Kieron Pollard surpasses Chris Gayle to become leading run-getter in T20 cricket

Former West Indies captain Kieron Pollard added another glorious chapter to his illustrious T20 career by becoming the highest run-scorer in the history of the shortest format. The veteran all-rounder surpassed fellow Caribbean legend Chris Gayle during MI New York’s Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026 encounter against Washington Freedom.

Pollard achieved the landmark while producing a magnificent century for the New York-based franchise. The hard-hitting finisher crossed Gayle’s tally of 14,562 runs

and moved to the top of the all-time T20 run-scoring charts with 14,582 runs at the end of his innings. The knock of 100 not-out also marked only the second T20 century of the Trinidad-born's career.

The 39-year-old’s achievement further highlights his remarkable longevity and consistency in 20-over cricket. The batting all-rounder is already the only player in the history of the game to feature in more than 700 T20 matches and has now played 736 games across various leagues and tournaments played globally.

Despite Pollard’s record-breaking knock, New York ended up on the losing side as Washington registered a convincing 30-run victory in a high-scoring contest. Batting first, Washington posted a massive 245/5 in their allotted 20 overs. The innings was headlined by a sensational 155 off just 68 deliveries from Mitchell Owen, who dominated the New York bowling attack with a breathtaking display of power-hitting.

In response, MI New York suffered an early collapse as Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran and Monank Patel departed cheaply, leaving the team struggling at 34/3. Pollard then launched a counterattack and kept his side’s hopes alive with a brilliant unbeaten 100 off 56 balls, but it wasn't enough as his team eventually fell short of the target at the Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas.

During the course of his innings, he overtook Gayle to become the leading run-scorer in T20 cricket history. MI New York eventually finished on 215/6, falling 30 runs short of Washington Freedom’s total.

Highest run-getters in T20 cricket

Rank	Player	Innings	Runs	Average
1	Kieron Pollard	653	14582	31.83
2	Chris Gayle	455	14562	36.22
3	Alex Hales	523	14449	29.91
4	Jos Buttler	481	14371	35.05
5	David Warner	438	14284	37.29
6	Virat Kohli	413	14218	42.44

*data updated as of June 21, 2026