3 milestones Indian batters can achieve in T20 World Cup
The 2021 T20 World Cup is approaching and India will be looking to put aside the disappointments of the last two editions and try and go all the way. It will be Virat Kohli’s final assignment as India’s captain in the shortest format, which will make him even more determined to lead the team to glory.
According to the T20 World Cup Schedule, India will begin their campaign with a Super-12 clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on October 24. India also have New Zealand and Afghanistan in their group, in addition to two more teams that will join them from Round 1, which begins on October 17.
In Kohli and India’s white-ball vice-captain Rohit Sharma, India have two behemoths of T20 cricket leading their batting lineup. India are also armed with superstars like KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant, with the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan also in the squad.
Among them, Kohli and Rohit are known for their habit of breaking records and achieving new milestones with every passing game. While Kohli is the leading run-scorer in T20 Internationals (T20Is), Rohit Sharma is not far behind. In fact, for a few months, the two kept switching positions at the top of the batting leaderboard.
Here are three milestones that can be achieved by India's batters in T20 World Cup
#1 Virat Kohli: Most runs in T20 World Cup
Virat Kohli is currently fourth in the list of most runs in the history of the T20 World Cup. But if he scores 240 runs in the tournament, he will shoot up to the top of the list. Chris Gayle is above him on the list and he will also be playing the World Cup.
Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene tops the list with 1016 runs, while Kohli has 777 runs in the competition so far. Chris Gayle is second on the list with 920 runs.
Kohli was in pristine form at the 2016 T20 World Cup, scoring 273 runs at a strike rate of 146.77, and was named player of the tournament. India will be hoping he can replicate that form.
#2 Rohit Sharma: Most sixes in T20Is
Rohit Sharma and New Zealand’s Martin Guptill are not only in tight competition behind Virat Kohli on the list of top run-scorers in T20Is, but the two are also on top of the list of most sixes in the format. Guptill leads the list with 147 sixes, while Rohit has 133.
If Guptill has a poor tournament and Rohit manages to find his six-hitting form, he could well finish the T20 World Cup as the leading six-hitter in T20Is.
Rohit Sharma is 14 sixes behind Martin Guptill, but if the ‘Hitman’ gets going, and India go deep in the tournament, he is capable of chasing that number down. The India vice-captain is one of the most prolific six-hitters in world cricket, both against spinners and pacers.
Here is a list of all T20 World Cup Man of the Series award holders from 2007 to 2016.
#3 Rohit Sharma: Most sixes by an Indian in T20 World Cup
Rohit Sharma can achieve another milestone with his six-hitting abilities during the 2021 T20 World Cup. If he can clear the fence 10 times in the tournament, he will overtake Yuvraj Singh as the most prolific six-hitting Indian in the history of the T20 World Cup.
Yuvraj Singh, famous for hitting six sixes in an over in the first edition of the T20 World Cup, has 33 maximums in the tournament.
If Rohit does clear Yuvraj Singh's tally, he will also become the second-highest six-hitter in the tournament's history, behind Chris Gayle who has 60 sixes and counting.