Cricket has grown a lot in recent years, with the advancement of tactics to the adaptation of shorter formats of the game. One of the most satisfying moments in cricket is when the ball leaves the bat with perfect timing. Batsmen are one of the main reasons the fans come to watch cricket.
The approach of the batsman has changed with the coming of the T20s, now the pressure is not only to score lots of runs but doing the same quickly adds brownie points to the team's success. In this article, we will be looking at the players who have scored the most runs in the T20 world cup since the inception of the tournament in 2007
| Year | Top Scorer | Runs |
| 2007 | Matthew Hayden | 265 |
| 2009 | Tillakaratne Dilshan | 317 |
| 2010 | Mahila Jayawardene | 302 |
| 2012 | Shane Watson | 249 |
| 2014 | Virat Kohli | 319 |
| 2016 | Tamim Iqbal | 295 |
| 2021 | Babar Azam | 303 |
Contents
- 1 Most runs in T20 World Cup Overall
- 2 World Cup 2022 Preview
Most runs in T20 World Cup Overall
Mahila Jayawardene of Sri Lanka has the title of scoring the most runs in the T20 World cup combined. He has scored 1016 runs with an average of 39.07 with six fifties and a century to his name. Jayawardene was not a hard hitter which has been the norm of modern cricket. He used to rely on timing and playing according to the field placement. His contributions helped Sri Lanka win the T20 world cup in 2014. The Universal Boss Chris Gayle is second in the list of overall most runs in the T20 World cup with 950 runs. Now let's explore for each year of the T20 World cup who has scored the most runs
Also Read -> T20 World Cup Winners List – All teams from 2007 to 2022
Matthew Hayden in T20 World Cup 2007
The inaugural World cup tournament was held in South Africa and India was the eventual winner. Former Aussie opener Matthew Hayden stole the show with the bat, scoring 265 runs in six matches. He started his onslaught from the get-go and the bowlers were not able to get into their rhythm. It helped Australia in many tricky situations. Hayden scored 62 off 47 deliveries in the semi-finals which they lost to India.
Tillakaratne Dilshan in T20 World Cup 2009
Known for his trademark shot, the Dillu scoop, Tillakaratne Dilshan of Srilanka racked up the most number of runs in the 2019 edition of the T20 world cup. Dilshan scored 3 half-centuries in six games scoring 317 runs in the entire tournament. Dilshan helped Sri Lanka reach the finals of the world cup which they lost to Pakistan.
Mahila Jayawardene in T20 World Cup 2010
Srilankan legend Mahila Jayawardene, who has the most runs in the world cup, scored the most number of runs in the 2010 T20 world cup. He averaged 60.40 runs throughout the tournament scoring 302 runs with one century and two half-centuries.
Despite not being known for his hard-hitting he managed to keep a strike rate of 159.78 which explains how explosive he was in the entire tournament. He was classy and responsible in his approach. Jayawardene was not able to help Sri Lanka in the semi-finals when they faced England. Jayawardene was again a key member in the 2011 ODI world cup and 2014 World cup for Sri Lanka.
Shane Watson in T20 World Cup 2012
Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has the record for the most number of runs scored by a player in the 2012 world cup held in Sri Lanka. He didn't only contribute with the bat scoring 249 runs in 6 games but he also took 11 wickets in the tournament. All-rounder Watson, known for his six-hitting ability scored 3 half-centuries across the tournament and helped Australia reach the finals of the tournament. Australia was defeated by West Indies in the finals.
Virat Kohli in T20 World Cup 2014
India's Virat Kohli had a fabulous 2014 world cup when he scored the most runs. He scored a whopping 319 runs averaging 106.33 runs per game. He averaged 50.5 runs per game in the tournament and was fundamental to India's success. Virat scored four fifties in six games and was the man of the series for the tournament held in Bangladesh. Virat with 319 runs is the highest run scorer across all ICC T20 World Cups to date. Despite Kohli's best efforts, India lost to Sri Lanka in the finals.
Tamim Iqbal in T20 World Cup 2016
Bangladeshi left-handed opener Tamim Iqbal shocked the world in 2016 with his fabulous batting and strokeplay. He is undeniably the best opener for Bangladesh in their entire history. He scored 295 runs in the tournament with a strike rate of 142.51. His best knock in the tournament came against Oman when he scored 103 runs in 63 balls. He scored 1 half-century and one century in the competition. India defeated Bangladesh in a nail-biting quarter finals match.
Babar Azam in T20 World Cup 2021
World cup 2021 was very significant for Pakistan for many reasons.
They were not able to win the title but they defeated India for the first time in the world cup and Babar Azam was the highest scorer in the game. He was phenomenal in the tournament held in UAE, scoring 303 runs across the competition. He scored four half-centuries which helped Pakistan reach the semi-finals stage where they lost to eventual champions Australia.
Also Read -> ICC T20 world cup 2022: Top teams and players to watch out
World Cup 2022 Preview
With each T20 World Cup producing a different highest scorer, we have a great tournament ahead of us. The teams have been announced for the 2022 World Cup and we can expect the giants of the game to have a brilliant tournament with the bat. Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, Jos Buttler and David Warner will be the top contenders to score the most runs in the T20 world cup 2022. Kohli and Warner can become all-time top run scorers in the world cup if they score 171 and 254 runs respectively across the competition.
Quality players like Surya Kumar, Rizwan, Maxwell, Pooran and De Kock can have a huge impression in the tournament with the bat. We can also expect some new faces to emerge and take the limelight in the competition. The 2022 T20 world cup is gearing up to be the most exciting tournament of the year.
