T20 World Cup 2024

ICC T20 World Cups: Game-changers and record-makers

ICC T20 World Cups
PHOTO: AFP FILE

Cricket's biggest T20I party started in 2007, which was won by Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led India in Johannesburg after they defeated arch-rivals Pakistan in a final-over thriller by five runs.

Since that inaugural event, there have been seven further editions of the tournament, held in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2021, and 2022.

With the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 fast approaching, ICC take a look at some of the key stats, covering all the editions of the showcase tournament so far.

Players to have featured in all editions of the Men's T20 World Cups so far:

Player T20 World Cup appearances
Rohit Sharma (IND)  2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2021, 2022
Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2021, 2022

India's T20I captain Rohit Sharma is set to lead the side in the upcoming tournament in West Indies and USA, making his record ninth appearance in the tournament. Only Bangladesh's star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is in the list of players to have featured in all the editions of the event.

The Tigers are yet to announce their 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, and should Shakib be selected, he would join Rohit as the only players to have competed in every T20 World Cup, sharing that honour.

Most appearances in Men's T20 World Cup history:

Player No. of Matches
Rohit Sharma (IND)  39
Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) 36
Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL)  35
Dwayne Bravo (WI), Shahid Afridi (PAK), Shoaib Malik (PAK), David Warner (AUS) 34

Another record that belongs to India's Rohit – the most number of Men's T20 World Cup matches with 39 games under his belt. Following closely behind him is Shakib with 36 appearances.

Among the active players, next on the list is David Warner, the Aussie opener, who is poised to climb higher in the upcoming edition. As the competition intensifies, changes to this leaderboard are expected in the tournament to come.

Highest run-scorers at the tournament:

Player Runs scored
Virat Kohli (IND) 1141
Mahela Jayawardena (SL) 1016
Chris Gayle (WI) 965
Rohit Sharma (IND) 963
Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL) 897

India superstar Virat Kohli tops the list for the most runs in T20 World Cups, accounting for 1141 runs in five editions. He was the highest run-getter in the 2014 edition with 319 runs in six matches – the highest by any batter in a single Men's T20 World Cup.

Kohli is currently in exceptional form in the ongoing Indian Premier League, leading the run-scorers chart with more than 500 runs. If the battling stalwart maintains this rich vein of form in the upcoming tournament, he will elevate his tally to another level.

Another active player on this elite list is Kohli's teammate and India captain, Rohit. The opening batter is not very far behind Kohli, sitting in fourth spot with 963 runs. A series of explosive innings from him could propel him to a higher rank on this list.

Highest wicket-takers at the tournament:

Player Wickets
Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) 47
Shahid Afridi (PAK) 39
Lasith Malinga (SL) 38
Saeed Ajmal (PAK) 36
Ajantha Mendis (SL), Umar GUl (PAK) 35

Among the top five wicket-takers, which mainly consists of four spin-bowling experts, Bangladesh's left-arm spinner Shakib holds a substantial lead. He is the sole active player within this elite group and is expected to feature in the upcoming tournament in June. Three more scalps will take his tally to a remarkable 50 T20 World Cup wickets.

Sri Lanka's former pace sensation Lasith Malinga is the only pacer in this top five, sitting in the third spot with 38 scalps.

Highest individual T20 World Cup score:

Player Runs Opposition Match
Brendon McCullum (NZ) 123 from 58 balls v Bangladesh 21 Sep 2012, Pallekele
Chris Gayle (WI) 117 from 57 balls v South Africa 11 Sep 2007, Johannesburg
Alex Hales (ENG) 116* from 64 balls v Sri Lanka 27 Mar 2014, Chattogram
Ahmed Shehzad (PAK) 111* from 62 balls v Bangladesh 30 Mar 2014, Mirpur
Rilee Rossouw (SA) 109 from 56 balls v Bangladesh 27 Oct 2022, Sydney

Former Black Caps captain and explosive batter Brendon McCullum still holds the record for the highest score by an individual in Men's T20 World Cups. He broke Chris Gayle's record from 2007 in the 2012 tournament. His blazing knock was studded with 11 fours and seven sixes.

Gayle is the only batter to have made two Men's T20 World Cup hundreds, reaching the milestone for the second time during West Indies' successful run in 2016.

