T20 World Cup: How the shortest format has evolved with each edition

T20 cricket format witnessed its biggest coming with the 2007 World Cup which was won by MS Dhoni-captained India in a thrilling manner against Pakistan in Johannesburg. Since then, the tournament has been played intermittently with seven more editions in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2021 and 2022. The newest edition will get underway on 1 June with West Indies and the USA playing co-hosts.

With the 2024 T20 World Cup approaching, we take a look at some of the key stats and facts. We will also analyse if the T20 format evolved as each edition came and went.

Most appearances in T20 World Cups

Rohit Sharma of India and Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh are the two players who have played the most number of T20 World Cups. The duo have played all eight editions of the extravaganza.

However, it is Rohit who has played the most T20 World Cup matches (39) — three more than the former Bangladesh skipper Shakib. Tillakaratne Dilshan of Sri Lanka has played 35 matches over the years while Dwayne Bravo, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik and David Warner have all played 34 matches each.

At the 2024 tournament, only Rohit, Shakib and Warner will be able to add to this list with the others all retired.

Highest run scorers

Virat Kohli has the most runs in T20 World Cups with 1,141 runs from five editions. He was the highest run-getter in the 2014 tournament with 319 runs from six matches – the highest by any batter in a single edition.

Behind him are Mahela Jayawardena (1,016 runs), Chris Gayle (965 runs), Rohit Sharma (963 runs) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (897 runs). Again, only Rohit can play catch-up with his India teammate during the upcoming tournament in Americas.

Meanwhile, Kohli enters the T20 World Cup after a prolific Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign where he emerged as the top-scorer to win the Orange Cap with 741 runs.

Most runs by each edition

The first edition of the T20 World Cup saw over 7,000 runs being scored and that remained the threshold for the next three tournaments as well. In 2014, as the tournament expanded from 12 teams to 16, it naturally allowed for more runs to be scored from more matches played. In the 2014 edition held in Bangladesh, the 9,000 run mark was breached with 9,125 runs being scored by teams across the board. That boundary was beaten again two years later.

In the COVID-delayed 2021 edition took place in UAE and Oman, from Australia and then India originally, and produced a gluttony of runs. Teams scored a massive 11,479 runs on batter friendly conditions. A year later, in Australia, the shellacking for the bowlers continued with 11,169 runs.

When looked at edition-on-edition basis, the 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2021 T20 World Cup tournaments went above the one preceding it in terms of runs scored. Meanwhile, at the other end, the 2010 tournament saw 6,967 runs being scored vs 7,201 runs in 2009 for a 3.25 per cent drop.

Highest wicket-takers

On to the bowlers. The top-five list of highest wicket-takers in T20 World Cups is dominated by spinners and headed by Shakib. The Bangladesh left-arm spinner holds a substantial lead with 47 wickets to his name. And he will be keen on adding to this tally and potentially reach a remarkable 50 scalps at the upcoming tournament.

Shahid Afridi (39), Lasith Malinga (38), Saeed Ajmal (36), Ajantha Mendis, Umar Gul (35) are behind Shakib in the highest wicket-takers list. Malinga is the only seamer in this list.

Among active players, R Ashwin (32) and Wanindu Hasaranga (31) can play catch-up with Shakib but with the India spinner not headed to the T20 World Cup, it is on to the Sri Lankan captain.

Most wickets by each edition

Are teams taking more wickets and if yes, how many more? All editions, but two, have seen more wickets being taken from the previous tournament. The 2010 tournament saw 318 wickets fall and in the next edition, in 2012, 26 fewer wickets fell — an 8 per cent drop.

The in 2014, 386 wickets were taken only for nine wickets fewer to go down in the next tournament two years later for just a 2 per cent drop.

At the other end, the biggest gap between two consecutive editions in terms of wickets came in the form of 2014 vs 2012 — 386 wickets after 292. And then, between 2021 and 2016 editions with 491 wickets falling in UAE and Oman - the highest in the tournament history - versus 377 in the tournament held in India.

Most sixes

Overall, Chris Gayle has hit the most number of maximums in T20 World Cup history. The ‘Universe Boss’ has thundered 63 sixes in tournaments over the years — well ahead of Rohit Sharma’s 35 in second place.

England’s Jos Buttler and India’s Yuvraj Singh have hit the same number (33) followed by Shane Watson and Warner (31) to compete the table toppers.

Of course, Yuvraj scored six of those in one single over, smacking England’s Stuart Broad all over the park with consecutive meaty hits in the 2007 edition.

Of the above, only Rohit, England captain Buttler and Warner will be able to add to their tally at the upcoming tournament.

Are teams hitting more sixes? Not consistently. The 2014, 2016 and 2021 editions saw more sixes than the previous one — 77, 14 and 91 more respectively.

But, with bigger grounds and bigger boundaries as a result, Australia’s 2022 T20 World Cup saw a serious drop from the one in Oman and UAE before it. Teams hit 405 sixes in 2021 — a record for a single edition — only to follow it up with 331. But the record for fewest number of sixes in a T20 World Cup is 166 during the 2009 T20 World Cup which was held in England.