Chris Gayle tops the charts for most runs in powerplays in T20s; Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma in top 10
Legendary West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle has hit the most runs in powerplays in T20s. The ‘Universe Boss’ has scored 4,345 runs in 270 innings, at a strike rate of 128.58.
Most runs in powerplays in T20s
| Player | Innings | Runs | Strike rate |
| Chris Gayle | 270 | 4,345 | 128.58 |
| Alex Hales | 244 | 4,259 | 150.44 |
| Shikhar Dhawan | 255 | 4,021 | 123.19 |
| Aaron Finch | 248 | 3,931 | 134.11 |
| David Warner | 216 | 3,823 | 134.51 |
| Jason Roy | 194 | 3,542 | 140.55 |
| Brendon McCullum | 207 | 3,033 | 128.95 |
| Rohit Sharma | 216 | 2,962 | 125.45 |
| James Vince | 189 | 2,801 | 132.24 |
| Paul Stirling | 139 | 2,741 | 152.61 |
The 42-year-old, who has the most runs in T20 cricket (14,562) and the highest individual score in T20s (175* against Pune, 2013 Indian T20 League), has played in every major T20 league around the world. He also frequently scored the most T20 runs in a calendar year over the course of his career.
Most runs in powerplays in a T20 innings
| Player | Opponent | Runs | Year |
| Suresh Raina | Punjab | 87 | 2014 |
| Alex Hales | Durham | 76 | 2017 |
| Evin Lewis | St Kitts and Nevis Patriots | 76 | 2017 |
| Adam Gilchrist | Delhi | 74 | 2009 |
| Tom Cohler-Cadmore | Durham | 71 | 2016 |
Former India all-rounder Suresh Raina scored the most runs in powerplays in a T20 innings. The former Chennai star hit 12 fours and six sixes as he smashed 87 runs between overs 1 to 6 against Team Punjab in a 2014 Indian T20 League encounter at the Wankhede Stadium.
Most runs in powerplays in Indian T20 League
| Player | Innings | Runs | Strike rate |
| Shikhar Dhawan | 184 | 2,915 | 122.63 |
| David Warner | 141 | 2,654 | 136.10 |
| Chris Gayle | 135 | 2,336 | 134.17 |
| Gautam Gambhir | 146 | 2,230 | 121.65 |
| Ajinkya Rahane | 132 | 1,957 | 115.93 |
India opener Shikhar Dhawan, meanwhile, has the most runs in powerplays in the Indian T20 League. The left-hander has amassed 2,915 runs in 184 innings at a strike rate of 122.63. His tally comprises 388 boundaries and 63 sixes.
Most runs in powerplays in T20Is
| Player | Innings | Runs | Strike rate |
| Rohit Sharma | 87 | 1,530 | 135.39 |
| Martin Guptill | 77 | 1,422 | 129.74 |
| Aaron Finch | 80 | 1,376 | 138.56 |
| Quinton de Kock | 60 | 1,160 | 141.80 |
| Jason Roy | 58 | 1,053 | 141.53 |
When it comes to T20 Internationals, Rohit Sharma leads the list. The new Indian cricket team captain, who is the highest run-getter in T20Is, has hit 1,530 powerplay runs in 87 innings at a strike rate of 135.39. His best performance came in a 2020 New Zealand vs India T20I game at Hamilton, where Rohit hit 50 runs off 23 balls.
Most runs in powerplays in T20 World Cup
| Player | Innings | Runs | Strike rate |
| Martin Guptill | 19 | 329 | 114.23 |
| Rohit Sharma | 17 | 307 | 132.90 |
| David Warner | 19 | 301 | 125.41 |
| Mohammad Shahzad | 17 | 257 | 114.22 |
| Hashim Amla | 13 | 237 | 140.23 |
New Zealand opener Martin Guptill is the record holder for most runs in powerplays in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The 35-year-old, who was among the top 10 run-getters in the 2021 edition of the tournament with 208 runs, has hit 329 powerplay runs in 19 innings at a strike rate of 114.23.
Author: William Paul
Featured photo: AFP / INDRANIL MUKHERJEE