Fastest Men's T20 World Cup century:

Player Balls taken  Opposition Match
Chris Gayle (WI) 47 v England 16 Mar 2016, Wankhede
Chris Gayle (WI) 50 v South Africa 11 Sep 2007, Johannesburg
Brendon McCullum (NZ) 51   v Bangladesh 21 Sep 2012, Pallekele
Rilee Rossouw (SA) 52  v Bangladesh 27 Oct 2022, Sydney
Ahmed Shehzad (PAK) 58  v Bangladesh 30 Mar 2014, Mirpur

West Indies' swashbuckling batter Gayle set the record for the fastest hundred in the tournament's inaugural edition by reaching the landmark in just 50 balls. New Zealand's Brendon McCullum came close but fell marginally behind from making that record his own.

Gayle outdid himself by setting a new record when he scored his second T20 World Cup century in 2016 against England during the group stages. He surpassed his previous record of a 50-ball century set in 2007 by achieving a remarkable feat in just 47 balls – an achievement that remains unmatched to this day.

Most sixes in Men's T20 World Cups:

Player No. of sixes
Chris Gayle (WI) 63
Rohit Sharma (IND) 35
Jos Buttler (ENG), Yuvraj Singh (IND) 33
Shane Watson (AUS), David Warner (AUS) 31

The West Indies legend stands out remarkably when it comes to hitting massive sixes on the T20 World Cup stage. Gayle is way ahead of the second-best player on the list, India's Rohit, by a significant margin in terms of the most sixes hit by a batter in the tournament's history.

Yuvraj Singh became the first batsman to hit six sixes in an over in the shortest format when he took on Stuart Broad in the 2007 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

India's Yuvraj Singh, who hit the famous six sixes in an over in the 2007 edition off Stuart Broad also features in the top five.

Among the active players, in this eye-catching list, are India captain Rohit, England captain Jos Buttler and Australia opener Warner. One could expect a fiercely contested battle for these top positions in the upcoming World Cup, with all the three star batters capable of smashing explosive sixes.

Best T20 World Cup innings figures:

Player Bowling figures Opposition Match
Ajantha Mendis (SL) 6/8 in 4 overs v Zimbabwe 18 Sep 2012, Hambantota
Rangana Herath (SL) 5/3 in 3.3 overs v New Zealand 31 Mar 2014, Chattogram
Umar Gul (PAK) 5/6 in 3 overs  v New Zealand 13 Jun 2009, The Oval
Sam Curran (ENG) 5/10 in 3.4 overs v Afghanistan 22 Oct 2022, Perth
Ahsan Malik (NED) 5/19 in 4 overs v South Africa 27 Mar 2014, Chattogram
Adam Zampa (AUS) 5/19 in 4 overs v Bangladesh 04 Nov 2021, Dubai

Two Sri Lanka spin maestros – right-arm off-spinner Ajantha Mendis and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath – top the list for registering the best bowling figures in a T20 World Cup game. Mendis is the only bowler to have claimed a six-wicket haul in the tournament and his record spell of 6/8 remains the best innings figures since 2012.

In this list, two active players, England all-rounder Sam Curran and Australia's ace spinner Adam Zampa recorded exceptional figures in recent World Cups.

Most dismissals by a wicket-keeper:

Player Dismissals Catches Stumpings
MS Dhoni (IND) 32 21 11
Kamran Akmal (PAK) 30 12 18
Denesh Ramdin (WI) 27 18 9
Kumar Sangakkara (SL) 26 12 14
Quinton de Kock (SA) 22 17 5

T20 World Cup-winning India captain Dhoni is the record-holder of the most number of dismissals by a wicket-keeper in the tournament. His 32 dismissals comprise of 21 catches and 11 stumpings.

His 21 catches as the designated wicket-keeper are also the most in Men's T20 World Cups while Pakistan's Kamran Akmal, who sits right behind Dhoni with 30 dismissals, holds the record for most number of stumpings (18).

Most number of catches taken by a fielder (non-wicketkeepers):

Player No. of catches taken
AB de Villiers (SA) 23
David Warner (AUS) 21
Martin Guptill (NZ) 19
Glenn Maxwell (AUS), Rohit Sharma (IND) 16
Kane Williamson (NZ), Dwayne Bravo (WI) 15

South Africa's AB de Villiers with the safest hands in Men's T20 World Cups tops the list for the most catches in the tournament by a (non-wicketkeeper) fielder. Australia's Warner is right behind and may surpass de Villiers' tally of 23 during the 2024 tournament.

Additionally, two exceptional fielders, Glenn Maxwell and Rohit, could advance in this rankings along with joint fifth-placed Kane Williamson, with all three named in their respective T20 World Cup squads.

