Top five batters with most runs in ICC Champions Trophy

The ICC Champions Trophy is considered one of the most challenging ICC tournaments. Unlike the World Cup, which features a greater number of league matches allowing teams to recover from several losses, the Champions Trophy presents the possibility of elimination following a single defeat throughout the tournament.

The competition has, however, faced calls for being scrapped, with critics arguing that it undermines the importance of the 50-over World Cup. The tournament was not held in 2021, but made a return in 2025.

In this article, let’s take a look at the top five highest run-scorers in the history of ICC Champions Trophy.

5. Sourav Ganguly – 665 runs

Sourav Ganguly, the former captain of the Indian national cricket team, was one of the most accomplished Indian batters in the ICC tournaments. During his 15-year ODI career, Ganguly scored 665 runs in the Champions Trophy across 13 innings, with an impressive average of 73 and a strike rate of 83.

One of his most outstanding performances in the tournament came during the semi-final against South Africa in the 2000 edition, where he contributed 141 runs, aiding India in securing a place in the final.

4. Kumar Sangakkara – 683 runs

Recognized as one of the greatest wicket-keeper batters of all time, Kumar Sangakkara was one of the most reliable batters of his era across formats.

The former Sri Lanka captain scored 683 runs in the Champions Trophy in 22 innings at an average of 37.54 and a strike rate of 71.96 including one century and four half-centuries.

3. Shikhar Dhawan – 701 runs

Shikhar Dhawan is regarded as one of the most undervalued batters in India's ODI cricket history. Since his international debut in ODI cricket in 2010, Dhawan consistently stepped up for India in ICC events. The left-handed batter scored 701 runs in 10 innings in the Champions Trophy at an average of 77 and a strike rate of 101.6.

He led India to their second Champions Trophy victory in 2013, finishing as the tournament's highest run-scorer with a total of 363 runs. He was also the leading run-scorer in the 2017 edition of the tournament.

2. Mahela Jayawardene – 742 runs

One of Sri Lanka’s all-time greats, Mahela Jayawardene was a reliable player across all formats. He made his ODI debut in 1998 against Zimbabwe in Colombo and scored 742 runs in 22 innings in the Champions Trophy, with an impressive average of 41.22 and a strike rate of 84.80.

Jayawardene was instrumental in the 2002 Champions Trophy, during which Sri Lanka was declared joint winners of the tournament alongside India.

1. Chris Gayle – 791 runs

Former West Indies opener Chris Gayle tops this list with 791 runs in 17 innings in the Champions Trophy history, which he scored at a remarkable average of 52.73 and strike rate of 88.72. With three centuries, Gayle has hit joint-most centuries in the tournament’s history.

Gayle achieved his highest individual score in the tournament during the 2006 Champions Trophy, where he smashed 133 runs from 135 balls against South Africa.

Cover Credits - ESPN