A plethora of batters have earned accolades with their sheer batting mastery in T20I cricket.
Some of them have displayed their magnificent skills and consistency while scoring heaps of runs in the T20 World Cup.
Their persistence with the bat helped them top the run charts in particular editions, bringing success and memorable moments to the team.
This article will list the batters with the most runs in each T20 World Cup edition.
Leading Run-Scorers in Each T20 World Cup Edition
| Batter | Team | Runs | Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Hayden | Australia | 265 | 2007 |
| Tillakaratne Dilshan | Sri Lanka | 317 | 2009 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | Sri Lanka | 302 | 2010 |
| Shane Watson | Australia | 249 | 2012 |
| Virat Kohli | India | 319 | 2014 |
| Tamim Iqbal | Bangladesh | 295 | 2016 |
| Babar Azam | Pakistan | 303 | 2021 |
| Virat Kohli | India | 296 | 2022 |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Afghanistan | 281 | 2024 |
2007 | Matthew Hayden (Australia)
Matthew Hayden topped the run charts in the inaugural T20 World Cup edition. The Australian opener displayed his power-hitting in the early days of the shortest format.
He batted 6 times in the 2007 edition, garnering 265 runs at an average of 88.33 and a strike rate of 144.80. Out of the 6 innings, Hayden blasted 4 half-centuries, with 73 unbeaten against Bangladesh being the highest score.
2009 | Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka)
The second edition saw Tillakaratne Dilshan emerge as the leading run-scorer. The Sri Lankan batter started the tournament with a brilliant 53 against Australia.
In his next 6 outings, Dilshan scored 4 forty-plus scores, with an unbeaten 96 against the West Indies being his best. Despite logging 2 ducks in 7 innings, Dilshan accumulated 317 runs at an average of 52.83 and a strike rate of 144.74.
For his consistent run with the bat, Dilshan grabbed the Player of the Tournament award in 2009.
2010 | Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka)
Another Sri Lankan batter flaunted his batting prowess; this time it was Mahela Jayawardene. The right-hand batter kicked off the 2010 edition with an 81-run knock against New Zealand.
He followed it up with a century and an unbeaten 98 against Zimbabwe and the West Indies, respectively. Jayawardene couldn’t continue his form in the next 3 games, but he still ended up with the most runs.
Jayawardene amassed 302 runs in 6 innings at an impressive average of 60.40 and a healthy strike rate of 159.78.
2012 | Shane Watson (Australia)
One of Australia’s premier all-rounders, Shane Watson, made a mark in the 2012 T20 World Cup with his all-round skills. Speaking of his batting, Watson had a consistent run, hammering 3 fifties in his first 4 innings.
Watson rounded off the edition by sitting at the top of the batting charts, scoring 249 runs at an average of close to 50 and a strike rate of 150.
2014 | Virat Kohli (India)
There are quite a few batters who can match Virat Kohli’s consistency levels. The dashing Indian batter was on a roll in the 2014 edition, helping India make it to the final.
King Kohli displayed his hunger for scoring runs by accumulating a record-breaking tally of 319 runs, including 4 fifties. Across the 6 innings, his strike rate was decent, around 130, but he averaged a whopping 106.33.
2016 | Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh)
Tamim Iqbal was the force behind Bangladesh’s progress to the second round of the 2016 T20 World Cup. The left-hand batter dominated against opponents in the first round, notching up scores of 83*, 47, and 103*.
Iqbal wrapped up the campaign with a tally of 295 runs at an impeccable average of 73.75 and a strike rate of 142.51.
2021 | Babar Azam (Pakistan)
The T20 festival returned after a hiatus of 5 years, and Babar Azam made it count in his maiden edition. Playing in the familiar conditions of the UAE, Azam had a blast in the 2021 T20 World Cup edition.
Except for an innings, the Pakistani skipper accumulated 35+ runs in each of his other 5 innings, including 4 half-centuries. In the end, Azam garnered 303 runs at an average of 60.60 and a strike rate of 126.25.
2022 | Virat Kohli (India)
You can’t keep Virat Kohli from making a mark at ICC events, can you? The batting maestro was at his absolute best after enduring poor form for a couple of years.
Kohli started the 2022 edition with a bang, playing a remarkable, match-defining knock of 82 not out against arch-rivals Pakistan. That set the tempo for him for the rest of the tournament, as he amassed 296 runs at an average of 98.66 and a strike rate of 136.40.
With that, Kohli became the first batter to top the run charts in 2 T20 World Cup editions.
2024 | Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan)
The 9th edition of the T20 World Cup saw tough competition between the bat and ball. Batters had to put up hard yards to score every single run.
Afghanistan’s opener, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, propelled on the slow wickets in the West Indies. He scored 281 runs in 8 innings at a strike rate of 124.33, helping Afghanistan to reach the semi-final.
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