The first ever T20 World Cup was played in 2007 in South Africa. It was a dive into the unknown for most teams. People looked at it as a compressed form of ODI cricket. The openers were expected to churn out the runs on most occasions. Hence it didn’t come as a surprise that the earlier editions of the tournament were completely openers driven.
As the format evolved the risk-taking resulted in run-making. The results were there for everyone to see as teams like West Indies, and Australia romped to titles thanks to their strong middle and lower order.
We look at batsmen who scored the most runs in each edition of the T20 World Cup:
#1 Matthew Hayden, 2007 [265 runs]
The big burly left-hander, Matthew Hayden finished on top of run charts in the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup. He smashed 265 runs in 6 games at an average of 88.33 to go with a strike rate of 144.80. Hayden imposed himself on the shortest format of the game too.
#2 Tilakaratne Dilshan, 2009 [317 runs]
The Lankan middle-order bat turned opener had a tournament to remember in 2009. Tilakaratne Dilshan frequented a shot that fetched him boundaries over the keeper’s head and fine leg. The shot came to be known as the ‘Dilscoop’. He smashed 317 runs in 7 games at an average of 52.83 and a strike rate of 144.74.
#3 Mahela Jayawardene, 2010 [302 runs]
It was another edition when a Lankan batsman dominated the run charts. Mahela Jayawardene was the top run-scorer in the 2010 World Cup edition in the Caribbean. He scored 302 runs in 6 games that edition averaging 60.40. But much like Dilshan, he couldn’t help Lanka lift the title.
#4 Shane Watson, 2012 [249 runs]
He was the player of the tournament in the T20 World Cup 2012. Shane Watson scored big in the slow low tracks of Sri Lanka. The only game where he failed to get going was the semifinals. Watson emerged as the top run-getter scoring 249 runs in 6 games and averaging 49.8. His strike rate of 150 was mighty impressive.
#5 Virat Kohli, 2014 [319 runs]
He is the only player so far to win player of the tournament in two consecutive World Cups. Virat Kohli was in fine form in 2014 taking the team to the finals all on his own. He smashed 319 runs in T20 World Cup 2014, the highest in a single T20 World Cup edition. He averaged a massive 106.3 scoring unbeaten half-centuries in both the semis and the finals.
#6 Tamim Iqbal, 2016 [295 runs]
Bangladesh had to play the qualifiers to qualify for the main event. This gave the veteran Bangladesh opener to score a truckload of runs in the tournament. Tamim Iqbal accumulated 295 runs at an average of 73.75 in the 2016 T20 World Cup. He notched up a century in the process.
#7 Babar Azam, 2021 [303 runs]
There hasn’t been a single top batter who has finished on the right side of the title in all of the seven editions of the tournament. Babar Azam led from the front in the 2021 edition scoring 303 runs in 6 innings. He averaged 60.60. Babar became just the fourth player to cross 300 runs in a single T20 World Cup edition.
