Cricket
Best T20 Batsman: Run Machines: T20 Players Who Crossed 13K!
Many players have established themselves as expert scorers in 20-over cricket, but only a handful have joined the elite 13,000 run club. Reserved only for the greatest, the batsmen in this iconic group of T20 stars are simply beyond special, striking their way to legendary status. Those to have made 13,000 runs in T20s are among cricketing royalty: Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, Alex Hales, Shoaib Malik, and Kieron Pollard. With the willow in their hands, each of these icons have carved their name into the annals of domestic and international T20 cricket history.
Chris Gayle of West Indies/Getty Images
However, the question still remains about which of these players stands at the pinnacle, with SportsBoom aiming to find a definitive answer.By combining statistical analysis and consideration of broader media consensus, the SB Market Index aims to find the best T20 batsman ever.
SB Market Index: How We Evaluate the Best of the 13K Club
The evaluation has combined a detailed statistical analysis of these batsmens’ T20 batting careers with expert and media perceptions to provide a comprehensive ranking, which is known as the SB Market Index.
Industry Insights
This top T20 run scorers’ analysis is curated from 10 of the top cricketing and sports media sources, measuring how prominently each player is featured in discussions of the ‘greatest T20 batsmen of all time’.
| Source | Chris Gayle | Kieron Pollard | Alex Hales | Shoaib Malik | Virat Kohli |
| ESPNcricinfo – All-Time T20 XI discussions | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Wisden – T20 Cricketer of the Decade (2010s) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Sky Sports Cricket – "T20 GOAT" debate | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cricbuzz – "Best T20 Players Ever" feature | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| The Cricketer – Top 50 T20 Players list | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Sportskeeda – "Greatest T20 Batsmen of All Time" | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Reddit r/Cricket – All-Time T20 XI polls | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bleacher Report – "Ranking T20's Baddest Hitters" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Cricket Monthly – Impact Player Analysis | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| TalkSPORT – "Top 10 T20 Batsmen" countdown | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total mentions | 10 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
SB Score
The ‘SB Score’ is calculated based on four key T20 career metrics: batting average (40% weightage), total runs (25% weightage), number of centuries (20% weightage), and number of sixes (15% weightage).
| Player | Runs | Average | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | SB Score |
| Virat Kohli | 13,543 | 41.92 | 9 | 105 | 1,210 | 435 | 0.906 |
| Chris Gayle | 14,562 | 36.22 | 22 | 88 | 1,132 | 1,056 | 1.000 |
| Alex Hales | 13,814 | 29.90 | 7 | 87 | 1,510 | 566 | 0.672 |
| Shoaib Malik | 13,571 | 35.99 | 0 | 83 | 1,059 | 422 | 0.589 |
| Kieron Pollard | 13,854 | 31.48 | 1 | 63 | 865 | 930 | 0.781 |
SB Market Index
For this list of greatest T20 players ranked, the SB Market Index was determined using the combined SB Score and Industry Insights tallies.
| Rank | Player | SB Score | Industry Insights | SB Market Index |
| 1 | Chris Gayle | 1.000 | 10 | 8.200 |
| 2 | Virat Kohli | 0.906 | 9 | 7.381 |
| 3 | Kieron Pollard | 0.781 | 7 | 5.756 |
| 4 | Alex Hales | 0.672 | 2 | 1.734 |
| 5 | Shoaib Malik | 0.589 | 2 | 1.718 |
The Universe Boss Reigns Supreme: Chris Gayle
As might be expected, West Indies legend Chris Gayle is positioned at the top of the SB Market Index, driven by his perfect results in the statistical SB Score and the broader Industry Insights consensus.
With the most runs, most sixes, and most centuries among the esteemed members of the T20 13,000-run club, the Universe Boss was also unanimously praised by curated expert opinions in this ranking.
Only second to Virat Kohli in one of the SB Score metrics - batting average - Chris Gayle T20 records like being the first to reach 10,000 runs have cemented his place as the greatest we have seen.
The King of Consistency: Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is in the conversation for the greatest player of all-time, and even being ranked second among batsmen who reached 13K T20 runs is indicative of his enduring legacy as a master of the game.
In the 20-over internationals, he has the third-most runs of all time, with his domestic achievements including helping Royal Challengers Bengaluru claim the Indian Premier League title earlier this year.
In terms of the SB Market Index, the Virat Kohli T20 average resulted in a high SB score, with a near-perfect rating in terms of expert consensus reflecting his high standing in the eyes of fans and sporting media.
Virat Kohli of India/ Getty Images
The All-Round Powerhouse: Kieron Pollard
Kieron Pollard was ranked third in the SB Market Index, having also established himself as a power hitter with an eye for rapid scoring.
The West Indies veteran is rated as one of 20-over cricket’s most impactful players, bringing his skills to bear in many domestic leagues.
Looking at the number of Kieron Pollard T20 sixes, he is the only player of these five whose maximums has exceeded his fours tally.
That astounding statistic helped set him apart from Alex Hales and Shoaib Malik, both worthy members of the format’s 13,000-run club.
Conclusion on T20's Batting Pantheon
Based on a combination of statistical analysis and media perceptions, Chris Gayle is the undisputed king of the 13,000-run club and T20 batting.
The big-hitting West Indies icon remains one of the greatest players ever seen in the shortest format, being celebrated and feared in equal measure.
This does not detract from the achievements of his elite colleagues in 20-over cricket, Virat Kohli, Kieron Pollard, Alex Hales, and Shoaib Malik.
Each of these batsmen made a career out of dominant batting, each shaping T20s in their own way: through aggression, finesse, and pure tactics.
Bruce Douglas has more than 12 years of experience in local news media. He has worked at all levels of print and online publication, from crime and politics to photography, newspaper layout, proofreading, mentoring, sub-editing, and leading a newsroom. He played numerous sports at the school level and enjoys keeping up to date.