Kieron Pollard surpasses Chris Gayle to become T20 cricket's leading run-scorer
Dallas, June 21
Kieron Pollard added another remarkable chapter to his glittering T20 career by becoming the highest run-scorer in men's T20 cricket, surpassing his fellow Caribbean great Chris Gayle as he scored a century for MI New York in Major League Cricket 2026 on Saturday.
The former West Indies captain reached the milestone in style, smashing a six during his unbeaten knock of 100 off 56 balls against Washington Freedom. Pollard moved past Gayle's tally of 14,562 runs and now sits atop the all-time T20 run-scoring charts with 14,582 runs from 736 matches.
The achievement also underlines Pollard's extraordinary longevity in the shortest format. He is also the only cricketer in history to have played more than 700 T20 matches, having featured in leagues across the globe for nearly two decades.
However, Pollard's landmark innings came in a losing cause as Washington Freedom secured a commanding 30-run victory, having posted a massive 245 for 5.
The match was dominated by Australian all-rounder Mitchell Owen, who produced a breathtaking innings of 155 from just 68 deliveries, the highest individual score in MLC history. Owen raced to a 41-ball century and struck the ball to all parts of the ground, finishing with one of the most destructive knocks seen in the competition.
Supported by useful contributions from Steve Smith and Mark Chapman, Freedom set MI New York a daunting target of 246.
The chase got off to a disastrous start for MI New York as Quinton de Kock and Monank Patel departed in the opening over, while Glenn Maxwell removed Nicholas Pooran soon after to leave the batting side reeling. At 64 for 5, the contest appeared over before Pollard launched a spirited counterattack.
The veteran power-hitter stitched together important partnerships with Romario Shepherd and Corbin Bosch, keeping the scoreboard moving while bringing up only the second T20 century of his career. Pollard eventually reached the three-figure mark off the final ball of the innings, finishing unbeaten with 11 fours and four sixes.
Despite the defeat, the day belonged to Pollard, whose latest milestone places him alone at the summit of T20 cricket's run-scoring charts. Gayle remains second with 14,562 runs, followed by Alex Hales (14,449), Jos Buttler (14,371), David Warner (14,284) and Virat Kohli (14,218) -- the only six batters to have crossed the 14,000-run mark in T20 cricket.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Kohli at 14,218 runs in T20s – he's not far behind! But Pollard deserves this moment. Coming from a small island nation and becoming the GOAT of T20 cricket is no small feat. Also, Mitchell Owen's 155 off 68... that's the kind of hitting we love in India! Pure entertainment 🎉
To be honest, I think T20 run records don't mean as much when you consider players like Pollard have played double the matches of someone like Kohli in leagues across the world. But credit where it's due – surviving 700+ matches is a different kind of achievement. The man is a true T20 warrior 💪
As someone who's followed T20 cricket from the early days, it's amazing to see how far the format has come. Pollard and Gayle have been synonymous with Caribbean power-hitting. But it's a shame the century came in a losing cause – those 245 runs needed were just too much. Washington Freedom's Owen was on fire!
Watching Pollard bat is like watching a festival of sixes – reminds me of IPL nights in India! But I wish he'd done it in a winning cause. Still, 100 off 56 balls when your team is 64/5 is the kind of fight we love! And Owen's 155... that's just next level. MLC is really becoming fun to watch!
Everyone is talking about Pollard, but can we appreciate Mitchell Owen for a moment? A 41-ball century and the highest score in
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