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ICC T20 World Cups: Game-changers and record-makers

ICC T20 World Cups
PHOTO: AFP FILE

Cricket's biggest T20I party started in 2007, which was won by Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led India in Johannesburg after they defeated arch-rivals Pakistan in a final-over thriller by five runs.

Since that inaugural event, there have been seven further editions of the tournament, held in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2021, and 2022.

With the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 fast approaching, ICC take a look at some of the key stats, covering all the editions of the showcase tournament so far.

Players to have featured in all editions of the Men's T20 World Cups so far:

Player T20 World Cup appearances
Rohit Sharma (IND)  2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2021, 2022
Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2021, 2022

India's T20I captain Rohit Sharma is set to lead the side in the upcoming tournament in West Indies and USA, making his record ninth appearance in the tournament. Only Bangladesh's star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is in the list of players to have featured in all the editions of the event.

The Tigers are yet to announce their 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, and should Shakib be selected, he would join Rohit as the only players to have competed in every T20 World Cup, sharing that honour.

Most appearances in Men's T20 World Cup history:

Player No. of Matches
Rohit Sharma (IND)  39
Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) 36
Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL)  35
Dwayne Bravo (WI), Shahid Afridi (PAK), Shoaib Malik (PAK), David Warner (AUS) 34

Another record that belongs to India's Rohit – the most number of Men's T20 World Cup matches with 39 games under his belt. Following closely behind him is Shakib with 36 appearances.

Among the active players, next on the list is David Warner, the Aussie opener, who is poised to climb higher in the upcoming edition. As the competition intensifies, changes to this leaderboard are expected in the tournament to come.

Highest run-scorers at the tournament:

Player Runs scored
Virat Kohli (IND) 1141
Mahela Jayawardena (SL) 1016
Chris Gayle (WI) 965
Rohit Sharma (IND) 963
Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL) 897

India superstar Virat Kohli tops the list for the most runs in T20 World Cups, accounting for 1141 runs in five editions. He was the highest run-getter in the 2014 edition with 319 runs in six matches – the highest by any batter in a single Men's T20 World Cup.

Kohli is currently in exceptional form in the ongoing Indian Premier League, leading the run-scorers chart with more than 500 runs. If the battling stalwart maintains this rich vein of form in the upcoming tournament, he will elevate his tally to another level.

Another active player on this elite list is Kohli's teammate and India captain, Rohit. The opening batter is not very far behind Kohli, sitting in fourth spot with 963 runs. A series of explosive innings from him could propel him to a higher rank on this list.

Highest wicket-takers at the tournament:

Player Wickets
Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) 47
Shahid Afridi (PAK) 39
Lasith Malinga (SL) 38
Saeed Ajmal (PAK) 36
Ajantha Mendis (SL), Umar GUl (PAK) 35

Among the top five wicket-takers, which mainly consists of four spin-bowling experts, Bangladesh's left-arm spinner Shakib holds a substantial lead. He is the sole active player within this elite group and is expected to feature in the upcoming tournament in June. Three more scalps will take his tally to a remarkable 50 T20 World Cup wickets.

Sri Lanka's former pace sensation Lasith Malinga is the only pacer in this top five, sitting in the third spot with 38 scalps.

Highest individual T20 World Cup score:

Player Runs Opposition Match
Brendon McCullum (NZ) 123 from 58 balls v Bangladesh 21 Sep 2012, Pallekele
Chris Gayle (WI) 117 from 57 balls v South Africa 11 Sep 2007, Johannesburg
Alex Hales (ENG) 116* from 64 balls v Sri Lanka 27 Mar 2014, Chattogram
Ahmed Shehzad (PAK) 111* from 62 balls v Bangladesh 30 Mar 2014, Mirpur
Rilee Rossouw (SA) 109 from 56 balls v Bangladesh 27 Oct 2022, Sydney

Former Black Caps captain and explosive batter Brendon McCullum still holds the record for the highest score by an individual in Men's T20 World Cups. He broke Chris Gayle's record from 2007 in the 2012 tournament. His blazing knock was studded with 11 fours and seven sixes.

Gayle is the only batter to have made two Men's T20 World Cup hundreds, reaching the milestone for the second time during West Indies' successful run in 2016.

