ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024: Nicholas Pooran reduces Chris Gayle's all-time T20I record to dust
Nicholas Pooran hasn't quite performed the way he would have liked in the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup thus far. The southpaw scored 27 and 22 against Papua New Guinea and Uganda leading into the game against New Zealand.
Nicholas Pooran shattered a major T20I record that previously belonged to 'The Universe Boss' Chris Gayle during his 12-ball stay in the middle against New Zealand on Thursday, June 13 (as per IST).
Pooran surpassed Christopher Henry Gayle to become the all-time leading run-getter for the Men in Maroon in T20 Internationals (T20Is).
Leading into the game against the Blackcaps at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad, Pooran just needed to score three runs to go past Chris Gayle. The flamboyant batter scored 17 runs off 12 balls and broke Gayle's record during the course of his knock.
However, Pooran failed to make the most out of the start and got out to Tim Southee on the penultimate ball of the fourth over. Southee surprised the southpaw with a short delivery and the latter failed to remain in control of the shot. The ball ballooned in the air and was held safely by the wicketkeeper Devon Conway.
Leading run-getters for the West Indies in T20Is
| Player | Matches | Runs |
| Nicholas Pooran | 91 | 1914 |
| Chris Gayle | 79 | 1899 |
| Marlon Samuels | 67 | 1611 |
| Kieron Pollard | 101 | 1569 |
| Lendl Simmons | 68 | 1527 |
| Evin Lewis | 53 | 1465 |
| Brandon King | 53 | 1365 |
| Rovman Powell | 74 | 1351 |
| Dwayne Bravo | 91 | 1255 |
| Johnson Charles | 54 | 1206 |
While Gayle played 79 matches to score 1899 runs in T20Is, it took Pooran 91 games to overtake the West Indian legend. The Universe Boss aggregated two centuries and 14 half-centuries during the course of his T20I playing career whereas Pooran is yet to register a three-figure mark in his career.
Gayle also has a better T20I strike rate than Pooran. The 44-year-old scored his T20I runs at a strike rate of 137.50 while Pooran has amassed his runs at a strike rate of 134.03. Marlon Samuels is third on the list of the leading run-scorers for West Indies with 1611 runs.