2021 proved to be a wholesome year for many cricketers. Competing against countries after a lockdown of indefinite time was somewhat hard but few cricketers executed their best this year and enlisted their names in some of the prestigious records. Let's take a look at the cricketers with the most runs in T20Is in 2021.

1. Mohammad Rizwan

Mohammed Rizwan of Pakistan scored the most runs in T20I cricket this year. Rizwan has been nothing but extremely phenomenal this year. His individual contribution to the team along with some great partnerships with Babar Azam proved to be the most crucial part of Pakistan's matches. Also, he became the first batter to reach the land landmark of 2000 T20I runs in a single calendar year. In every tournament, he lifted the Pakistan team in the best way possible with his batting skills. Some of his best knocks of this year came in the 2021 T20 World Cup. The Pakistani cricketer scored 1326 runs this year in 29 matches with an average of 73.66 and a strike rate of 134. 89. Lastly, his highest score of this year was 104*.

Read also: ICC Men's Cricketer of the year winners of last ten years

2. Babar Azam

The second spot on the list of the most runs in T20Is this year is taken by the Pakistani captain Babar Azam. 2021 is surely one of the most remarkable and memorable years of him as he reached many heights in the sport this year. He stole the limelight after his terrific performance in the T20 World Cup, especially against India. Some of his best knocks of this year came in the T20I world cup and the T20 matches series England. Also, his prolific performance helped Pakistan in the T20I series against West Indies as well. The Pakistan skipper played 29 matches this year and scored 939 runs with the highest score being 122 with an average of 37.56 and a strike rate of 127.58.

3. Martin Guptill

The next ranking on this prestigious list has been obtained by Martin Guptill. The Kiwi opener has always been one of the crucial players of the New Zealand team. In 18 T20I matches, Martin hit 678 runs with his highest score being 97 with an average of 37.66 and a strike rate of 145.49. Also, he smashed 5 half-centuries this year to aggregate the total score.

4. Mitchell Marsh

Mitchell Marsh of Australia is the 4th cricketer on this list as he scored 627 runs in 21 T20I matches this year. He also smashed 6 half-centuries and completed this year with his highest score being 77 with an average of 36.88 and a strike rate of 129.81.

Read also: IPL 2022 mega auction: Auction to be held on 12 and 13 February

5. Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler sits on the 5th rank of this list with 589 T20I runs in 14 matches. The present vice-captain of the England cricket team scored 1 century and 5 half-centuries this year with the highest score being 101*. Also, he completed his T20I matches this year with an average of 65.44 and a strike rate of 143.30.

6. Mohammad Naim

Mohammad Naim is sitting on the 6th rank of this prestigious list of most runs in T20Is this year. The Bangladeshi cricketer played 26 T20I matches in 2021 where he aggregated 575 runs with an average of 23.00 and a strike rate of 100.34. Also, he hit 3 half-centuries this year and his highest score was 64.

Read also: BCCI U-16 Tournament: 16 of 30 Mumbai players proves to be an overage in bone test

7. Aiden Markram

The next batter on this list is Aiden Markram of South Africa. The Proteas batter played in 18 T20I matches this year and aggregated 570 runs. He smashed 6 half-centuries as well to score the total runs. His highest score of the year was 70 and he completed his T20I matches this year with an average of 43.84 and a strike rate of 148.82.

Read also: New Zealand drops Ajaz Patel for Bangladesh tour

8. Quinton de Kock

Sitting on the 8th rank on this list, Quinton de Kock played 14 T20I matches this year. The former captain of the South African cricket team aggregated 524 runs in T20I matches in 2021 where his highest score was 72. He aggregated all these runs with an average of 43.66 and a strike rate of 131.32.

9. Mahmudullah

Mahmudullah is the 9th ranked cricketer on this list as he scored 496 T20I runs in 26 matches this year. The Bangladeshi T20I captain also hit 2 half-centuries this year with the highest score of 52 with an average of 23.61 and a strike rate of 105.30.

