Consistency across different formats is one of the biggest challenges in international cricket. A batter may dominate One Day Internationals but find it difficult to reproduce the same success in the faster T20 format. Yet, some of cricket's biggest names have accumulated remarkable numbers across both ODIs and T20 Internationals.

Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma and Kumar Sangakkara are among the legendary batters whose limited-overs records underline their longevity and ability to score runs against different opponents and in varying conditions.

When ODI and T20I career runs are combined, these four players have accumulated some extraordinary totals. Here is a closer look at their numbers and achievements.

Virat Kohli Tops the Combined Run List

Virat Kohli occupies the leading position among the players featured here when ODI and T20I runs are combined.

Kohli has crossed the 15,000-run milestone in One Day Internationals. He also finished his T20 International career with 4,188 runs after announcing his retirement from the format following India's victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup.

His ability to build an innings, rotate the strike and accelerate when required has been central to his success in limited-overs cricket.

Kohli has spent much of his international career as one of India's most dependable top-order batters. His performances while chasing targets have also been a major feature of his ODI career.

With more than 19,000 runs across ODIs and T20Is combined, Kohli's limited-overs numbers place him among the most prolific international batters of his generation.

Sachin Tendulkar's ODI Record Keeps Him Near the Top

Sachin Tendulkar remains one of the biggest names in cricket history and his ODI numbers continue to stand out years after his retirement.

The former India batter scored 18,426 runs in 463 ODIs, finishing his career as the highest run-scorer in men's One Day International cricket.

Tendulkar's T20 International career, however, consisted of only one match. He scored 10 runs in India's first-ever T20I against South Africa in 2006.

That gives him 18,436 combined ODI and T20I runs.

The comparison also highlights how dramatically international cricket changed during Tendulkar's career. T20Is became a major part of the international calendar only during the later stages of his playing days, meaning he had far fewer opportunities in the shortest international format than modern players.

Rohit Sharma's T20I Numbers Add to His Huge ODI Record

Rohit Sharma is another Indian batting great with an exceptional record in white-ball cricket.

He retired from T20 Internationals after India's 2024 T20 World Cup triumph with 4,231 runs, having played 159 matches in the format.

Rohit's ODI career has also produced a huge number of runs, taking his combined ODI and T20I tally beyond 16,000.

He has been particularly renowned for converting starts into massive ODI scores. Rohit is the only batter to have registered three double centuries in men's ODI cricket, including his record-breaking 264 against Sri Lanka in 2014.

His combination of power, timing and the ability to play long innings has helped him establish an outstanding record across both major limited-overs international formats.

Kumar Sangakkara Remains Among Limited-Overs Greats

Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara also features prominently when ODI and T20I career runs are combined.

Sangakkara accumulated 14,234 ODI runs during his international career and added 1,382 runs in T20 Internationals.

Together, those numbers give him a combined total of 15,616 runs across the two formats.

The elegant left-hander was a central figure in Sri Lankan cricket for more than a decade. Alongside his batting responsibilities, Sangakkara also served as a wicketkeeper for a significant portion of his career.

His longevity and consistency allowed him to finish as one of the highest run-scorers in ODI history.

Comparing the Four Batting Greats

The statistics also need to be viewed in the context of different eras. Tendulkar played almost his entire career before T20 International cricket became a regular part of the global calendar, while Kohli and Rohit competed during an era in which both ODI and T20I cricket were firmly established.

Sangakkara's career overlapped the expansion of T20 cricket, although ODIs remained a major part of the international schedule throughout his peak years.

Another important distinction is that Kohli and Rohit retired from T20 Internationals in 2024, meaning their T20I career totals are fixed, while their ODI totals could continue changing as long as they remain active in the format.

Regardless of the differences between eras, the numbers underline the remarkable longevity of these four players. Tendulkar and Sangakkara built enormous ODI records, while Kohli and Rohit combined prolific ODI careers with extensive success in T20 Internationals.

Their achievements show why all four remain prominent names whenever the discussion turns to the most successful limited-overs batters in international cricket.