Having risen from the ashes to prove his doubter wrong, Virat Kohli registered a new record during India's win over Bangladesh in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Adelaide on Wednesday, November 2. He surpassed Sri Lankan great Mahela Jayawardena to become the batter with the most runs in the history of the T20 World Cup and after the massive feat, Jayawardene himself joined in the accolades with a message shared by the ICC on their social media handles.
"Records are meant to be broken. Someone was always going to break my record, and it's you, Virat. Brilliant mate, congratulations. You've always been a warrior. Form is always temporary but class is permanent. Well done, buddy," Jayawardena said while commending Virat's achievement.
Jayawardene held the record for the most runs in the T20 World Cup at 1016 in 31 matches, having played for the last time during the 2014 T20 World Cup. The former Sri Lankan captain played a total of 31 matches in T20 World Cups, scoring an average of 39.07 and a strike rate of 134.74.
Meanwhile, Kohli has been exceptional for India in the ongoing tournament, scoring three half-centuries in four games. His innings include an unbeaten match-winning knock of 82 runs against Pakistan and 50s against Netherlands and Bangladesh.
India's former skipper has played 25 matches across five editions, with 13 half-tons to his name. His best score of 89 runs, `
When it comes to Kohli, the marquee batter first featured in a T20 World Cup for India in 2012. So far, he has played 25 matches in the tournament, across editions, scoring 13 half-centuries. Kohli's highest score came against West Indies in the 2016 edition when he produced an 89-run knock.
In the match against Bangladesh, Kohli's 64 off 44 balls not only took him past Jayawardena to 1065 but also helped India to a score of 180.
