5 records that can be broken at World T20

With the World T20 less than a week away, the teams will be looking to get their preparations spot on, so they can claim the coveted trophy. The five teams who have already won it will be fighting to ensure that one of them becomes the first double World T20 champion.While the teams who haven’t won it yet will be looking to make history and claim their maiden World T20 title. But those are not the only records that can be broken at the World T20 in India.Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle and the Indian cricket team will have their eyes set on glory come the World T20. So here are 5 records that can be broken at World T20:

#5 First bowler to take 100 T20I wickets

Afridi can create history at the World T20

After Pakistan's poor performance in the recently concluded Asia Cup, Shahid Afridi's stock couldn't be lower. But if that tournament showed one thing it was that Afridi the player and the captain are two very different animals. While he didn't really fire with the bat and didn't get too many chances to either, with the ball, Afridi continued to be his usual effective self.

In the three matches that he bowled, on all three occasions, his economy rate was 6 or under, which was even better than his career T20I economy rate of 6.5. While Afridi the batsman may not have fired for a long time now, it should be clear that the Pakistani captain is predominantly in the side for his bowling, which has been impressive over the past few years.

So impressive that he is not only leading wicket-taker in T20Is with 93 wickets but he also is on the verge of history as he could become the first bowler to take 100 T20I wickets. That would be some achievement, especially for someone who is thought to be a batting all-rounder.

#4 Most T20I sixes

Gayle will be eyeing another record

Perhaps for the first time since Sachin Tendulkar called time on his international career, one player holds so many records in a particular format. When Brendon McCullum called time on his career, many shed a tear for his presence will certainly be missed, least of all by his team. But some were also happy as they finally had a shot at breaking one of the many records he held at his disposal.

Of the many records, Brendon McCullum holds, one particular record comes under threat in the upcoming World T20. His record of most T20I sixes stands at 91 but in second place, casting an eye over that is Chris Gayle, who is on 87. Four sixes is not a lot when you average almost two sixes per game in your T20I career.

So this is one record that will most certainly be broken but the question on everybody's lips is merely how soon it will be broken. Knowing Gayle and the way he bludgeons the ball the answer is sooner rather than later.

#3 Most T20I runs in a calendar year

Which of these two will get there first?

Given most teams do not play too many T20Is aside from the year in which there is a World T20, it is not surprising to see that no batsman has so far managed to score more than 500 T20I runs in a calendar year. But at the World T20, not one, not two but three players stand a realistic chance of not only breaking that barrier but also claiming the record for the most T20I runs in a calendar year.

The current record is held by New Zealand’s Martin Guptill, who scored 472 runs in 13 matches in 2012. The player most likely to break that record first is Bangladesh’s Sabbir Rahman. Not only has he already scored 316 runs but because Bangladesh are in the qualifiers, he will play four matches before the other two so might stand a chance to break the record first.

If Sabbir doesn’t, one person who is surely going to break it over the course of the tournament is Virat Kohli. The right-hander already has 352 runs at an average of 117.33 in 2016 and only needs 120 runs to break Guptill’s record. Not only that but he also has a good chance of breaking the record for the most fifties in a calendar year. The current record is 5 and Kohli already has four.

Given his incredible form so far this year, you also wouldn’t bet against him breaking his own record of most runs in a World T20, a record he set in 2014 with 319 runs.

The third player who has a chance of breaking the most runs in a calendar year is Rohit Sharma. He already has 337 runs and a good World T20 will see him break the record and also cross the 500-run mark as well.

#2 Highest World T20 run-scorer

Can Gayle stop another Sri Lankan from holding onto the record?

By virtue of playing every World T20 from 2007 to 2014, Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene has the record for the most runs in World T20. As he is no longer taking part in the tournament as a player, it is only fair to assume that his record might be broken especially when the player hot on his heels is none other than Chris Gayle.

Jayawardene is the only batsman to have scored over 1,000 World T20 runs and he finished his career with 1,016 runs from 31 matches at an average of 39.07. Gayle, who is second on the list has 807 runs from just 23 matches.

While it is true that West Indies haven’t had the best preparation going into the tournament, given Gayle’s ability all he needs is a couple of innings to break the Sri Lankan’s record. If he doesn’t then another Sri Lankan might have an outside chance of breaking the record.

Given his poor recent form, Tillakaratne Dilshan, who is 252 runs behind Jayawardene in third place might not seem like the best bet. But, cricket is a funny game and if he finds form and Sri Lanka go deep into the tournament, there is no reason why he couldn’t break it.

#1 Most consecutive T20I wins

Can India add a world record to their kitty?

When India were completely outplayed by South Africa in their last T20I series of 2015 and lost that 2-0, few would have predicted that India would bounce back so well in 2016. Not only did they become the first team to whitewash Australia in Australia but they also have lifted the Asia Cup for a record sixth time.

Not only that but after their 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka and the Asia Cup triumph, India are on their best ever winning streak in the format. They have currently won seven consecutive T20I games, which is just one shy of the world record that is currently jointly held by England and Ireland.

Should India win their first World T20 game against New Zealand, they will have equalled the world record for most consecutive T20I wins and if that is followed by their now customary win over Pakistan in World Cups then they will have the world record all to themselves.