Kieron Pollard etched his name deeper into cricketing folklore by becoming the highest scorer in T20 cricket history, surpassing the West Indies legend Chris Gayle during the outstanding innings for MI New York in the 2026 Major League Cricket season.The former West Indies captain achieved a milestone as he scored his second career T20 Century, taking his tally to 14,582 runs and surpassing Gayle’s long-standing record of 14,562 runs. Pollard’s latest feat is yet another testament to his incredible longevity, consistency and impact in the shortest format of the game.Pollard is also the only cricketer in history to feature in more than 700 T20 matches and has now played 736 matches in domestic leagues around the world.
Most runs in T20 cricket history
| Rank | Players | Matches | run | Centuries | Fifties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kieron Pollard | 736 | 14,582 | 2 | 67 |
| 2 | Chris Gayle | 463 | 14,562 | 22 | 88 |
| 3 | Alex Hales | 528 | 14,449 | 7 | 92 |
| 4 | Jos Buttler | 510 | 14,371 | 8 | 102 |
| 5 | David Warner | 438 | 14,284 | 10 | 118 |
| 6 | Virat Kohli | 430 | 14,218 | 10 | 110 |
These six batsmen remain the only players to cross the 14,000-run mark in T20 cricket.
Pollard’s historic century ended in defeat
Despite Kieron Pollard’s historic century and record achievement as the highest run-scorer in T20 cricket, MI New York suffered a 30-run defeat at the hands of Washington Freedom at MLC 2026.Washington Freedom posted a formidable 245/5, thanks to Mitchell Owen’s sensational 155 off 68 balls, while Steve Smith and Mark Chapman provided valuable support. In reply, MI New York’s chase faltered early as Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran and Monank Patel all fell cheaply, leaving the side at 34/3.Pollard responded with a brilliant 100 off 56 balls to surpass Chris Gayle’s all-time T20 runs record during the innings. However, contributions from Corbin Bosch (35) and Romari Shepherd (26) were not enough as MI New York finished on 215/6. Glenn Maxwell’s all-round display, including 2/37 with the ball, helped Washington Freedom secure a memorable win.