Read also: Top scorers in Vijay Hazare trophy in last ten seasons

10. Evin Lewis

The last but not the least cricketer on today's least is Evin Lewis of the West Indies cricket team. The Trinidadian cricketer played 18 T20I matches in 2021 where he aggregated 489 runs with the highest score of 79. He also hit 2 half-centuries in this year as well and completed the year with an average of 28.76 and a strike rate of 155.73.

After two days of exciting show auction in Jeddah, the ten Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises were able to pick their squad for the IPL 2025. Rishabh Pant came out as the most expensive player in IPL auction's history with a humongous INR 27 cr bid from Lucknow Super Giants while Shreyas Iyer was the first player ever to get a 25 cr plus deal in an IPL auction.

Shreyas Iyer, the IPL 2024 winning captain received a 26.75 cr bid from Punjab Kings, who had released most of their players during the retention and wanted a captain in their squad. Along with him, Punjab Kings with the highest money in the purse before the auction, were responsible for three of the top 10 most expensive bids. They first brought back their fast bowler Arshdeep Singh for INR 18 cr and after Shreyas Iyer's bid, they made Yuzvendra Chahal the most expensive spinner in IPL history.

Chahal, who everyone thought could go back to RCB, was eventually bought by Punjab Kings for a whooping INR 18 cr, which was the fourth-highest bid of the auction. Meantime, the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders surprised everyone after buying back Venkatesh Iyer for INR 23 cr. They nearly fought a bidding war with Royal Challengers Bangalore to bring him back to Eden Gardens.

Jos Buttler was another marquee player, who was supposed to be big in the auction and he was Gujarat Titan's highest bid of the season at INR 15.75 cr. KL Rahul, went to Delhi Capitals for INR 14 cr, which everyone thought was another case of RCB not going all-out for a player. 

Trent Boult reunited with Jasprit Bumrah at Mumbai Indians, after the five-time champions decided to spend most of their money on retaining their core group of players. The Kiwi pacer was sold for INR 12.5 cr. Aussie pacer Josh Hazlewood also attracted the same amount of money from RCB, who were looking for a good fast bowler, after they let Mohammed Siraj go in the retention and auction as well. 

Top 10 most expensive players in IPL 2025 auction

Pakistan ended their 11-match winless streak in home Test matches with a dominating 152-run victory against the mighty England in Multan. After a disappointing defeat in the first test, this win has leveled the series to 1-1.

Pakistan has bounced back with a brilliant all-round performance to revive their faltering form in the second Test. A test team without big names like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah has proved to the world about their bench strength.

Read Also: A Flying Kiss to Glory: Kamran Ghulam’s Test Debut Steals the Spotlight

The triumph marked Pakistan's first Test victory on home soil since February 2021, bringing an end to a long spell of frustration in the longest format.

Spin Duo Dominates with Historic Performance

Major credit for Pakistan’s victory goes to spinning duo Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, who together claimed all 20 wickets in the match. Sajid concluded with figures of 7/111 and 2/93, while Noman ended with 3/101 and a career-best 8/46 in both innings. 

Their efforts were pivotal, and this performance made them only the seventh bowling duo in Test history to take every wicket in a match.

Both Sajid and Noman were absent in the first test. However, the newly appointed selection panel decided to experiment them in for the second match, which proved to be a masterstroke. Their spin-heavy attack dimantled England’s batting lineup, utilizing conditions in Multan in the best way possible.

Shan Masood Ends Six-Match Losing Streak as Captain

This win is Shan Masood's first win as a captain. Earlier, he lost 6 test matches, and luckily a win after a crashing defeat should be enough to boost his confidence as a captain.

Read Also: Shan Masood receives a special gift from PCB for completing 2000 test runs

Masood has also acknowledged the significance of the win as a crucial one in his captaincy career. Not only that, he heaped praise on his teammates. He expressed his satisfaction for the grit and hunger his mates showed on the field.

