ICC T20 World Cup: Decoding the unbreakable records
The much-awaited ICC T20 World Cup 2022 was underway on October 16. Defending champions Australia are hosting the tournament, and they would be raring to retain their title. West Indies are the only team to have tasted the glory twice. While the ongoing competition can see several prominent records being shattered, some might remain unbroken. Here, we look at these feats.
Yuvraj Singh's fastest fifty in the tournament
Yuvraj Singh reached his half-century off just 12 balls against England in the 2007 event. This is the fastest fifty in international cricket to date. While several dashers will be on display in the tournament, going past the former Indian batter will be extremely hard. Notably, Yuvraj famously smashed 6 sixes in an over in that very contest, another record which seems unbreakable.
Sri Lanka's highest team total
Sri Lanka posted 260/6 against Kenya in the inaugural edition, the highest team total in the competition's history to date. Overall, it is the fourth-highest team total in T20Is. As Australian ground have big dimensions, any side is unlikely to go past Sri Lanka's score. Notably, England have the second-highest team score in T20 World Cups (230/8 vs South Africa in 2016).
Jayawardene, Sangakkara likely to remain at the top
Sri Lankan duo of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara added 166 runs for the second wicket against West Indies in the 2010 event, the highest partnership in the tournament. No other pair even has a 160-run stand in the competition. As scoring quick runs is prioritized over building partnerships nowadays, Jayawardene and Sangakkara are likely to stay at the pinnacle for quite some time.
Most sixes in an innings
West Indies' Chris Gayle holds the record for smashing the most sixes in a T20 World Cup match. He hit 11 maximums against England during his unbeaten 100-run knock in the 2016 event. Clearing the boundary won't be a cakewalk on the grounds of Australia. Notably, no other batter has smashed more than seven sixes in a T20 WC match.
Virat Kohli's batting average
Virat Kohli has scored 845 runs in 21 T20 World Cup matches, with his average reading an astonishing 76.81. Among batters with at least 300 runs in the tournament, no other batter even averages 65. Pakistan's Babar Azam is next on the list, having scored 303 runs at 60.6. As Kohli has been in impressive form lately, he is unlikely to get displaced.
Ajantha Mendis' best bowling figures
Sri Lanka's Ajantha Mendis has the best bowling figures in a T20 WC match, 6/8 against Zimbabwe in 2012. No other bowler has a six-fer in the tournament. Although the Australian decks assist the bowlers, Mendis' record seems unbreakable as of now. Notably, Mendis is also the only bowler to have multiple six-wicket hauls (2) in T20 Internationals.
Most wickets in the tournament
Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan is currently the highest wicket-taker in T20 World Cups, having taken 41 wickets in 31 games. Among bowlers participating in the tournament, India's Ravichandran Ashwin holds the second position with 26 scalps. As Shakib's tally can enhance even further, he is unlikely to get displaced. Notably, Ashwin can play a maximum of seven matches in the 2022 edition.
