“Unveiling Cricket’s Titans: Remarkable Records and Game-Changing Performances in ICC Men’s T20 World Cups”
Cricket’s grandest T20I spectacle commenced in 2007, with Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s India clinching the title in Johannesburg, defeating arch-rivals Pakistan in a nail-biting final-over encounter by five runs.
Since its inception, there have been seven more editions of the tournament, held in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2021, and 2022. As the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 looms closer, let’s delve into some key statistics spanning all the editions of this prestigious tournament.
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 poised to lead the side in the upcoming tournament in the West Indies and USA, marking his record ninth appearance in the tournament. Among the players who have featured in all the editions of the event, only Bangladesh’s star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is in the list.
As the Tigers are yet to announce their 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, Shakib, if selected, would join Rohit as the only players to have competed in every T20 World Cup, sharing that honor.
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 Sharma is the most number of Men’s T20 World Cup matches played, with 39 games under his belt. Following closely behind him is Shakib Al Hasan with 36 appearances.
Among the active players, next on the list is David Warner, the Australian 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 batting 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 Sharma. 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 |
Brendon McCullum, the former captain of the Black Caps and an explosive batsman, still holds the record for the highest individual score in Men’s T20 World Cups. He surpassed Chris Gayle’s 2007 record during the 2012 tournament. His remarkable innings included 11 fours and seven sixes. Gayle stands as the sole player to achieve two centuries in Men’s T20 World Cups, accomplishing this feat for the second time during West Indies’ victorious campaign 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 |
In the inaugural edition of the tournament, West Indies’ dynamic batsman Gayle established the record for the fastest hundred, accomplishing it in just 50 balls. Brendon McCullum of New Zealand came close but narrowly missed out on claiming the record for himself. Gayle surpassed his own milestone by achieving another century in the 2016 T20 World Cup against England during the group stages. He broke his previous record of a 50-ball century set in 2007 by achieving the remarkable feat in just 47 balls—a feat 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 |
When it comes to hitting colossal sixes on the T20 World Cup stage, the West Indies icon Gayle shines brightly. He surpasses India’s Rohit by a significant margin in terms of the most sixes hit by a batsman in the tournament’s history.
India’s Yuvraj Singh, renowned for hitting six sixes in an over during the 2007 edition against Stuart Broad, also ranks among the top five.
Among the active players featured in this impressive lineup are India’s captain Rohit, England’s captain Jos Buttler, and Australia’s opener Warner. With all three star batsmen capable of smashing explosive sixes, one can anticipate a fiercely contested battle for these top positions in the upcoming World Cup.
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 |
The top spots for the best bowling figures in a T20 World Cup game are held by two Sri Lankan spin wizards—right-arm off-spinner Ajantha Mendis and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath. Mendis stands alone as the only bowler to have secured a six-wicket haul in the tournament, with his record-breaking spell of 6/8 remaining unmatched since 2012.
Among the active players listed, England’s all-rounder Sam Curran and Australia’s premier spinner Adam Zampa have showcased exceptional performances 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 |
The T20 World Cup-winning captain, Dhoni of India, holds the record for the most dismissals by a wicket-keeper in the tournament. His tally of 32 dismissals includes 21 catches and 11 stumpings. Among his 21 catches as the designated wicket-keeper, Dhoni also boasts the most catches in Men’s T20 World Cups. Pakistan’s Kamran Akmal trails closely behind Dhoni with 30 dismissals, holding the record for the most stumpings at 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, known for his safe hands in Men’s T20 World Cups, leads the list for the most catches in the tournament by a non-wicketkeeper fielder. Australia’s Warner closely trails de Villiers and may surpass his tally of 23 catches during the 2024 tournament. Additionally, two outstanding fielders, Glenn Maxwell and Rohit, along with joint fifth-placed Kane Williamson, have the potential to climb in this ranking, as all three are included in their respective T20 World Cup squads.