This victory not only kept Pakistan's hopes alive in the series but also provided a morale boost to a team that had struggled for consistency on home turf. The final match of the series will now determine whether Pakistan can carry forward this momentum and clinch the series against a tough English side.

The 2024 Abu Dhabi T10 is back with more excitement and star-studded line-ups to entertain the fans. Famous power-hitting stars like Dinesh Karthik, Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, and Marcus Stoinis are joining in. Rashid Khan and Lockie Ferguson are also there to bring the heat in.

Two New Teams Join the Fight

Earlier, the tournament played 8 teams, which got increased to 10 this year. This season sees two new teams: Bolts Ajman and UP Nawabs. More teams mean more action. The tournament is ready for high energy.

Defending Champs and Returning Teams

The defending champion New York Strikers will be back to protect their title. Apart from the Deccan Gladiators, others like the Northern Warriors and Delhi Bulls will be back in full strength. The Bengal Tigers and Team Abu Dhabi are also ready. Morrisville Samp Army will compete as well. The Chennai Brave Jaguars have a new name. They were formerly called The Chennai Braves.

Player Draft to Finalize Squads

Teams are doing their preparations after being done with their retentions and signings. The big Players Draft happens soon. It’s on October 17 at 6 pm UAE time. Over 400 players are up for grabs. Teams will finalize their lineups after this.

Disney Star will cover the event, airing in English and other languages. The tournament will be played from November 21 to December 2. The final will be played on UAE’s 53rd National Day at Zayed Cricket Stadium. The stadium will host until 2028. 

Team Retentions and signings

New York Strikers
New Signings: Matheesha Pathirana, Donovan Ferreira
Retentions: Kieron Pollard, Mohammad Amir, Sunil Narine, Akeal Hossain, Muhammad Waseem, Muhammad Jawadulla

Deccan Gladiators
New Signings: Jos Buttler, Anrich Nortje, Marcus Stoinis
Retentions: Maheesh Theekshana, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Tom Koher-Cadmore, Zahoor Khan

Delhi Bulls
New Signings: Wanindu Hasaranga, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Wade
Retentions: Rovman Powell, Muhammad Rohid, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazlahaq Farooqi, James Vince

Team Abu Dhabi
New Signings: Jonny Bairstow, Lockie Ferguson, Shimron Hetmyer, AM Ghazanfar
Retentions: Phil Salt, Noor Ahmad, and Kyle Mayers

Northern Warriors
New Signings: Trent Boult, Finn Allen, Johnson Charles, Sherfane Rutherford, Saqib Mahmood
Retentions: Colin Munro, Azmatullah Omarzai, Ankur Sangwan

Morrisville Samp Army
New Signings: David Willey, Imad Wasim
Retentions: Faf du Plessis, Qais Ahmad, Andries Gous

Bangla Tigers
New Signings: Shakib Al Hasan, Rashid Khan, Liam Livingstone, Iftikhar Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik
Retentions: Hazratullah Zazai, Dasun Shanaka, Joshua Little

Chennai Brave Jaguars
New Signings: Chris Lynn, Nuwan Thushara, Thisara Perera, Dan Lawrence, and Rassie van der Dussen
Retentions: Aayan Khan, George Munsey, Bhanuka Rajapaksa

UP Nawabs
New Signings: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Dawid Malan, Tymal Mills, Adil Rashid, and André Fletcher

Bolts Ajman
New Signings: James Neesham, Mujheeb Ur Rahman, Lungi Ngidi, Gulbadin Naib, Haider Ali

Kamran Ghulam, the replacement of Babar Azam in the team, has scored a steady half-century in 104 balls, raising questions about Azam's future in the test team.

Having replaced former captain Babar Azam after a crushing defeat in the first Test against England, Ghulam walked onto the Multan pitch with immense pressure on his shoulders. When Pakistan looked on the verge of crumbling, he stood calm.

