Top 5 run-scorers in T20 World Cup history

The T20 World Cup 2022 is all set to begin in October this year and cricket fans are anticipating it with bated breath. The pulsing drama and high-voltage adrenaline of T20 cricket get the fans to the edge of their seats, be it a bilateral tournament or a league game, and the excitement level is always high. The 20-over format has proven to be a genius move, opening up an entirely new route in the discipline, as the players and the fans can both sense.

The T20 World Cup is the most competitive event in the world when we talk about the shortest format of the game on the international circuit. India won the first-ever edition of the tournament in 2007, and five other countries have gone on to claim the prestigious trophy since then, with West Indies being the only team to emerge as champions twice.

It’s time to do some math, as the eighth iteration of the tournament draws near. When it comes to crunching the stats, every cricket fan immediately thinks of the player who has scored the most runs in the premier event in a format that is batsmen-friendly.

The top five cricketers in terms of runs scored in T20 World Cup history are listed below:

5. Virat Kohli

One of the finest batters that Indian cricket has ever seen, Virat Kohli has been at his best in the T20 World Cups. Yes, his form with the bat in recent times has been under the scanner, but his achievements over the years can not be neglected.

The former India captain could not be lucky enough to lift the cup as the skipper but never failed to surprise the cricket fans. In terms of his performance in the T20 World Cups, Kohli has scored 845 runs in 21 games at an average of 76.81 thus far.

At the 2014 competition, where India lost the final to Sri Lanka inexplicably, he ended as the leading run-scorer of the entire tournament. In the 2016 edition, when India was eliminated from the semi-finals after losing to the eventual champions- West Indies, Kohli was also the team’s top run scorer.

4. Rohit Sharma

The fourth highest run scorer thus far in the T20 World Cup history is Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, who is also India’s leading run scorer in the prestigious event. He has competed for India at every T20 World Cup (2007-2021).

To this point, Sharma has played 33 games and scored more than 847 runs at an average of 38.50. He is a key member of India’s starting lineup as the prolific batter opens the innings for the Men in Blue. He continues to play the format with a 131.52 strike rate.

In the T20 World Cup, Sharma has consistently been explosive, having hit eight fifties. The Indian side is in great touch currently and the Asia Cup 2022 will prove to be very much beneficial for Rohit Sharma and his men to prepare for the T20 World Cup.

3. Tillakaratne Dilshan

Tillakaratne Dilshan is the best T20 cricketer Sri Lanka has ever produced, and it’s no surprise given the country’s long history of producing outstanding players over the years. Since he was so talented with the bat, even the best bowlers frequently struggled to control him.

His passion for creativity in the game made him a crowd favorite. Given his performance at T20 World Cups, Dilshan is one of the decade’s most lethal T20 openers. He scored 897 runs at a strike rate of 124.06 in 35 T20 World Cup games.

Sri Lanka is the only country to have appeared in three T20 World Cup finals, and Dilshan was present on each occasion. Fans will always remember his quick-fire 96* against the now two-time champions West Indies in the 2009 semifinals, which enabled his team to advance to the grand finale.

2. Chris Gayle

Number two in the list is the bold opener for the West Indies, Chris Gayle, who is also known as the Universe Boss for his destructive batting skills, has scored 965 runs with an average of 34.46 and a strike rate of 142.75.

The fact that so few bowlers can confidently claim to have survived Gayle’s havoc only serves to highlight the Caribbean player’s level of domination in the game. His powerful hitting and charismatic demeanor have helped him establish a brand for himself in international cricket.

Very few batters have won the World Cup twice, and Gayle is one of those. There are very few in the elite list of players to have scored a ton at the T20 World Cup. Gayle is surely a part of that club, but he is also the one and only player to have scored a century twice at the global event.

1. Mahela Jayawardene

It wouldn’t be unfair to state that Jayawardene’s biggest strength was his adaptability to the batting conditions. The elegant Sri Lankan is frequently regarded as one of the best hitters of his period. He was a genius at everything, from the arduous longer format to the thrilling T20 cricket, and his brilliance with the bat helped open a wonderful era for cricket in the Island nation.

He holds a number of records, including being the player with the most runs scored in World T20 tournaments. He was a member of the victorious Sri Lankan team in 2014, helping his country win the prestigious cup after losing two finals in the previous editions.

Interestingly, he was also the first player ever to have scored a century in T20 World Cup. The former captain of Sri Lanka has amassed 1016 runs in 31 games across all the editions of T20 World Cups that he has featured in, making him the contest’s most successful run-scorer ever.