T20 World Cup 2021 witnessed some of the best performances by cricketers with both bat and ball. Many broke several records and registered some memorable moments in T20 history. Let's take a look at the top 8 run scorers of the T20 World Cup 2021.

1. Babar Azam

Babar Azam, the captain of the Pakistan cricket team is the highest run-scorer of the T20 World Cup 2021. Pakistan got eliminated from the tournament in the semi-final against Australia. Babar Azam led the team to victories and played some incredible knocks for the team as well. In 6 innings, the Pakistani cricketer aggregated 303 runs with an average of 60.60 and a strike rate of 126.25. Also, he hit 4 half-centuries with the highest score of 70.

Read also: Player of the series winners in T20 World Cup History

2. David Warner

The 2021 T20 world cup has been a blessing for David Warner. After getting sacked from Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2021, David Warner prove this caliber in this tournament and scored 289 runs for Australia in 7 innings. Some of his crucial knocks helped the team to reach the final and also win the trophy. Lastly, he played at a batting average of 48.16 and scored 3 half-centuries.

Read also: Top 8 Wicket-takers of T20 World Cup 2021

3. Mohammad Rizwan

Mohammad Rizwan is the second Pakistani cricketer to be on this list after Babar Azam. He played in 6 innings and scored 281 runs at a batting average of 70.25. Pakistan might have lost to Australia in the semifinal but the innings battered by Mohammed Rizwan will always remain memorable and special for the Pakistan cricket team. Just a few days before the semifinal the cricketer was admitted to the ICU but he came back stronger with utmost dedication towards the match. He scored 67 runs in 52 balls and also this was the highest run scored by any Pakistan cricketer on that match.

Read also: T20 World Cup 2021: Man of the series, highest wicket-taker, and highest run-getter

4. Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler sits in the fourth position on this list with 269 runs. He is undoubtedly one of the best white-ball batters and he proves his efficiency at every opportunity. The vice-captain of the England cricket team scored 269 runs in 6 innings with a batting average of 89.66. His total runs also include 1 century and 1 hal-century.

5. Charith Asalanka

Next on this list is Charith Asalanka in the fifth position. The Sri Lankan cricketer scored 231 runs in 6 innings with a batting average of 46.20 and a strike rate of 147.13. His total runs also include two half-centuries and his highest score is 80*.

Read also: "No one is more disappointed than me": Hasan Ali after T20 World Cup 2021 exit

6. David Wiese

Next, on this list is David Wiese from Namibia. Wiese played in 8 innings and aggregated a total of 227 runs including a half-century. His highest score in this tournament was 66 with an average of 45.40 and a strike rate of 12 7.5 2

7. Pathum Nissanka

Read also: USA and West Indies are likely to host the 2024 T20 World Cup

Pathum Nissanka is the second Sri Lankan cricketer on this list with 221 runs in 8 matches. The Sri Lankan cricketer scored 3 half-centuries with the highest score of 72, a batting average of 27.62, and a strike rate of 1 7.55 to aggregate the total.

8. Kane Williamson

The 8th cricketer on this list is the New Zealand captain Kane Williamson. As usual Kane Williamson proved to be a very important batter for New Zealand in this tournament. He played in 7 innings and aggregated 216 runs. With a batting average of 43.20 and a strike rate of 115.50, he scored 216 runs. His highest score in the tournament is 85 and he scored it against Australia in the final.

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

On Friday, Cricket Australia (CA) officially announced that David Warner’s lifetime leadership ban has been lifted. Thus, Warner can captain his side in the Big Bash League, which is Sydney Thunder. 

The 37-year-old David Warner received this after 6 years of his exile. The decision was made after a thorough review by an independent three-member panel.

Why was David Warner banned?

In 2018, Warner was involved in the Sandpaper scandal known as “Sandpaper Gate,” during the third test against South Africa at Cape Town. Cameron Bancroft, who actively participated in the scandal, and Steve Smith, under whose leadership it happened, were the two names involved.

Warner, who was the vice-captain of the Australian team at the time, was alleged to be the main instigator behind the scandal. As a result, he received a one-year suspension from playing cricket, and a lifetime ban from leadership.

The then-captain, Steve Smith, received a 12-month leadership ban, while Cameron Bancroft was suspended for nine months for his direct involvement in tampering with the ball.

