Top 5 Batters With Most Runs In T20 World Cup 2026 Group Stage

Sahibzada Farhan scored the most runs in T20 World Cup group stage [Source: drivexnolook, Crex_live, ProteasMenCSA/X.com]

The group stage of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 ended with Australia's emphatic win over Oman on February 20. The first round of the tournament saw some power-packed batting performances across groups, with several centuries being scored for the first time since the 2022 edition.

Pathum Nissanka's exploits against Australia played a part in knocking out the former champions, while the likes of Sahibzada Farhan and Kusal Mendis also exemplified consistency. On the contrary, someone like Abhishek Sharma, who was expected to light up the competition, is yet to open his scoring tally, having scored 3 ducks in a row.

Below is a brief breakdown of batters with the most runs in the group stage of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

5. Ishan Kishan - 176 runs

The left-handed Indian opener Ishan Kishan made a memorable return to the T20I team after guiding his state to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025/26. Playing his first T20I since November 2023, he didn't take long to settle down and went hammer and tongs on his return.

After a century and fifty vs New Zealand to seal the opening spot in the tournament, he has scored 176 runs in 4 innings. He scored 61 (24) vs Namibia and a match-defining 77 (40) vs Pakistan. Kishan also has a strike rate of 202.29 and an average of 44 in the competition so far.

4. Aiden Markram - 178 runs

The South African captain and opener, Aiden Markram, has led the 2024 finalists from the front in the ongoing edition in India. In the lead-up to the competition, he promoted himself in the batting order to bat alongside Quinton de Kock at the top and has looked at home since then. He has been instrumental in the Proteas finishing the group stage unbeaten.

So far, he has scored 178 runs in 4 innings at an average of 59.33 and a strike rate of 187.36. He started the tournament with a blistering 59 off 32 against Canada in Ahmedabad and backed it up with another big knock of 86*(44) vs New Zealand to seal their qualification at the same venue.

3. Kusal Mendis - 182 runs

As a senior batter in the Sri Lankan side, which is heavily reliant on their top-order, Kusal Mendis has executed their plans to a T in the home T20 World Cup. So far, no other player in the ongoing tournament has scored more fifties than Mendis to consistently give their teams good starts.

He has 182 runs in 4 innings at a strike rate of 124.65, providing stability at 3. He averages 60.66, scoring three consecutive fifties against Ireland, Oman and Australia. All his fifties came at a strike rate of over 130.

Also Read: List Of All Indian Teams In T20 Leagues

2. Pathum Nissanka - 199 runs

The hopes were high for Pathum Nissanka to step up in the tournament and give Sri Lanka some quality starts alongside someone like Kusal Mendis. The 27-year-old, who had scored a century against India in the Asia Cup, also scored the first hundred of the ongoing tournament in the 100*(52) effort against Australia.

He joined Mahela Jayawardene as the second Sri Lankan to score a T20 World Cup century and went on to score 62(41) vs Zimbabwe in the next game. He has 199 runs in 4 innings at a strike rate of 156.69 and averages 66.33.

1 Sahibzada Farhan - 220 runs

Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan is the only batter in the group stage of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup to breach the 200-run mark. Upon touring Sri Lanka ahead of the competition, he had scored a fifty in Dambulla after a good tri-series at home earlier in November.

While Saim Ayub struggled to get going, Farhan held onto one end throughout the 4 games and scored heavily in three of the four games. At the end of the first round, he got 220 runs at a strike rate of 164.17 and an average of 73.33. The right-hander accumulated 47(31) vs the Netherlands, 73(41) vs the USA and 100*(58) vs Namibia to end up as the leading scorer.

Similar to Nissanka, Farhan also became only the second Pakistani to get a three-figure mark in this tournament, joining Ahmed Shehzad's 11*(62) vs Bangladesh in 2014.

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