WI vs NZ: Nicholas Pooran topples Chris Gayle to score most T20I runs for West Indies

Nicholas Pooran has become the leading run-scorer for the West Indies in T20Is after going past the legendary Chris Gayle.

The southpaw achieved the huge landmark during the T20 World Cup 2024 Group C match against West Indies on Thursday, June 13 at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad.

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Gayle had 1899 runs from 79 matches at an average of 27.92 and a strike-rate of 137.50 with 2 centuries and 14 half-centuries to his game. He is currently one of the ambassadors of the World Cup along with Yuvraj Singh, Usain Bolt and Yuvraj Singh. Even while not playing competitive cricket for quite some time, Gayle remains one of the most popular figures in the cricket fraternity.

As far as Pooran was concerned, coming to bat at No.3 he was only 2 runs short of the landmark prior to the game against the Kiwis. He went past Gayle with a streaky boundary through the third man region off Trent Boult, who got the wicket of Johnson Charles in the very first over.

Nicholas Pooran fails to get going
However, Pooran could not carry on for long as Tim Southee accounted for his wicket. Pooran tried to take the attack to the Kiwi bowlers before giving his wicket away. Southee bowled a short-pitched ball and the batter for a heave on the leg side.

However, the ball got big on Pooran, who clearly failed to get proper timing. Devon Conway settled himself under the ball and completed the catch easily. With Pooran departing, the hosts were reduced to 20 for 2 in 3.5 overs. Pooran departed after scoring 17 runs off 12 balls with 3 fours.

In 91 T20Is, Pooran has scored 1914 runs at an average of 25.52. Pooran is also looking to become the first Caribbean batter to score 2000 runs in T20Is.