5 contenders to overtake Chris Gayle's 10,000+ T20 runs mark

T20 has redefined the game of cricket to a great extent. Batsmen and bowlers have evolved over the last few years to meet the demands of the modern game. The man from Jamaica, Christopher Henry Gayle, is one of the most destructive batsmen in world cricket. Gayle holds most of the batting records in T20 cricket history.

He has the most hundreds (18), most fifties (65), most sixes (772), most fours (804) and highest T20 score (175). Gayle has 10571 T20 runs so far in 310 matches and he is the only batsman to have crossed the 10k mark in T20 cricket. He is still in good shape to play for another year or two.

With a lot of T20 leagues being played around the world, there is a high possibility that someone will break Gayle's record in the future. Let's see the contenders who can overtake Chris Gayle's 10k runs mark in T20 cricket.

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#5 Virat Kohli

The Indian captain in one of the most prolific batsmen in Twenty20 cricket and has the highest average in this format (for players with min 5000 runs). He showed that a batsman does not need brute power to be successful in T20s.

But if there is one record that Virat Kohli may find hard to beat, this is it. Unlike most on this list, Virat Kohli does not play in various global T20 leagues except for the Indian Premier League (IPL). This may leave him with just an outside chance to beat Chris Gayle's record of most T20 runs.

However, Kohli scores heavily in IPL and in Twenty20 internationals for India. The 29-year-old has scored 7068 runs from 226 games in Twenty20 cricket and is eighth in the list of all-time T20 run scorers.

#4 Aaron Finch

Australia's limited overs opener is one of the most consistent T20 performers. Aaron Finch plays in various T20 leagues - Indian Premier League(IPL), Big Bash and Natwest Twenty20 - and can bat anywhere in the top order, which makes him a useful Twenty20 player.

Finch has scored 6245 runs in 201 T20 games and averages 35 with a strike rate of almost 140. He can play spin better than most non-sub-continent players and has the brute power to clear boundary with ease.

Finch does not play test matches for Australia and at only 31 years of age, has a good six to seven years ahead of him. He is a hot commodity in the T20 circuit and can overtake Chris Gayle if he continues to play the way he is playing now.

#3 David Warner

The vice-captain of the Australian cricket team is a gifted T20 cricketer and is a naturally aggressive batsman.

Warner is a mainstay in the Australian T20, One Day Internationals and Test teams, giving him limited time to play in the T20 leagues. He has already scored 7572 runs in only 238 Twenty20 games while playing in the Big Bash League, Indian Premier League and sometimes in Natwest T20. He also captained Sunrisers Hyderabad to their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title in 2016.

At only 31, David Warner has a lot of fuel left in his tank and if he continues his form for a few more years, he may very well close down on Chris Gayle.

#2 Kieron Pollard

The all-rounder from Trinidad is one of the most fearsome hitters in world cricket. Kieron Pollard is a T20 specialist for West Indies national team and does not play in Test matches and One Day Internationals (ODI), giving him chance to play in most of the major Twenty20 leagues around the globe.

Pollard has played for various T20 franchises like Mumbai Indians in IPL, Barbados Tridents in CPL, Adelaide Strikers in BBL, Dhaka Dynamites in BPL, Somerset in Natwest T20 and Cape Cobras in the RamSlam T20. He has scored a total of 7649 runs from 391 games and is only behind McCullum and Gayle in the all-time top T20 run-scorers chart.

He is the most capped player in Twenty20 cricket history and at only 30 years of age, Pollard is looking at many more years in Twenty20 cricket, giving him lot of time to go past his countrymen Christopher Henry Gayle.

#1 Brendon McCullum

The man who set the inaugural edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) on fire with a scintillating 158*, travels around the globe to play in all the major T20 leagues.

The hard-hitting Kiwi is a freelance T20 cricketer these days and plays in major T20 leagues like Big Bash League, Natwest T20, Caribbean Premier League, Bangladesh Premier League and Indian Premier League (IPL).

McCullum has scored a massive 8245 runs in his T20 career so far from 297 games and is second in the list of all-time run-scorers behind Gayle.

At 36, McCullum is fit and can play for another three to four years, giving him every chance to go past Chris Gayle.