T20 World Cup: Decoding the top run-scorers for Sri Lanka
The much-awaited ICC T20 World Cup 2024 went underway on June 1. West Indies and USA are co-hosting the tournament. The high-profile ICC tournament that started in 2007 has seen some astounding records. The Sri Lankan side, which tasted glory in 2014, will fight for their second title. Here we look at the SL batters with the most runs in T20 WC history.
Angelo Mathews - 459 runs
Veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews aced the finisher's role for Sri Lanka in several editions of the T20 World Cups. He has tallied 459 runs across 29 games in the competition at 38.25. The tally includes a couple of half-centuries as his strike rate reads 129.66. Mathews also owns the fourth-most runs in death overs (16-20) in T20 WC history (262).
Kumar Sangakkara - 661 runs
Kumar Sangakkara also made a significant mark in the 20-over format. In the 2014 T20 WC final against India, the southpaw made a match-winning 52* off just 35 balls. Overall, he finished his T20 WC career with 661 runs across 31 matches at 25.42. His strike rate read 112.22 as the legendary batter hit four half-centuries.
Tillakaratne Dilshan - 897 runs
Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan made his name as a destructive opener in the late 2000s. Overall, in 35 T20 WC matches, he scored 897 runs at 30.93. He struck at 124.06 as the tally includes six fifties. Dilshan starred for the Lankans in the 2009 T20 World Cup where they reached the final. He smashes 317 runs at a strike rate of 144.74.
Mahela Jayawardene - 1,016 runs
Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene's tally of 1,016 runs at 39.07 is the second-most for a batter in the tournament's history (SR: 134.74). Besides six fifties, he owns a ton as well. The batting talisman also owns 5 POTM awards in the competition, having featured in 31 games. Jayawardene also starred in Sri Lanka's title-winning run in 2014.
