Pakistan’s wicket-keeper batter, Mohammad Rizwan broke the world record of most runs in T20 cricket in a calendar year. Rizwan surpassed West Indian batter, Chris Gayle, who previously held the record for most runs in a calendar year.
Rizwan achieved the feat during Pakistan’s thumping 72-run victory over Scotland in the 2021 T20 World Cup. Rizwan managed to score only 15 runs in the match but it was enough to take him past Gayle for the most runs in a calendar year.
The 29-year old has scored 1,676 runs at an average of 57.79 in 38 innings in T20 cricket in 2021. He has also scored 15 half-centuries and one century since the beginning of the year. Chris Gayle, on the other hand, had scored 1,665 runs at an average of 59.46 in 36 innings in 2015. He had scored 10 half-centuries and 3 centuries in the calendar year.
Here are the batters with the most runs in one year:
| Player | Innings | Runs | Average | Year |
| Mohammad Rizwan* | 38 | 1,676 | 57.79 | 2021 |
| Chris Gayle | 36 | 1,665 | 59.46 | 2015 |
| Babar Azam* | 36 | 1,627 | 54.23 | 2021 |
| Virat Kohli | 29 | 1,614 | 89.66 | 2016 |
| Babar Azam | 39 | 1,607 | 45.91 | 2019 |
Rizwan also holds the record for most runs in T20Is in a calendar year. He has scored 966 runs at an average of 87.81 and a strike rate of 137.02 in international cricket in 2021. Rizwan also became the first player to score ten 50+ scores in T20Is in a calendar year. He has scored 9 half-centuries and one century in T20Is in 2021.
The gritty wicket-keeper batter has been one of the best batters in T20 cricket over the past year. His record-breaking year has seen him jump to the fourth spot in ICC T20I batters rankings and he looks set to inch closer to Babar Azam if he continues to perform in the remaining matches in the 2021 T20 World Cup.
