Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan broke a 12-year-old T20 World Cup record held by Virat Kohli on Saturday. Opening the batting in a must-win Super 8 match against Sri Lanka in Pallekele, Farhan went past Kohli’s all-time tally for the most runs in a single edition of the T20 World Cup. | PAK vs SL Scorecard | Updates |
The right-handed opener achieved the milestone when he crossed 38 during his innings after Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bowl first. Farhan’s feat marked the end of Kohli’s long-standing record, which had remained intact since the 2014 edition of the tournament.
Incidentally, five of the top batters on the all-time list for most runs in a single T20 World Cup edition are Asians. Babar Azam was the last batter to come close to Kohli’s tally, scoring 303 runs in six matches during the 2022 T20 World Cup, but he fell short of surpassing the landmark.
MOST RUNS IN AN EDITION OF T20 WORLD CUP
1. Sahibzada Farhan (Pakistan) – 320 and counting in 2026
2. Virat Kohli (India) – 319 in 6 matches in 2014
3. Tilakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka) – 317 in 7 matches in 2009
4. Babar Azam (Pakistan) – 303 in 6 matches in 2022
5. Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) – 302 runs in 6 matches in 2010.
SAHIBZADA HITS SECOND CENTURY
Needing a big total to keep their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals alive, Pakistan made drastic changes to their XI. Sahibzada Farhan opened alongside Fakhar Zaman, who returned to the side after Saim Ayub was dropped.
The new-look opening combination worked wonders, as Pakistan broke the record for the highest first-wicket partnership in T20 World Cup history. Sahibzada and Fakhar added 176 runs in just 95 deliveries, setting the tone in a must-win contest.
While Fakhar was at his imperious best, smashing four sixes and nine boundaries during his 42-ball 84, Sahibzada went one better, bringing up his century off 60 balls. The right-hander struck five sixes and nine boundaries in a commanding innings.
Sahibzada also became the first batter to score two centuries in a single edition of the T20 World Cup. The 29-year-old had earlier scored an unbeaten hundred against Namibia in Colombo, registering his maiden T20 World Cup century.
Pakistan headed into the contest needing a big win over Sri Lanka to keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive. After they were sent in to bat, the equation became clearer — they needed to win by 65 runs or more to leapfrog New Zealand in the Group 2 points table and join England in the semi-finals.
Pakistan posted 212 for 8 in their 20 overs to give themselves a chance of remaining in contention. However, despite the massive opening partnership, they lost a flurry of wickets in the closing stages of the innings.
None of the remaining batters managed to reach double figures, as Pakistan scored just 35 runs in the final four overs, losing momentum at a crucial juncture.
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