What is T20 International?
There are three formats of cricket played in the international arena; Test matches, One-Day and T-20 internationals. These matches are played under the supervision and rules and regulations set by the International Cricket Council. Twenty20 internationals are the latest, the quickest and shortest form of the game. T-20 started in 2005, where twenty overs were played by each side. This genre of cricket needs special skills and innovations; it also draws a new audience. Usually, within three hours, the match is played off, involving ruthless hits, innovative bowling and agile fielding. Read on to know the t20 highest score batsman list in international cricket.
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Cricketers who have scored most runs in international T20 have the fantastic skill to beat the lithe fielders. Since 2009, the Women's World T-20 has also been initiated along with the men's championship. The Women's World T-20 held in the Caribbean in 2018 was a standalone event. Currently, there are twelve ICC members with Test status, so by design, they also enjoy ODI and T-20 status; subsequently, Ireland and Afghanistan were included in the t20 highest score batsman list in June 2017. Additionally, there are four countries with ODI status; thus, they also have T-20 status, so the total members with ODI status stand at sixteen.
Rules of the Game
The rules of T-20 cricket are essentially the same as that of conventional forty and fifty over matches. Each team in T-20 cricket matches is allowed to play one inning with as many runs as they can score within a specific period of twenty overs (120 balls). Nevertheless, with the conventional laws of the ODI, there are some specific rules in T-20 designed to speed up the game. Though some cricket pundits are dissatisfied with these rules, as it does not align with the royal image of cricket, these rules are formulated to make T-20 more exciting and give a fresh look.
Specific Rules of T-20
Free Hit: Top run-scorer in T20 is amassed in a free hit. It is designed to punish the bowler if he balls a no-ball overstepping the mark. Free Hit is a toast to the batsman, as he will not be declared out in that delivery unless run out. The highest t20 runs by a batsman are scored in this delivery, as there is no fear of getting out.
Five–Run Penalty: If a team fiddles in the field wasting time, the umpire can award five bonus runs to the opponent. The rule is devised to maintain the flow and tempo of the match.
75-minute Time Limit: The bowling side must complete their quota of twenty overs within seventy-five minutes, so each over must be finished within three minutes and forty-five seconds.
A bonus of six runs is awarded to the batting side if the opponent cannot complete twenty overs within the allotted seventy-five minutes. This rule is designed to keep the pace of the match.
90 Seconds: Once a batsman is declared out in a T-20 match, the following batsman must appear at the wicket or bowler's end within 90 seconds. If he does not, they could potentially bar from batting in the match.
Bowling restriction in T-20: This rule is to facilitate so a batsman can score the highest run in T20. A bowler can deliver a maximum of four overs in a T-20 match so that the best bowler can bowl the specified overs, not more than that.
Fielding Restrictions: This arrangement of fielding design is shaped so a batsman can score the highest run in T20. At a time, five fielders are allowed to stand on the leg side of the batsman. In the initial six overs, only two fielders are allowed to stand outside the inner circle. For the remaining overs, five fielders are permitted to stand beyond the inner circle.
Bowls Out: this is similar to a penalty shoot if a match is tied. Five bowlers from each side bowl at the wicket without the batsman. The team which hits the maximum wicket times wins the match.
The List of Top 10 Players who Scored the Most Runs in International T20 is as follows:
In the list of T20 highest score batsmen, Indian captain Virat Kohli stands at the apex, with 2794 runs in 72 matches and unbeaten 18 times. Born on 5th November 1988, he led the under 19 cricket team in Kuala Lumpur in 2008. He joined the senior men in blue against Sri Lanka in 2008. With an average of 50.85 and strike rate of 135.84, with 258 fours and 76 sixes, Virat Kohli is a T20 highest score batsman.
Below is the List of the Top 10 Players who Scored the Most Runs in International T20
Virat Kohli: He is the T20 highest score batsman, is known for his aggressive batting, always looking for runs. With unconventional bottom hand technique, he judges the length of the delivery earlier than most batsmen. The quick, flexible turn of the wrist, even against fast bowlers, keeps him in the T20 highest score batsman list international.
