T20 World Cup 2021: Can Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shakib Al Hasan break these records?

L to R: Virat Kohli, Shakib Al Hasan and Rohit Sharma. Pic: Getty Images
L to R: Virat Kohli, Shakib Al Hasan and Rohit Sharma. Pic: Getty Images

The 2021 edition of the T20 World Cup is all set to get underway from October 17 in the UAE and Oman. The mega ICC event, which was earlier scheduled to be held in India, had to be shifted to the Middle East due to COVID-19 concerns. India, however, have retained the hosting rights of the event.

The matches will begin with Round 1, which will be the qualifying round for teams who could not make it to the Super 12 directly. The top two sides from each group in Round 1 will qualify for the Super 12. While Australia, South Africa, West Indies and England are placed in Group 1 of Super 12 round, India, Pakistan, New Zealand and Afghanistan are in Group 2.

Each side will play the others in their group once. The top two sides from each group will progress to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2021.


T20 World Cup 2021: Records in the offing

With the T20 World Cup 2021 just a few days away, we take a look at some records that can be broken and created during the mega event.


#1 Virat Kohli needs 240 runs to become the leading run-scorer in the T20 World Cup

Team India skipper Virat Kohli. Pic: Getty Images
Team India skipper Virat Kohli. Pic: Getty Images

Indian captain Virat Kohli has announced that he will be stepping down as T20I skipper after this year’s World Cup. He would thus like to walk away on a high. There is also a personal milestone in the waiting for Kohli.

The 32-year-old needs 240 runs to become the leading run-getter in the T20 World Cup. Kohli has amassed 777 runs in 16 matches at an average of 86.33 and a strike rate of 133.04.

Former Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene is the leading run-getter in the T20 World Cup. He has 1016 runs to his name at an average of 39.07 and a strike rate of 134.74. In fact, he is the only player to have scored more than 1000 runs in the ICC event so far.


#2 Rohit Sharma 10 sixes away from becoming the Indian player with most maximums in the T20 World Cup

Team India batter Rohit Sharma. Pic: Getty Images
Team India batter Rohit Sharma. Pic: Getty Images

‘Hitman’ Rohit Sharma needs to whack 10 maximums to become the Indian batter with the most sixes in the T20 World Cup. In 28 matches, he has hammered 24 sixes in addition to hitting 59 fours.

Former all-rounder Yuvraj Singh holds the record for smacking the most sixes by an Indian in the T20 World Cup. He hit 33 maximums in 31 games, including six in an over against Stuart Broad during the inaugural edition in 2007.

If he goes past Yuvraj, Rohit will also move up to the no.2 spot on the list of leading six-hitters in the T20 World Cup. He is currently tied in sixth spot with Dwayne Bravo.

Chris Gayle (60), Yuvraj (33), Shane Watson (31), AB de Villiers (30) and Jayawardene (25) are above Rohit on the list of players with the most sixes in the tournament.


#3 Dual records in the offing for Shakib Al Hasan

Bangladesh left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan. Pic: Getty Images
Bangladesh left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan. Pic: Getty Images

Veteran Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan needs 10 more wickets to become the leading wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup. He has claimed 30 wickets in 25 matches at an average of 19.53 and an economy rate of 6.64. He is tied with England’s Stuart Broad and South Africa’s Dale Steyn.

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi is the leading wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup. He claimed 39 scalps in 34 games. Lasith Malinga (38), Saeed Ajmal (36), Ajantha Mendis (35) and Umar Gul (35) are above Shakib on the list.

Shakib, meanwhile, needs only two scalps to become the leading wicket-taker in T20I cricket. He is currently second on the list of leading T20I wicket-takers with 106 scalps from 88 matches. Sri Lankan legend Malinga is on top of the pile, having picked up 107 wickets in 84 games.

West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo
West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo

#4 Dwayne Bravo 7 games away from featuring in most T20 World Cup matches

If West Indies legend Dwayne Bravo plays seven games in the upcoming edition, he will become the player to have featured in most matches in the T20 World Cup. Bravo has so far played in 29 matches in the tournament.

The current record stands in the name of Tillakaratne Dilshan, who has featured in 35 matches in the T20 World Cup. The former Sri Lankan batter is followed by Shahid Afridi (34) MS Dhoni (33), Jayawardene, Malinga, Kumar Sangakkara, Yuvraj (31 each), AB de Villiers and Kamran Akmal (30 each).

Among current players, Chris Gayle, Rohit, Shoaib Malik and Ross Taylor are below Bravo on the list. Each of them has played 28 T20 World Cup matches.

#5 Martin Guptill 61 shy of scoring 3000 runs in T20Is

Martin Guptill is on the verge of a major milestone ahead of T20 World Cup. Pic: Getty Images
Martin Guptill is on the verge of a major milestone ahead of T20 World Cup. Pic: Getty Images

New Zealand batter Martin Guptill is the second-leading run-scorer in the history of T20I cricket. He needs 61 runs to become the second player to reach 3000 T20I runs. So far, Guptill has 2939 runs to his name from 102 games at a strike rate of 136.82 with two hundreds and 17 fifties.

Indian skipper Kohli is the leading run-getter in T20I cricket with 3159 runs from 90 games at a strike rate of 139.04. Kohli has 28 fifties in the format, but he is yet to crack a hundred.

India’s vice-captain Rohit is third on the list. He has scored 2864 runs in 111 matches at a strike rate of 138.96. Rohit has smashed four hundreds and 22 half-centuries in the shortest format.

#6 Tim Southee 1 wicket away from 100 T20I scalps

New Zealand pacer Tim Southee. Pic: Getty Images
New Zealand pacer Tim Southee. Pic: Getty Images

New Zealand pacer Tim Southee is one scalp away from becoming the third bowler to claim 100 T20I victims. Southee has picked up 99 wickets in 83 matches at a strike rate of 18 and an economy rate of 8.39.

Malinga and Shakib are the only two bowlers with more than 100 T20I wickets. While Malinga claimed 107 scalps in 84 games, Shakib has 106 wickets from 88 matches.

#7 Rashid Khan 5 away from taking 100 T20I wickets

Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan. Pic: Getty Images
Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan. Pic: Getty Images

Afghan leg-spinner Rashid Khan could also achieve a massive milestone in the upcoming mega event. He needs five wickets to complete 100 T20I scalps. Heading into the T20 World Cup, Rashid has picked up 95 wickets in 51 matches at a brilliant strike rate of 12.1 and an equally amazing economy rate of 6.21.

He has two five-wicket hauls to his name with a best figure of 5 for 3, which was registered against Ireland in 2017.

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