The upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 which is set to be held in the West Indies and United States is the 9th edition of the mega tournament. It is the biggest cricketing event happening this year and 20 teams will go against each other to claim the glory in the shortest format of the game. Over the years countless stars have made a name for themselves or even made their legacy more solidified in history through this marquee event. Indian cricket team won the inaugural edition back in 2007 and since then we have seen five different champions. In the list, only West Indies and England are the two teams to win it twice.
Asian batters have been dominating the scene when it comes to the T20 World Cups. From Virat Kohli to Rohit Sharma who has been consistent throughout all the editions, Mahela Jayawardene to Tillakaratne Dilshan who were part of the glorious days of Sri Lanka or be it Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who have made their mark in their previous couple season. Even in the list of the top five highest run-scorers in the history of the T20 World Cup, four of them are from the subcontinent.
Highest run scorers in T20 World Cup history
5. Tillakaratne Dilshan
The dynamic Sri Lankan opener was known for his aggressive style of batting. He is widely known for creating the famous Dilscoop shot. He is also the highest run-scorer for Sri Lanka in T20Is and the fifth-highest run-scorer in the T20 World Cups. He has scored 897 runs in 35 matches in the mega tournament. He was the leading run-scorer in the 2009 T20 World Cup.
4. Rohit Sharma
Indian cricket team's captain Rohit Sharma is one of the only two players to feature in all T20 World Cups. In fact, Rohit made his T20I debut for India in the 2007 T20 World Cup. He is the second-only active cricketer in this top-five list and has 963 runs in 39 matches, this is also the record for most individual appearances in the tournament history. He would like to win the second title for India and end the ICC trophy drought.
3. Chris Gayle
Chris Gayle can be considered the prominent figure of this format itself. His style of batting made millions across the globe his fans. He was also the first batter to hit a T20I century. It is no surprise that he comes at number three on this list with 965 runs in 33 matches.
2. Mahela Jayawardene
A true legend of the game who has impressed millions with his class in Test and ODI cricket but he also proved his mettle in the shortest format of the game. He was the highest run-scorer in the 2010 T20 World Cup. He has amassed 1016 runs in the mega tournament and is the second only better with more than 1000 runs.
1. Virat Kohli
The list is topped by none other than the modern-day great, Virat Kohli. He is the only batter to finish as the leading run-scorer in two different editions (2014 and 2022). He has scored 1141 runs in 27 matches. He time after time proves why is one of the greatest ever to grace the game of cricket and the T20 World Cups are not a different story for the Indian stalwart.
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