Most Runs in T20 World Cup
While T20 cricket is not just about batsmen and also equally about bowlers, it is the bat that steals the show more often than the ball. Since the first edition of the ICC T20 World Cup in 2007, we have seen lots of runs, the fifties and centuries scored in the tournament. Chris Gayle’s 57-ball 117 is the fastest century scored in the T20 World Cup, and the West Indies has also hit the most number of sixes – 60 – in all the editions combined. Among other records, Gayle is also one of the top run-scorers in the tournament. But who has the most runs in the T20 World Cup? The answer might surprise you.
The batsman to score the most runs in the T20 World Cup is former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene. He has scored over 1000 runs in the T20 World Cup at a more than decent average and strikes rate. Let’s find out which other cricketers join Gayle in the list for most runs at the T20 World Cup.
Mahela Jayawardene – 1016 runs in 31 innings
Former Sri Lanka captain and one of the most elegant batsmen of all time, Mahela Jayawardene is the one with the most runs in T20 World Cup. The right hander, who played all the editions from 2007 to 2014, has scored 1016 runs in 31 innings at an average and strike rate of 39.07 and 134.74. He has also hit a century and six half-centuries. Jayawardene retired from T20I cricket after the 2014 T20 World Cup with a career average of 31.76 in the format.
Chris Gayle – 920 runs in 26 innings
Second name on the list for most runs in T20 World Cup is Chris Gayle, captain of the West Indies team at the T20 World Cup 2009. The big hitting batsman has 920 runs in 26 innings at an average of 40 and a strike rate of almost 147. The lanky West Indian has almost all T20 batting records to his name. Gayle, who is all set to play in the 2021 World Cup, also has the most man of the match awards in the tournament (5) and most sixes (60). With age not by the 42-year-old’s side anymore, the 2021 edition of the tournament could be his final hurray.
Tillakaratne Dilshan – 892 runs in 24 innings
Former Sri Lankan all-rounder Tillakaratne Dilshan, who played his last T20I in September 2016, is the third highest run-scorer in the T20 World Cup with 897 runs in 34 innings at an average and strike rate of 30.93 and strike rate of 124.06. He was also the highest run-scorer at the 2009 edition, with 317 runs at an average of 52.83 and a strike rate of almost 145. Dilshan’s unbeaten 96 in the second semi-final that year helped his country reach the final, which they lost to Pakistan. The 44-year-old ended his T20I career with an average and strike rate of 28.19 and 120.54.
Virat Kohli – 777 runs in 16 innings
Fourth on the list is India captain Virat Kohli, who will be relinquishing his captaincy from the shortest format after the 2021 T20 World Cup. Kohli, who played his first T20 World Cup for Team India in 2012, has 777 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of 133.04. The batsman was in the form of his life in the 2016 edition of the tournament, where he scored 273 runs in five innings at a strike rate of almost 147 and was subsequently named the Player of the Series. Kohli is currently the highest run-scorer in T20 internationals, with 3159 runs at an average of 52.65 and an equally impressive strike rate of 139.04.
AB de Villiers – 717 runs in 29 innings
Before announcing international retirement in May 2018, AB de Villiers played all the editions of the T20 World Cup from 2007 to 2016, scoring 717 runs in 29 innings at a strike rate of 143.40. The 360-degree batsman has also hit five half-centuries in the tournament, while his highest knock of an unbeaten 79 came against Scotland in 2009. De Villiers ended his T20I career with an average of 26.12 and a strike rate of 135.16.
Rohit Sharma – 673 runs in 25 innings
The second Indian on the list of batsmen with the most runs in the T20 World Cup is Rohit Sharma, who has 673 runs in 25 innings at a strike rate of 127.22. Rohit, who is the third-highest run-getter in T20Is with 2864 runs from 111 matches, is only 10 sixes away from surpassing Yuvraj Singh for the most number of sixes (33) by an Indian batsman at T20 WC. This is a record he will be eyeing when the seventh edition of the tournament gets underway in less than two weeks.
Kumar Sangakkara – 661 runs in 30 innings
The seventh batsman on the list for most runs in T20 World Cup is a former Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batsman and one of the finest cricketers to have played the game – Kumar Sangakkara. At the T20 World Cup, the Southpaw scored 661 runs from 30 innings, including four half centuries. Now a coach and commentator, Sangakkara played his last T20I against India in 2014. In all, he averages 31.40 in the format.
Brendon McCullum – 637 runs in 25 innings
The only batsman from New Zealand to make it to the list of top 10 highest run-getters at the T20 World Cup is Brendon McCullum, who played all the editions from 2007 to 2014. A brutal batsman, McCullum scored 637 runs from 25 innings at a strike rate of 128.42. The highlight of his T20 World Cup career is a knock of 123 runs that came against Bangladesh at the 2012 edition. This still remains the highest score in T20 World Cup history, surpassing Chris Gayle’s 117 against South Africa in 2007.
Yuvraj Singh – 593 run in 28 innings
At the inaugural edition of the tournament, Yuvraj Singh created a record that still remains unbroken. The big-hitting batsman scored 50 off just 12 balls against England, which still remains the fastest T20I fifty. Yuvraj played the tournament from 2007 to 2016, scoring 593 runs from 28 innings at a strike rate of almost 129. In June 2019, Yuvraj announced retirement from all forms of cricket. In his T20I career of 58 games, he averaged 28.02 and had a strike rate of 136.38.
Kevin Pietersen – 580 runs in 15 innings
Kevin Pietersen grew up in South Africa but represented England in international cricket. He was named as player of the tournament at the 2010 edition, which England won after defeating Australia in the final. The former England captain played three in the first three editions of the T20 World Cup, from which he has 580 runs at an average of 44.61 and strike rate of 148.33. In 2018, at the age of 37, the batsman announced retirement from all forms of cricket. Despite not playing international for a while, Pietersen’s name is still on the list for players with the most runs in T20 World Cup.
Also Read: Top 10 Batsmen with Most Centuries in T20 Cricket History
