<p class="MsoNormal">T20 is a different ball game altogether, as the shortest format of the game has changed the nuance of how cricket was perceived since the first edition of the <strong><span>T20 World Cup</span></strong> took place in 2007. Batters have come out all guns blazing and were forced to opt for innovative shots, something out of the cricket books. Yet, some players had a concise outlook and resorted to their conventional form yielding results.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When the first edition of the T20 World Cup commenced in South Africa, the glimpses of the future of the game were pre-empted as Chris Gayle struck 117 runs in just 57 deliveries embellished with seven boundaries and 10 maximums at a strike rate of 205.26. An innings which was rare as a translucent Jadeite in the conventional form of cricket. Add Yuvraj Singh’s six maximums in an over off Stuart Broad, the game turned its face from wrist work to muscle work.</p>
<hr>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><b>Here are the leading-run scorers from each T20 World Cup edition: <span>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></b></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><b>8. Matthew Hayden (2007 Edition)<o:p></o:p></b></h3>
<figure class="image align-center" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1719506237445_Untitled-1.jpeg" alt="Matthew Hayden" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Matthew Hayden (source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Muscle man&nbsp;<strong>Matthew Hayden</strong>, was already known for his power-hitting, and with T20Is flourishing, he stepped into an El–Dorado. The Australia opener scored 265 runs in six innings at an average of 88.33 and a strike rate of 144.80. His highest score was an unbeaten 73 runs against Bangladesh.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><b>7. Tillakaratne Dilshan (2009 Edition)<o:p></o:p></b></h3>
<figure class="image align-center" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1719506316417_Untitled-1.jpeg" alt="Tillakaratne Dilshan" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Tillakaratne Dilshan (source : Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p class="MsoNormal">The inventor of the ‘Dil-Scoop’ was at his best in the second edition of the T20 World Cup. The prolific&nbsp;<strong>Tillakratne Dilshan</strong> amassed 317 runs in seven innings at an average of 52.83 and a strike rate of 144.74. His highest score of unbeaten 96 runs came against West Indies in the second Semi-Final that Sri Lanka eventually won.</p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><b></b></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><b>6. Mahela Jayawardene (2010 Edition)<o:p></o:p></b></h3>
<figure class="image align-center" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1719506372921_Untitled-1.jpeg" alt="Mahela Jayawardene" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Mahela Jayawardene (Source : Twitter )</figcaption>
</figure>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another Sri Lankan batter who reigned supreme with the bat was&nbsp;<strong>Mahela Jayawardene</strong> who took charge of the Lankan batting single-handedly throughout the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/t20-world-cup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>T20 World Cup</strong></a>. The right-handed batter scored 302 runs in six innings at an average of 60.40 and a strike rate of 159.78. His highest score of 100 runs came against Zimbabwe. Thanks to his innings, Sri Lanka managed to enter the Super 8 stage of the tournament.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><b>5. Shane Watson (Australia- 2012 Edition)</b></h3>
<figure class="image align-center" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1719506432004_Untitled-1.jpeg" alt="Shane Watson" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Shane Watson (Source : Twitter )</figcaption>
</figure>
<p class="MsoNormal">There was neck to neck fight between&nbsp;<strong>Shane Watson</strong> and Jayawardene for the highest runs in the 2012 edition. As the latter fell short of six runs, Watson amassed 249 runs in six innings, an innings less than that of Sri Lankan. Watson scored at an average of 49.80 and a strike rate of 150. His highest score of 72 runs came against India on a slow Colombo track.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Also Check: <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/t20-world-cup-leading-wicket-takers-list-from-2007-to-2024/?hfjfk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">T20 World Cup leading wicket-takers list from 2007 to 2024</a></strong></p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><b></b></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><b>4. Virat Kohli (India- 2014 Edition)<o:p></o:p></b></h3>
<figure class="image align-center" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1719506504296_Untitled-1.jpeg" alt="Virat Kohli" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Virat Kohli (Source : Twitter )</figcaption>
</figure>
<p class="MsoNormal">The year 2014 was a period when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/virat-kohli/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Virat Kohli</strong></a> started coming out of hibernation mode after a nightmarish England tour. The right-handed batter chose the global stage to assert his dominance as he amassed 319 runs in seven innings at a hard-to-believe average of 106.33 and a strike rate of 129.14. His highest score of 77 came against Sri Lanka in the Final as other batters struggled and India posted 130 on the board, only to lose by six wickets.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><b>3. Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh- 2016 Edition)<o:p></o:p></b></h3>
