ABP Live Sports Stats: The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is on the horizon with India’s title defense at home without their veteran stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Its now time for their new stars to shine on the biggest stage, just like how many greats of the sport have in previous renditions of the tournament, particularly in the final, delivering match-winning performances on most occasions.
As we wait for the next big thing in the pinnacle of the shortest format, let’s take a look back at the top run-scorers of every single ICC T20 World Cup final played over the years.
Best Batsmen In T20 World Cup Finals
Nine T20 World Cups have been played thus far, and here are the top run-scorers in each of their finals:
1) Gautam Gambhir – India vs Pakistan Final 2007
Batting first, India needed to post a challenging total on the board, playing against their arch rivals Pakistan. Gambhir anchored the innings with a 54-ball 75.
2) Kumar Sangakkara – Sri Lanka vs Pakistan Final 2009
Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara scored 64 runs off 52 deliveries, the highest individual score of the match, albeit unfortunately in a losing cause.
3) Craig Kieswetter – Australia vs England Final 2010
The T20 World Cup 2010 Final was a rendition of the iconic Ashes rivalry in the shortest format, which saw England win their first-ever World Cup of any sort. Their opener, Craig Kieswetter top scored with a knock of 63 off 49 balls.
4) Marlon Samuels – West Indies vs Sri Lanka Final 2012
West Indies won their first-ever T20 World Cup against Sri Lanka, despite posting a target of just 138 runs. Marlon Samuels did most of the heavy-lifting for the side, scoring 78 off 56, emerging as the top run-scorer in the final.
5) Virat Kohli – India vs Sri Lanka Final 2014
India’s modern era cricketing icon, Virat Kohli, had one of his best T20 World Cup knocks in the final of the tournament’s 2014 edition. He made 77 off 58 balls, but rest of the batting lineup perished, only posting a 131-run target that they would fail to defend.
6) Marlon Samuels – West Indies vs England Final 2016
Marlon Samuels once again came good for the West Indies in a T20 World Cup final, this time against England, scoring 85 runs off 66 deliveries. However, Carlos Brathwaite’s four sixes in the final over stole the show.
7) Kane Williamson – Australia vs New Zealand Final 2021
Kane Williamson has been one of New Zealand’s best cricketers in the modern age, and he led from the front in the T20 World Cup 2021 Final, scoring 85 runs off just 45 balls! Unfortunately, the Kiwis were unable to defend their score.
8) Ben Stokes – England vs Pakistan Final 2022
England’s prolific all-rounder, Ben Stokes, was the best batsman in England’s second T20 World Cup victory, scoring 52 runs in the final against Pakistan, chasing 138 runs.
9) Virat Kohli – India vs South Africa Final 2024
In his second T20 World Cup final, Virat Kohli was once again the top run-scorer, making 76 runs off 59 balls. This was an extremely crucial inning, as the Men in Blue sealed their second title in a close-fought clash.
