The first edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup was played in South Africa back in 2007. Since then, the Men’s T20 World Cup has seen some great batters who have produced some impressive performances with the willow in this tournament.
Mahela Jayawardene, a former Sri Lankan captain, has scored the most runs in the history of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Jayawardene is the only player to have tallied 1000+ runs in the World T20, scoring 1016 runs in 31 matches at an average of 39.07 and a strike rate of 134.74.
Though not one of the typical hard-hitting batters who tend to dominate the shortest format, Jayawardene was still mighty effective and consistent at the highest stage.
He also played a key role in the 2014 edition of the tournament, when Sri Lanka won their maiden Men’s T20 World Cup title. The current Mumbai Indians coach also leads the charts for most fours in the tournament with 111 fours.
T20 legend Chris Gayle is second on the list with 965 runs in 33 matches in the tournament. He has scored two centuries and seven half-centuries. The West Indian is the only non-Asian player in the top five and has scored at an average of 34.46 and a strike rate of 142.75. Gayle has won two Men’s T20 World Cup titles and his 63 sixes in this tournament is also an all-time record.
Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan is third on the list, having scored 897 runs in 35 matches. Current Indian captain Rohit Sharma is fourth with 847 runs in 33 matches and the former Indian captain Virat Kohli has accumulated 845 runs in 21 matches, placing him fifth in the all-time top scorers’ list at the Men’s T20 World Cup. Kohli has the highest average among the top 10 run-scorers in this tournament.
David Warner, AB de Villiers, Shakib Al Hasan, Kumar Sangakkara and Shoaib Malik also feature in the top 10 list of most runs scored in the Men’s T20 World Cup.
Most runs in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
|
Player |
Country |
Matches |
Runs |
Average |
|
Mahela Jayawardene |
Sri Lanka |
31 |
1016 |
39.07 |
|
Chris Gayle |
West Indies |
33 |
965 |
34.46 |
|
Tillakaratne Dilshan |
Sri Lanka |
35 |
897 |
30.93 |
|
Rohit Sharma |
India |
33 |
847 |
38.50 |
|
Virat Kohli |
India |
21 |
845 |
76.51 |
|
David Warner |
Australia |
30 |
762 |
27.21 |
|
AB de Villiers |
South Africa |
30 |
717 |
29.87 |
|
Shakib Al Hasan |
Bangladesh |
31 |
698 |
26.84 |
|
Kumar Sangakkara |
Sri Lanka |
31 |
661 |
25.42 |
|
Shoaib Malik |
Pakistan |
34 |
646 |
34.00 |
Additionally, here’s a look at the highest scorers from each edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Matthew Hayden: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2007
The former Australian opener Matthew Hayden lit up the inaugural edition of the Men’s T20 World Cup, scoring 265 runs in six matches at a staggering average of 88.33. Hayden smashed 62 runs off 47 balls in the semi-final against India but the Australian cricket team got knocked out despite his heroic effort.
|
Matches |
Runs |
Top score |
50s |
100s |
|
6 |
265 |
73* |
4 |
0 |
Tillakaratne Dilshan: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2009
Sri Lankan legend Tillakaratne Dilshan notched up 317 runs in the 2009 edition of the Men’s T20 World Cup in England, averaging 52.83 while boasting a strike rate of 144.74. Dilshan’s exploits with the bat helped the Sri Lankan cricket team finish runners-up in the tournament.
|
Matches |
Runs |
Top score |
50s |
100s |
|
6 |
317 |
96* |
3 |
0 |
Mahela Jayawardene: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2010
The all-time leading run-scorer in the history of the Men’s T20 World Cup also scored the most runs in the 2010 edition. Striking at 159.78, Jayawardene took the bowlers to the cleaners and scored 302 runs in the tournament. The Sri Lankan batter also scored his only T20I century here.
|
Matches |
Runs |
Top score |
50s |
100s |
|
6 |
302 |
100 |
2 |
1 |
Shane Watson: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2012
Shane Watson is regarded as one of the best all-rounders to play in the Men’s T20 World Cup and the Australian player scored the most runs in the 2012 edition. Watson scored 249 runs in six matches, while also taking 11 wickets and finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker.
|
Matches |
Runs |
Top score |
50s |
100s |
|
6 |
249 |
72 |
3 |
0 |
Virat Kohli: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2014
The former Indian captain scored 319 runs at an average of 106.33 in the T20 World Cup in 2014, a tournament record which stands to date. Kohli raked up four fifties in six matches, enabling India to reach the final of the edition. However, the Indian cricket team was beaten in the final by Sri Lanka.
|
Matches |
Runs |
Top score |
50s |
100s |
|
6 |
319 |
77 |
4 |
0 |
Tamim Iqbal: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2016
Bangladeshi opening batter Tamim Iqbal hammered 295 runs in the 2016 edition of the tournament at an average of 73.75 and a strike rate of 142.51. His performances at the top of the order helped the Bangladesh cricket team reach the quarter-finals.
|
Matches |
Runs |
Top score |
50s |
100s |
|
6 |
295 |
103 |
1 |
1 |
Babar Azam: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021
Babar Azam was in great touch in the Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, accumulating 303 runs in six matches at an average of 60.60. The Pakistan captain and opening batter helped his team reach the semi-final of the tournament where they lost to Australia.
|
Matches |
Runs |
Top score |
50s |
100s |
|
6 |
303 |
70 |
4 |
0 |