Fastest Men's T20 World Cup century:

Player Balls taken  Opposition Match
Chris Gayle (WI) 47 v England 16 Mar 2016, Wankhede
Chris Gayle (WI) 50 v South Africa 11 Sep 2007, Johannesburg
Brendon McCullum (NZ) 51   v Bangladesh 21 Sep 2012, Pallekele
Rilee Rossouw (SA) 52  v Bangladesh 27 Oct 2022, Sydney
Ahmed Shehzad (PAK) 58  v Bangladesh 30 Mar 2014, Mirpur

West Indies' swashbuckling batter Gayle set the record for the fastest hundred in the tournament's inaugural edition by reaching the landmark in just 50 balls. New Zealand's Brendon McCullum came close but fell marginally behind from making that record his own.

Gayle outdid himself by setting a new record when he scored his second T20 World Cup century in 2016 against England during the group stages. He surpassed his previous record of a 50-ball century set in 2007 by achieving a remarkable feat in just 47 balls – an achievement that remains unmatched to this day.

Most sixes in Men's T20 World Cups:

Player No. of sixes
Chris Gayle (WI) 63
Rohit Sharma (IND) 35
Jos Buttler (ENG), Yuvraj Singh (IND) 33
Shane Watson (AUS), David Warner (AUS) 31

The West Indies legend stands out remarkably when it comes to hitting massive sixes on the T20 World Cup stage. Gayle is way ahead of the second-best player on the list, India's Rohit, by a significant margin in terms of the most sixes hit by a batter in the tournament's history.

Yuvraj Singh became the first batsman to hit six sixes in an over in the shortest format when he took on Stuart Broad in the 2007 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

India's Yuvraj Singh, who hit the famous six sixes in an over in the 2007 edition off Stuart Broad also features in the top five.

Among the active players, in this eye-catching list, are India captain Rohit, England captain Jos Buttler and Australia opener Warner. One could expect a fiercely contested battle for these top positions in the upcoming World Cup, with all the three star batters capable of smashing explosive sixes.

Best T20 World Cup innings figures:

Player Bowling figures Opposition Match
Ajantha Mendis (SL) 6/8 in 4 overs v Zimbabwe 18 Sep 2012, Hambantota
Rangana Herath (SL) 5/3 in 3.3 overs v New Zealand 31 Mar 2014, Chattogram
Umar Gul (PAK) 5/6 in 3 overs  v New Zealand 13 Jun 2009, The Oval
Sam Curran (ENG) 5/10 in 3.4 overs v Afghanistan 22 Oct 2022, Perth
Ahsan Malik (NED) 5/19 in 4 overs v South Africa 27 Mar 2014, Chattogram
Adam Zampa (AUS) 5/19 in 4 overs v Bangladesh 04 Nov 2021, Dubai

Two Sri Lanka spin maestros – right-arm off-spinner Ajantha Mendis and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath – top the list for registering the best bowling figures in a T20 World Cup game. Mendis is the only bowler to have claimed a six-wicket haul in the tournament and his record spell of 6/8 remains the best innings figures since 2012.

In this list, two active players, England all-rounder Sam Curran and Australia's ace spinner Adam Zampa recorded exceptional figures in recent World Cups.

Most dismissals by a wicket-keeper:

Player Dismissals Catches Stumpings
MS Dhoni (IND) 32 21 11
Kamran Akmal (PAK) 30 12 18
Denesh Ramdin (WI) 27 18 9
Kumar Sangakkara (SL) 26 12 14
Quinton de Kock (SA) 22 17 5

T20 World Cup-winning India captain Dhoni is the record-holder of the most number of dismissals by a wicket-keeper in the tournament. His 32 dismissals comprise of 21 catches and 11 stumpings.

His 21 catches as the designated wicket-keeper are also the most in Men's T20 World Cups while Pakistan's Kamran Akmal, who sits right behind Dhoni with 30 dismissals, holds the record for most number of stumpings (18).

Most number of catches taken by a fielder (non-wicketkeepers):

Player No. of catches taken
AB de Villiers (SA) 23
David Warner (AUS) 21
Martin Guptill (NZ) 19
Glenn Maxwell (AUS), Rohit Sharma (IND) 16
Kane Williamson (NZ), Dwayne Bravo (WI) 15

South Africa's AB de Villiers with the safest hands in Men's T20 World Cups tops the list for the most catches in the tournament by a (non-wicketkeeper) fielder. Australia's Warner is right behind and may surpass de Villiers' tally of 23 during the 2024 tournament.

Additionally, two exceptional fielders, Glenn Maxwell and Rohit, could advance in this rankings along with joint fifth-placed Kane Williamson, with all three named in their respective T20 World Cup squads.

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