As the cricket world gears up for the 2024 T20 World Cup, excitement and anticipation fill the air. This edition promises to be a spectacle unlike any before, especially because half of the group-stage contests will take place in the United States of America. The Land of the Free is the most lucrative sports market on the planet, with billions of dollars pumped in every year. Many stateside have never taken to cricket, with the game considered somewhat confusing in comparison to baseball and softball, but the ICC has decided that now is the time to pull the trigger on an American expansion.
June 1st Curtain Raiser Less Than a Month Away
Games will be held in newly constructed stadiums in Florida, Texas, and New York, and it will be interesting to see if many spectators head through the doors. Perhaps the biggest grudge match of them all will take place on American soil, with the Group A contest between India and Pakistan taking place at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in East Meadow, while another heavyweight showdown between Sri Lanka and South Africa in Group D will take place at the same arena.
Once the competition reaches the Super 8s stage, however, all eyes will turn toward the Caribbean. Then, the eight finest nations in the shortest format of the game will battle it out to be crowned world champions in Barbados on June 29th.
That’s got fans going wild, eager to place bets on their favourite teams, and everyone is trying to guess who the likely winners are already. A popular online sports betting site has earmarked India as the +275 favourites for glory, and they will be seeking victory in the tournament to banish the memories of the most recent 50-over World Cup which took place last year. The Men in Blue hosted that tournament and won every game up until the final, where they were handily defeated by Australia.
With the opening game of the tournament between the US and Canada less than a month away, we decided to take a look at which players have shone on the grandest stage in recent years. Here are the top run scorers in the history of the T20 World Cup.
Virat Kohli
One of the primary reasons why India is the favourites to win the T20 World Cup this year for just the second time and the first time in 17 years is because of their captain and talisman, Virat Kohli. The Royal Challengers Bangalore man has smashed an astonishing 1,141 runs in the history of the tournament, the most of any player. He made his tournament bow back in 2012 and hit two half-centuries as the Indians were eliminated in the Super 8s by the slimmest of margins, and since then he has gone from strength to strength.
A maestro with the bat, Chiku combines classical shots with audacious power-hitting, making him a nightmare for bowlers worldwide. His consistency is unparalleled, and his ability to chase down targets under pressure has earned him a reputation as one of the game’s greatest. He was the top scorer in both 2014 and 2022, with India being beaten finalists in the former and beaten semifinalists in the latter. This year, he will certainly put personal honours aside and likely help his team to glory for the first time in his storied career, especially considering the bitter defeat to the Baggy Greens at the 2023 Cricket World Cup.
Mahela Jayawardene
With 1,016 runs, Mahela Jayawardene is a testament to the art of batting. The Sri Lankan maestro’s elegance at the crease, combined with impeccable timing and placement, made him one of the most graceful players to grace all formats of the game, but he was truly a pioneer when it came to T20 international.
The opener’s knocks were lessons in building an innings, playing each ball on its merit while keeping the scoreboard ticking. Beyond his runs, it was his leadership and strategic mindset that elevated Sri Lanka’s performance in the T20 World Cups. He was crucial to his team reaching three finals in four tournaments between 2009 and 2014, finally winning the latter at the third time of asking, before riding off into the sunset.
Chris Gayle
When one thinks of T20 cricket, chances are they think of Chris Gayle. The West Indian slogger made the shortest format of the game his own, both in the IPL and in the World Cup. He racked up a mighty 965 runs in the latter, the third most of all time.
Known as the “Universe Boss,” his ability to dismantle bowling attacks with his brute force has been a spectacle in every tournament he has featured in. His towering sixes and rapid centuries have not only entertained fans but have often single-handedly shifted the momentum of matches in the West Indies’ favour. He was an integral part of the Windies team that lifted the trophy twice in four years in 2012 and 2016, with his performances in the former being particularly spectacular, smashing a whopping 16 sixes throughout the tournament, the most of anyone.