The dynamics of batting in T20I cricket have changed significantly in the last few years. Batters have become more fearless, charging on the bowlers right from the word go.
Their aim is to score considerable runs in fewer balls. However, the attacking approach may not work all the time, especially in a tournament like the T20 World Cup.
Thus, a few batters have used a balanced approach, scoring sizable runs at healthy strike rates while consuming a fair amount of balls.
On that note, let’s look at the top 10 batters who have faced the most balls in T20 World Cup history.
Most Balls Faced in T20 World Cup
| Player | Innings | Balls Faced |
|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli (IND) | 33 | 1003 |
| Rohit Sharma (IND) | 44 | 917 |
| Mahela Jayawardene (SL) | 31 | 754 |
| David Warner (AUS) | 41 | 733 |
| Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL) | 34 | 723 |
| Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) | 43 | 710 |
| Jos Buttler (ENG) | 34 | 688 |
| Chris Gayle (WI) | 31 | 676 |
| Kane Williamson (NZ) | 27 | 646 |
| Kumar Sangakkara (SL) | 30 | 589 |
Key Insights
Apart from the 10 batters listed above, Martin Guptill (540), Shoaib Malik (524), and AB de Villiers (500) have played 500 or more deliveries.
Virat Kohli holds the record for facing the most balls in T20 World Cup history. He is the only batter to face more than 1000 balls. Kohli is also the leading run-scorer in the tournament.
Among the batters who have played 500+ balls, Rohit Sharma and Shakib Al Hasan have featured in all T20 World Cups since 2007.
247 balls faced by Kohli in the 2014 edition are the most in a single T20 World Cup iteration. Babar Azam is the only other batter to play 240 deliveries in a single edition (2021).
Chris Gayle and Rohit Sharma are the 2 batters who have faced 290 or more dot balls in the T20 World Cup.
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