Former Australia captain Sir Don Bradman scored the most runs as a captain in a Test series, amassing 810 runs during the 1936-37 Ashes. Former England captain Graham Gooch is second on the list, having scored 752 runs in a Test series against India in 1990. Sunil Gavaskar, an Indian batting legend, is third on the list after scoring 732 runs in a Test series against the West Indies in 1978-79. The captains who have scored the most runs in a test series are listed below.
| Player | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | 100 | 50 |
| Don Bradman (Australia) | 5 | 9 | 0 | 810 | 270 | 90 | 3 | 1 |
| The Ashes (England in Australia), 1936/37 | ||||||||
| Graham Gooch (England) | 3 | 6 | 0 | 752 | 333 | 125.33 | 3 | 2 |
| India in England Test Series, 1990 | ||||||||
| Sunil Gavaskar (India) | 6 | 9 | 1 | 732 | 205 | 91.5 | 4 | 1 |
| West Indies in India Test Series, 1978/79 | ||||||||
| David Gower (England) | 6 | 9 | 0 | 732 | 215 | 81.33 | 3 | 1 |
| The Ashes (Australia in England), 1985 | ||||||||
| Garry Sobers (West Indies) | 5 | 8 | 1 | 722 | 174 | 103.14 | 3 | 2 |
| The Wisden Trophy (West Indies in England), 1966 | ||||||||
| Don Bradman (Australia) | 5 | 6 | 2 | 715 | 201 | 178.75 | 4 | 1 |
| India in Australia Test Series, 1947/48 | ||||||||
| Graeme Smith (South Africa) | 5 | 9 | 0 | 714 | 277 | 79.33 | 2 | 1 |
| South Africa in England Test Series, 2003 | ||||||||
| Greg Chappell (Australia) | 6 | 11 | 5 | 702 | 182* | 117 | 3 | 3 |
| The Frank Worrell Trophy (West Indies in Australia), 1975/76 | ||||||||
| Steve Smith (Australia) | 5 | 7 | 2 | 687 | 239 | 137.4 | 3 | 2 |
| The Ashes (England in Australia), 2017/18 | ||||||||
| Don Bradman (Australia) | 5 | 8 | 1 | 680 | 234 | 97.14 | 2 | 3 |
| The Ashes (England in Australia), 1946/47 | ||||||||
