzada Farhan 217, Tilak Varma 213 and Fakhar Zaman 211. Tilak's unbeaten 69 in the final against Pakistan was the match-winning innings. Kuldeep Yadav's 17 wickets led the bowling.
Reading the Two Lists
The ODI list rewards longevity: Jayasuriya and Sangakkara played 24 and 25 matches across six editions each. The T20 list is three tournaments old and moves with every edition, which is why Nissanka passed Kohli in 2025 and why a single big tournament can put a player straight into the top three. Any list that gives one overall Asia Cup leader is adding apples to oranges. For the tournament's winners by year see our Asia Cup winners list, and for the eras our Asia Cup history.
FAQs: Asia Cup Run Scorers
Who has scored the most runs in the Asia Cup? Sanath Jayasuriya, 1,220 in the 50-over tournament. In the T20 Asia Cup, Pathum Nissanka with 434.
What is the highest individual score in the Asia Cup? Virat Kohli's 183 against Pakistan in Mirpur in 2012, in the 50-over tournament. In T20 editions, Kohli's 122 not out against Afghanistan in 2022.
Who was the top scorer in the 2025 Asia Cup? Abhishek Sharma, 314 runs in seven matches, player of the tournament.
Who has the most Asia Cup hundreds? Jayasuriya, with six in the 50-over tournament.
Is Kohli the top T20 Asia Cup run scorer? Not since 2025. Nissanka's 434 passed Kohli's 429, though Kohli's average of 85.80 remains the best.
Sources
The ODI figures are from ESPNcricinfo's Asia Cup ODI records and the T20 figures from its T20 Asia Cup records, both checked on 14 October 2026. The 2025 tournament leaders are from the 2025 Asia Cup page.
Leave a comment