Mohammad Rizwan breaks record for most T20 runs in single calendar year

The Pakistan opener surpasses Chris Gayle's tally of 1,665 amassed in 2015, during the men's T20 World Cup

The Cricketer | 07/11/2021 at 14:56

Mohammad Rizwan has eclipsed Chris Gayle as the highest-scoring T20 batter in a single calendar year.

The West Indies legend amassed 1,665 runs in 2015 courtesy of three centuries and 10 fifties in 36 innings.

Gayle represented the likes of Melbourne Renegades, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Somerset on his way to the total.

But Rizwan, the men's T20 Player Index No.56, has overhauled the 42-year-old during Pakistan's men's T20 World Cup match against Scotland in Sharjah.

Though the 29-year-old was dismissed for just 15 it was enough to see him go past the landmark set by Gayle six years ago.

Rizwan stands on 1,676 runs from 38 innings, a haul amassed while playing for his country as well as National T20 Cup side Khyber Pakhtunkwa and Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League.

There could be as many as eight further opportunities to continue his run of form before the turn of the year.

Pakistan have a semi-final at the T20 World Cup next week and a possible final if they prevail, before bilateral series against Bangladesh and West Indies during the remainder of 2021.

Babar Azam could yet steal the record for himself, sitting on 1,561 runs before the start of play in the United Arab Emirates.

Haris Rauf takes centre stage

A remarkable day for Pakistan, for whom Shaheen Shah Afridi set the tone