Rohit Sharma: He is one of the destructive batsmen in T-20 cricket. He scored 2773 runs in 108 matches, with the highest score of 118. He is the second top run-scorer in T20. This right-hand batsman was born on 30th April 1987 and started to open the batting in ODIs in late 2012.
Martin Guptil: He is New Zealand’s right-hand batsman, scored 2356 runs in 88 matches and stood third in the list of T20 highest score batsmen. When in form, he is invincible for his destructive batting against both pacers and spinners.
Shoaib Malik: He is one of the highest run-scorers in international T20. This Pakistani batsman scored 2321 runs in 113 matches with an average of 31.
Brendon McCullum: He is the most devastating batsman in T-20; he has scored two centuries and seventeen half-centuries. He scored 2140 runs in 71 matches with an average of 25 and a strike rate of 136.
David Warner: He is the eighth-highest scorer in International T-20. He scored 2011 runs in 74 matches and was unbeaten seven times.
MD. Hafeez is the second Pakistani batsman in the top ten lists of highest runs in T20 by a player. He scored 1992 in 91 matches with an average of 25.
AJ Finch, EJG Morgan, Babar Azam, PR starling are other names.
FAQs on Cricketers in T20
1. Why was T-20 cricket introduced?
When the Benson Hedges cup ended in 2002, the cricket control board needed another ODI championship to fill the vacuum. Cricketing authorities were looking for a new format that would encourage young generations to attend the match and bring new sponsorship. It was intended to be faster, more exciting and shorter than the prevailing fifty overs match. Stuart Roberson, marketing manager of ECB, came up with this idea of a twenty over match. At the minute, the proposal was adopted with 11-7 in favour of it.
The first official Twenty20 was held on 13th June 2003, played between English counties. The first round of Twenty20 was comparatively successful; Surrey Lions defeated Warwickshire Bears by nine wickets in the final to claim the championship. The first Twenty20 match was held at Lords on 15th July 2004, between Middlesex and Surrey, attended by 27,509 spectators, the highest attendance for any county cricket at Lords.
2. How have the T-20 changed cricketers?
To compete in T-20 matches, cricketers are undoubtedly fitter, stronger and more athletic, a direct consequence of Twenty20. The players spend more time in workouts, eat healthy balanced food, take care of their body, and tend to take more rest; they are more aligned to the modern sporting world. Fielding and fitness regime have improved beyond imagination, but bowlers and batsmen are still on par where they were.
The most significant impact of T-20 is on the mindset of players; what used to be out of the box is normal even in practice. Scoring at ten or more per over, delivering six slower ball variants, is routine; spectators expect some spectacular catch and aerobic fielding. Things that seemed to be extraordinary a decade ago is a regime in a T-20 match. -20 has changed the attitude of players; they are more confident, more aggressive. They are not apprehensive about results; the open approach has changed the gameplay. That aggressiveness is also witnessed in test and ODI matches.
3. How has T-20 cricket changed the world of cricket?
The advent of the T-20 has influenced the other two formats of cricket. It has catalyzed the dynamism of cricket; the Indian Premier League (IPL) is the manifestation of that. IPL is a money-spinner; it has a perception of players about international T-20 matches. The Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) has received unprecedented money from IPL; other boards following the footstep have tasted significant success, while others languish.
In terms of resources, the big three brothers, BCCI, Cricket Australia (CA), and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), are the richest ones; others are only supporters or followers of the three. CA has a net worth of around INR 2843 crores; the revenue comes from men and women`s cricket. BCCI is the richest with a revenue of INR 3730 crores. ECB is a predominant member of ICC with a revenue of INR 2135 crores. The board was founded in 1997 with headquarters at Lords, the Mecca of cricket. England won its maiden world cup (50 overs) in 2019, creating enthuses among the younger generation.