<figure class="image align-center" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1719506586870_Untitled-1.jpeg" alt="Tamim Iqbal" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Tamim Iqbal (Source : Twitter )</figcaption>
</figure>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Tamim Iqbal</strong> was on song for Bangladesh in the 2016 edition as the batters fetched 295 runs in six innings at an average of 73.75 and a strike rate of 142.51. His standout inning was against Oman, where he scored an unbeaten 103 runs to take Bangladesh home. The southpaw failed to replicate his touch against Bangladesh’s crucial games against India, Pakistan, and New Zealand.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/3-t20-world-cup-records-that-may-never-be-broken/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3 T20 World Cup records that may never be broken</a></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><b>2. Babar Azam (Pakistan- 2018 Edition)<o:p></o:p></b></h3>
<figure class="image align-center" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1719506636616_Untitled-1.jpeg" alt="Babar Azam" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Babar Azam (Source : Twitter )</figcaption>
</figure>
<p class="MsoNormal">Pakistan batter&nbsp;<strong>Babar Azam</strong> was the top scorer in the 2021 edition as he scored 303 runs in six innings at an average of 60.60 and a strike rate of 126.25. His highest score of 70 runs came against Namibia and a 68-run knock against India where the Men-In-Green won the game by 10 wickets was picked as his best innings by the experts.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><b>1. Virat Kohli (India- 2022 Edition)<o:p></o:p></b></h3>
<figure class="image align-center" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1719506707265_Untitled-1.jpeg" alt="Virat Kohli" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Virat Kohli (Source :Twitter )</figcaption>
</figure>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Indian batting maestro had battled the two-yearlong dismal run, stepping down from captaincy, admitting to having grappled with mental health and he picked Australia as his rage room to spit everything out. Notably,&nbsp;<strong>Virat Kohli</strong> scored 292 runs in six innings at an enviable average of 98.66 and a strike rate of 136.40. His unbeaten 82 runs knock against Pakistan, where India had dug themselves into a blackhole called defeat, is the handpicked masterclass every father will make his children grow up with.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal">T20 is a different ball game altogether, as the shortest format of the game has changed the nuance of how cricket was perceived since the first edition of the <strong><span>T20 World Cup</span></strong> took place in 2007. Batters have come out all guns blazing and were forced to opt for innovative shots, something out of the cricket books. Yet, some players had a concise outlook and resorted to their conventional form yielding results.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When the first edition of the T20 World Cup commenced in South Africa, the glimpses of the future of the game were pre-empted as Chris Gayle struck 117 runs in just 57 deliveries embellished with seven boundaries and 10 maximums at a strike rate of 205.26. An innings which was rare as a translucent Jadeite in the conventional form of cricket. Add Yuvraj Singh’s six maximums in an over off Stuart Broad, the game turned its face from wrist work to muscle work.</p>
<hr>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><b>Here are the leading-run scorers from each T20 World Cup edition: <span>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></b></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><b>8. Matthew Hayden (2007 Edition)<o:p></o:p></b></h3>
<figure class="image align-center"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1719506237445_Untitled-1.jpeg" alt="Matthew Hayden" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Matthew Hayden (source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Muscle man&nbsp;<strong>Matthew Hayden</strong>, was already known for his power-hitting, and with T20Is flourishing, he stepped into an El–Dorado. The Australia opener scored 265 runs in six innings at an average of 88.33 and a strike rate of 144.80. His highest score was an unbeaten 73 runs against Bangladesh.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><b>7. Tillakaratne Dilshan (2009 Edition)<o:p></o:p></b></h3>
<figure class="image align-center"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1719506316417_Untitled-1.jpeg" alt="Tillakaratne Dilshan" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Tillakaratne Dilshan (source : Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p class="MsoNormal">The inventor of the ‘Dil-Scoop’ was at his best in the second edition of the T20 World Cup. The prolific&nbsp;<strong>Tillakratne Dilshan</strong> amassed 317 runs in seven innings at an average of 52.83 and a strike rate of 144.74. His highest score of unbeaten 96 runs came against West Indies in the second Semi-Final that Sri Lanka eventually won.</p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><b></b></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><b>6. Mahela Jayawardene (2010 Edition)<o:p></o:p></b></h3>
<figure class="image align-center"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1719506372921_Untitled-1.jpeg" alt="Mahela Jayawardene" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Mahela Jayawardene (Source : Twitter )</figcaption>
