Hetmyer breaks Pooran's T20I feat [Source: AFP]The year 2026 has belonged to the West Indian batter, Shimron Hetmyer, who has taken his T20 game to another level. In the third T20I against India, the southpaw created a record to become the West Indian batter with the most T20I runs in a calendar year.Hetmyer dominated the proceedings in the T20 World Cup 2026, and he continued the good work in the subsequent matches, including the third T20I against the Men in Blue.Most T20I runs for West Indies in a calendar yearEarlier, the record for the most T20I runs in a calendar year by a West Indian batter was held by Nicholas Pooran, and Hetmyer surpassed the feat on Sunday.614 - Shimron Hetmyer in 2026*582 - Nicholas Pooran in 2022556 - Shai Hope in 2025Pooran had accumulated 582 runs in 2022, whereas, Shai Hope, the West Indian opener had amassed 556, just last year.ALSO READWas Shimron Hetmyer Out or Not Out? ICC Rule Explained Over Controversial Run-OutBreaking down Hetmyer's runs across seriesThe southpaw has 614 runs under his name this year, and the journey started in the T20I series against Afghanistan, where he scored 62 runs. In the following series against South Africa, the left-handed batter accumulated 171 runs.His best performance of the year came in the T20 World Cup 2026, when the destructive player smashed 248 runs, with a strike rate of 186.47. He then scored 85 runs in the three-match series against Sri Lanka, followed by 48 in the ongoing India matches.Courtesy of his sublime 43 off 26 balls, the West Indian surpassed Pooran to score the most T20I runs for his nation in a calendar year. With plenty of matches still left this year, Hetmyer has a chance to score more runs.2026, Hetmyer's best year in T20IsIn terms of runs, Hetmyer had a dream year, smashing 614 runs, with a strike rate of 180.70. However, this year saw him score match-winning fifties and help his side win crucial games.In his entire career, 2026 was the year when the southpaw played a large chunk of his T20I matches (19), and he has already smacked 46 sixes this year, showcasing his brute power.This year, his average has gone up (35.69), and his strike rate has reached 180, which has made him a dangerous batter in this format.ALSO READWatch- Arshdeep Singh Shatters Middle Stump To Knock Over Shai Hope In 3rd T20I
