Former Australia captain Steve Smith has picked Indian top-order batter Virat Kohli as his choice for highest run-getter at the T20 World Cup 2024 ahead of Rohit Sharma-led side's campaign opener against Ireland on June 5. Smith feels that Kohli will carry his Indian Premier League (IPL) form into the T20 World Cup 2024.
"My top run-getter for this tournament will be Virat Kohli. He is coming off a terrific IPL and he is bringing in some great form and I think he will be the leading run-getter," Smith who is currently commentating in the marquee event told the ICC.
Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith agrees with Smith's assessment but believes England skipper Jos Buttler is a contender as well.
"I am going with a top-order batter. Virat Kohli or Jos Buttler," said the 43-year-old.
Kohli and Buttler’s IPL 2024 numbers
In IPL 2024, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) opener scored 741 runs from 15 games at an average of 61.75 including one century and five half-centuries. His strike rate in the tournament was 154.69. On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals' (RR) Jos Buttler left the IPL before the playoffs. Buttler scored 359 runs from 11 games at an average of 39.89 including two centuries. His strike rate was 140.78.
Kohli and Buttler’s T20 World Cup numbers
The 35-year-old is the highest run-scorer in T20 World Cups. He has scored 1,141 runs from 27 games at an average of 81.50 including 14 fifties. Buttler is England's leading run-scorer in the tournament. Before the clash against Scotland, he had scored 799 runs from 28 games at an average of 42.05 including one century and four fifties.
Kohli's other T20 World Cup records
He holds the record for most runs in a single edition of T20 World Cup. The right-handed batter has scored 319 runs from six innings in the 2014 edition of T20 World Cup. He was the highest run-scorer in the 2022 edition of the tournament as well. On Australian soil, he scored 296 runs from six games.
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