</figure>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another Sri Lankan batter who reigned supreme with the bat was&nbsp;<strong>Mahela Jayawardene</strong> who took charge of the Lankan batting single-handedly throughout the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/t20-world-cup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>T20 World Cup</strong></a>. The right-handed batter scored 302 runs in six innings at an average of 60.40 and a strike rate of 159.78. His highest score of 100 runs came against Zimbabwe. Thanks to his innings, Sri Lanka managed to enter the Super 8 stage of the tournament.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><b>5. Shane Watson (Australia- 2012 Edition)</b></h3>
<figure class="image align-center"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1719506432004_Untitled-1.jpeg" alt="Shane Watson" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Shane Watson (Source : Twitter )</figcaption>
</figure>
<p class="MsoNormal">There was neck to neck fight between&nbsp;<strong>Shane Watson</strong> and Jayawardene for the highest runs in the 2012 edition. As the latter fell short of six runs, Watson amassed 249 runs in six innings, an innings less than that of Sri Lankan. Watson scored at an average of 49.80 and a strike rate of 150. His highest score of 72 runs came against India on a slow Colombo track.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Also Check: <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/t20-world-cup-leading-wicket-takers-list-from-2007-to-2024/?hfjfk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">T20 World Cup leading wicket-takers list from 2007 to 2024</a></strong></p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><b></b></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><b>4. Virat Kohli (India- 2014 Edition)<o:p></o:p></b></h3>
<figure class="image align-center"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1719506504296_Untitled-1.jpeg" alt="Virat Kohli" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Virat Kohli (Source : Twitter )</figcaption>
</figure>
<p class="MsoNormal">The year 2014 was a period when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/virat-kohli/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Virat Kohli</strong></a> started coming out of hibernation mode after a nightmarish England tour. The right-handed batter chose the global stage to assert his dominance as he amassed 319 runs in seven innings at a hard-to-believe average of 106.33 and a strike rate of 129.14. His highest score of 77 came against Sri Lanka in the Final as other batters struggled and India posted 130 on the board, only to lose by six wickets.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><b>3. Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh- 2016 Edition)<o:p></o:p></b></h3>
<figure class="image align-center"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1719506586870_Untitled-1.jpeg" alt="Tamim Iqbal" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Tamim Iqbal (Source : Twitter )</figcaption>
</figure>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Tamim Iqbal</strong> was on song for Bangladesh in the 2016 edition as the batters fetched 295 runs in six innings at an average of 73.75 and a strike rate of 142.51. His standout inning was against Oman, where he scored an unbeaten 103 runs to take Bangladesh home. The southpaw failed to replicate his touch against Bangladesh’s crucial games against India, Pakistan, and New Zealand.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/3-t20-world-cup-records-that-may-never-be-broken/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3 T20 World Cup records that may never be broken</a></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><b>2. Babar Azam (Pakistan- 2018 Edition)<o:p></o:p></b></h3>
<figure class="image align-center"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1719506636616_Untitled-1.jpeg" alt="Babar Azam" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Babar Azam (Source : Twitter )</figcaption>
</figure>
<p class="MsoNormal">Pakistan batter&nbsp;<strong>Babar Azam</strong> was the top scorer in the 2021 edition as he scored 303 runs in six innings at an average of 60.60 and a strike rate of 126.25. His highest score of 70 runs came against Namibia and a 68-run knock against India where the Men-In-Green won the game by 10 wickets was picked as his best innings by the experts.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p>
<h3 class="MsoNormal"><b>1. Virat Kohli (India- 2022 Edition)<o:p></o:p></b></h3>
<figure class="image align-center"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1719506707265_Untitled-1.jpeg" alt="Virat Kohli" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Virat Kohli (Source :Twitter )</figcaption>
</figure>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Indian batting maestro had battled the two-yearlong dismal run, stepping down from captaincy, admitting to having grappled with mental health and he picked Australia as his rage room to spit everything out. Notably,&nbsp;<strong>Virat Kohli</strong> scored 292 runs in six innings at an enviable average of 98.66 and a strike rate of 136.40. His unbeaten 82 runs knock against Pakistan, where India had dug themselves into a blackhole called defeat, is the handpicked masterclass every father will make his children grow up with.</p>

T20 is a different ball game altogether, as the shortest format of the game has changed the nuance of how cricket was perceived since the first edition of the T20 World Cup took place in 2007. Batters

T20 World Cup: Leading run-scorer of each edition

Virat Kohli has been the leading run scorer in the T20 World Cups twice so far.

T20 World Cup leading run-scorers list from 2007 to 2024

Check out the updated list of the highest run scorers in the T20 World Cup from 2007 to 2024, along with stats, fours (4s), sixes (6s), fifties (50s), hundreds (100s), and more.