Dinesh Karthik passes MS Dhoni for most runs among Indian wicketkeepers in T20 cricket

Recently, Dinesh Karthik made history by surpassing all other Indian wicketkeepers in terms of runs scored in Twenty20 cricket. In the current SA20 2025, the 39-year-old achieved this accomplishment while playing for the Paarl Royals. On January 27, Karthik surpassed the legendary MS Dhoni’s record of 7,432 runs in Twenty20 cricket by scoring 21 runs off 15 deliveries in a match against the Durban Super Giants.

As the SA20 season began, Karthik, who has been a reliable player in T20 tournaments around the world, needed just 26 runs to pass Dhoni and capture the record. But because of the Paarl Royals’ supremacy, he had few batting opportunities, which postponed his milestone moment.

Despite the delay, Dinesh Karthik eventually seized the moment with a vital knock, increasing his total T20 score to 7,451 runs at an average of 26.99 and a strike rate of 136.84 in 361 innings.

MS Dhoni, on the other hand, is still regarded as a legend in T20 cricket after scoring 7,432 runs in 342 innings at an incredible average of 38.11 and a strike rate of 135.64. By playing for the Chennai Super Kings in the 2025 IPL season, Dhoni will have a significant opportunity to retake the top rank.

The Paarl Royals were the first side to use spinners to bowl all 20 overs in a T20 match.

Dhoni continues to maintain the record for being the biggest run scorer as an IPL wicketkeeper, but Karthik now has the most T20 runs of any Indian wicketkeeper. In the league, Dhoni has amassed 5,125 runs, while Karthik has 4,463 runs.

Karthik’s team, the Paarl Royals, had won seven of their last eight games, putting them comfortably atop the points table. In addition, the Royals’ recent victory over the Pretoria Capitals made them the first franchise T20 cricket team to bowl all 20 overs with spinners.