Warner's lifetime leadership lifted as he followed all the restriction

Earlier this month, Warner appealed to the independent review panel. He not only presented his case but also presented references from the present Australian captain Pat Cummins, coach Andrew McDonald, and his former IPL teammate Kane Williamson.

The panel unanimously found Warner to have fulfilled all the criteria required for the ban to be lifted. The panel noted Warner’s "respectful and contrite tone" and acknowledged his “genuine remorse” for his actions.

"David Warner's conduct and behavior since the imposition of the sanction have been exemplary," the panel said, highlighting his substantial personal growth. 

They were also confident that Warner would not further engage in similar conflicts in his remaining career. Not only that, the panel has highlighted his sportsmanship and that he no longer involves himself in sledging or provoking his opponents.

Cricket Australia’s Statement and Future Prospects

Nick Hockley, CEO of Cricket Australia, expressed satisfaction after Warner's lifetime captaincy ban has been lifted. 

"We updated the Code of Conduct to ensure a fair and rigorous process for reviewing long-term sanctions," Hockley said. "David has shown immense growth, and we are pleased he is now eligible to assume leadership positions again."

With Warner's lifetime ban being lifted, he is all set to captain Sydney Thunder in the upcoming BBL season. Despite retiring from international cricket in 2024, Warner’s renewed eligibility for leadership roles opens up new opportunities for him in domestic competitions.

A good opening partnership sets the tone wonderfully for a side to take control in cricket. Their task gets a lot more difficult in Test cricket, where they have to see through new ball trouble to ensure the batters following them can score freely. Like the ODI and T20 world cups, the International Cricket Council (ICC) opted to appease Test cricket with the World Test Championship. Although it had only just begun in 2019, it had seen some excellent opening partnerships along the way with stellar averages. Let's take a look at those opening pairs that have the highest opening partnership average in WTC history.

Also Read: Most Runs in WTC 2023-25

Highest opening partnership average (WTC)

1# Yashasvi Jaiswal & Rohit Sharma (IND)

Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal set the record for the fastest fifty-plus partnership in Test cricket history during the fourth day of play in the second Test match between India and Bangladesh at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. The Indian duo batted at a run-rate of 14.34 making them the first pair to register a half-century at a scoring rate of more than two runs per ball. 

In 22 matches, the Indian pair scored 1163 runs with three centuries and 5 half-centuries, maintaining an impressive average of 52.86. 

2# Zak Crawley & Ben Duckett (ENG)

Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett's opening partnership has been one of the most crucial parts of England's successes in the Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum era, which has drawn to an end the decade of insecurity in establishing a long-term pairing at the top of the order. But beyond the stability, they’re starting to establish themselves among the most prolific England opening partnerships from years gone by.

In 31 innings, the duo scored 1314 runs with an impressive average of 42.38. They also amassed one century and 10 half-centuries together, with their highest score being 233.

Also Read: World Test Championship qualification: India needs to win 5, draw 1

3# Usman Khawaja & David Warner (AUS)

Australia’s opening batters Usman Khawaja and David Warner have grown up together since junior cricket and have had a long-term association in international cricket. The duo have batted together in 64 innings in Test cricket and have scored 2771 between themselves. 

Khawaja and Warner batted together in 40 innings and scored 1493 runs with an outstanding average of 38.28. They smashed 3 centuries and 9 half-centuries, with a highest score of 156 in WTC.

4# Devon Conway & Tom Latham (NZ)

Devon Conway and Tom Latham possess an opening pair that might just go on to become the envy of the world. Since his debut in Test cricket in February 2014, Latham has been a fixture at the top of New Zealand's order in Test cricket. While in 2022, Conway became the fastest New Zealand batter to 1000 Test runs, getting there in 19 innings.

In 23 innings, the Kiwi duo scored 872 runs with an impressive average of 37.91. They also amassed two century and five half-centuries together, with their highest score being 183.

Also Read: Most Test centuries in the World Test Championship

5# Pathum Nissanka & Dimuth Karunaratne (SL)

Sri Lankan pair of Pathum Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne is a fresh one when it comes to opening together in Test Cricket. They have made a hugely impressive start to their alliance at the top in WTC cycle. Nissanka and Karunaratne have opened together in 12 innings in WTC and have scored 444 runs as a pair at an average of 37.00, with two hundred stands.

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