Kieron Pollard becomes highest run-scorer in T20s, surpasses Gayle: Stats
What's the story
Kieron Pollard has shattered Chris Gayle's long-standing record to become the highest run-scorer in T20 cricket history. Pollard achieved this feat during a Major League Cricket (MLC) match between MI New York and Washington Freedom on Sunday. The West Indies legend needed 81 runs to surpass Gayle's tally of 14,562 runs before the match, and he achieved it with a blistering 100* off just 56 deliveries. This knock, which was laced with 11 fours and four sixes, came in a losing cause as MI New York failed to chase down 246 in Dallas.
Match details
Pollard's innings not enough for MI New York
As per ESPNcricinfo, Pollard's explosive innings in the aforementioned game took him to a total of 14,582 runs in T20 cricket. The latter's runs have come across 736 matches at an average of 31.83. His strike rate is a stunning 150-plus. Pollard's T20 career has been nothing short of spectacular. He has scored two centuries and 67 half-centuries in the shortest format of the game.
Information
Most capped player; second-most sixes
While Pollard has played over 700 T20 games, no other player has even 600 caps in the 20-over format. The dasher has tallied 986 maximums in T20 cricket. Only Gayle (1,056) has hit more in the format. Pollard also has 333 T20 wickets to his name at 25.52 (4W: 8).
Career
Dissecting his T20 numbers
Pollard's T20 journey has seen him play for as many as 19 teams (including West Indies) between 2006 and 2026. For West Indies, he scored 1,569 runs across 101 T20Is at 25.30. In IPL, he amassed a total of 3,412 runs in 189 matches for Mumbai Indians at 28.67. In CPL, Pollard has scored an impressive 3,192 runs in 138 matches across three teams at an average of 34.69. 588 of his runs have come in the MLC at 34.58.
Sixes
200 sixes across two different leagues
Last year, Pollard became only the second player in CPL history to hit 200 sixes (now 228). With this feat, Pollard also became the first ever to hit over 200 maximums in two major franchise-based T20 leagues. He had earlier achieved this milestone in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Pollard finished his IPL career with 223 sixes. Meanwhile, he shares the record of being the most decorated T20 player with Dwayne Bravo with a total of 17 titles.
Post-match reaction
'Chris Gayle is someone we look up to' -Pollard
After breaking Gayle's record, Pollard expressed his gratitude to his family and friends for their unwavering support. He also acknowledged the significance of the achievement, saying it was "remarkable" to surpass someone he looks up to in cricket. "Feel good. My friends, my family who have supported, everybody, so thank you very much. Chris Gayle is someone we look up to," Pollard said after the match.