The Test cricket rivalry between India and Sri Lanka has given us some of the most memorable batting performances in modern cricket history. Subcontinental conditions have frequently been kind to batsmen who can dominate both pace and spin for long periods, from massive team totals—Sri Lanka’s record-breaking 952/6 in 1997 and India’s 726/9 in 2009—to individual masterclasses.
At the top of the list of all run-getters in the storied rivalry is Sachin Tendulkar, who scored nearly 2,000 Test runs against Sri Lanka, including nine centuries. Right behind him is Sri Lankan legend Mahela Jayawardene. The elegant stroke maker scored 1,822 runs at an average of 67.48. Other stalwarts in the form of Rahul Dravid, Kumar Sangakkara, Aravinda de Silva, and Virender Sehwag have all played defining roles to make the India vs. Sri Lanka Test encounter a run-scoring spectacle.
Rank | Player | Team | Matches | Innings | Runs |
1 | Sachin Tendulkar | India | 25 | 36 | 1,995 |
2 | Mahela Jayawardene | Sri Lanka | 18 | 28 | 1,822 |
3 | Rahul Dravid | India | 20 | 32 | 1,508 |
4 | Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 17 | 28 | 1,352 |
5 | Aravinda de Silva | Sri Lanka | 19 | 32 | 1,252 |
6 | Virender Sehwag | India | 11 | 18 | 1,230 |
7 | VVS Laxman | India | 19 | 29 | 1,128 |
8 | Cheteshwar Pujara | India | 10 | 17 | 1,086 |
9 | Virat Kohli | India | 11 | 15 | 1,004 |
10 | Sanath Jayasuriya | Sri Lanka | 10 | 15 | 937 |