However, his celebratory flying kiss towards the dugout, making Mohammad Rizwan laugh, became the talk of the town. 

Babar Azam's replacement Kamran Ghulam gave flying kiss to Babar Azam after scoring fifty on Test debut 😂 🔔 Rizwan laughing 🤣#PAKvsENG pic.twitter.com/CATGrTvysv

— Atmaram Tukaram Bhide (@BakchodBhide) October 15, 2024

Who Is Kamran Ghulam? The Man Behind the Flying Kiss

Kamran Ghulam, born on October 10, hails from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and made his first-class debut at just 17. His domestic career had enough volumes to give him his deserving seat in the national side. A prolific batter with over 4377 runs in 59 matches, averaging 49.17, however, had to wait patiently for his chance.

He represented Pakistan at the U19 World Cup in 2014 and made his international debut in an ODI against New Zealand last year. However, he did not get his chance to bat or ball in the match.

A Ravindra Jadeja fan, Ghulam stepped calmly in the trembling ship of Pakistan. His century was mostly formulated by targeting the spinners.

Babar Azam’s Exclusion: Sponsors in Search of Big Face

Babar Azam, the former captain, not being selected can look unexpected but not surprising. Let alone his face and brand value, his recent form wasn't doing enough to keep him in the playing 11.

Despite being hailed as Pakistan’s best batter by captain Shan Masood and coach Jason Gillespie, the selection committee, headed by Mohsin Naqvi, recommended Babar’s exclusion following his prolonged form slump.

Babar, since December 2022, has not even scored a single half century in international cricket. Not only that, but the early exit of Pakistan from the 2023 ODI World Cup had brought his captaincy under scrutiny.

Read Also: Babar Azam Resigns as Pakistan's White-Ball Captain for the second time 

No.of Fifties by Babar Azam in last 2 years - 0

No.of Fifties by Kamran Ghulam in just 1 match - 1 pic.twitter.com/7jRuR4o4A8

— Dinda Academy (@academy_dinda) October 15, 2024

Gillespie had stressed the need for consistency in team selection, but Babar probably got the instruction wrong. A consistently inconsistent Babar Azam scored 35 runs across two innings in the first Test against England.

Babar Azam career ends here

Replacement of Babar Azam score half century on used pitch.#PAKvsENG pic.twitter.com/GW6mZ18lhr

— Ctrl C Ctrl Memes (@Ctrlmemes_) October 15, 2024

Kamran Ghulam was brought in, not just as a replacement but as a fresh face to revive Pakistan’s batting fortunes.

But sponsors here will now have problems. Babar Azam, performing or not performing, has been the dead face for endorsements. With Babar Azam sidelined, it is a new tension for them, a new problem for them to solve.

The Pakistan cricket selectors have announced their squad for the second and third Test matches against England, which will be played in Multan and Rawalpindi on 15 and 24 October, respectively.

Taking into consideration the current form and fitness of key players and looking ahead to Pakistan’s future assignments in the 2024-25 international cricket season, the selectors have decided to give rest to Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Abrar Ahmed (who is recovering from dengue fever) was unavailable for selection.

The four players have been replaced by Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, Kamran Ghulam (all uncapped), fast bowler Mohammad Ali and off-spinner Sajid Khan. Noman Ali and Zahid Mehmood, who were initially part of the original first Test squad but were subsequently released, have also been included in the 16-player squad.

Read Also | Test Cricket vs. T20: The Impact of a Shorter Format on the Traditional Game

Squad (for 2nd and 3rd Tests):

Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah (wicket-keeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha and Zahid Mehmood.

“Selecting the squad for the upcoming Tests against England has been a challenging task for the selectors. We’ve had to carefully consider current player form, the urgency to bounce back in the series and Pakistan’s demanding 2024-25 international schedule. With these factors in mind and in the best interest of Pakistan cricket as well as the players, we’ve made the decision to rest Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shaheen Shah Afridi," Aqib Javed said.