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Truth be told, West Indies are not just a cricket team; they are that fable of world cricket that though captivates attention and from world over, but also hugely disappoints. Once glorious, now in the doldrums, the West Indies are a labyrinth of despair that evokes emotion and reactions from geographies far beyond their own. The West Indies are mighty when they get going, but only when they get going, and are more often than not, a disjointed team that resembles a broken piece of rhythm that plays to its own tune. There's been a growing sense of discord within their ranks with players who despite their obvious and natural love for the game, fail to pack a punch when wearing the West Indian jersey.
The West Indies bring so much love and fun to the game and yet, depict a gloomy picture. They are a magnum opus that can be. They are like the pugilist who misfires a punch in the ring! The roller coaster that is long beyond its peaks and climbs and on the path of a constant downward spiral! A world challenging, record breaking operatic rhythm that still needs the final touches and poetic narrative be damned, the West Indies cricket team commands interest but also panicky glares, disappointed frowns and confused hearts. And yet, their batsmen in cricket's briefest format are experiencing individual highs. How? Let us visit the men responsible for most T20I runs for West Indies.
List of highest run-getters for West Indies in T20Is
Nicholas Pooran
The fact that Nicholas Pooran, the highest-ever T20I run maker for the West Indies called time on his international career, isn't just a big shock for his Caribbean team, but a surprise for world cricket fans on the whole.
From 106 matches, Pooran scored 2275 runs with a highest score of 98 along with 13 fifties.
Still very much young, absolutely destructive and fearless against most of the world's bowlers, Pooran was settled on the wicket and looked forward to disrupting bowlers and their economy rates.
And yet, that the West Indies cricket board failed to retain the man responsible for most T20I runs for the West Indies, shows both - a particular lacking on the part of the cricketing administration in the Caribbean and even the player's desire to represent national duties.
Perhaps a topic of consternation that may not have a particularly satisfying answer anytime soon!
Rovman Powell
The name that sits second on the list of most T20I runs for the West Indies, Rovman Powell, able and destructive, recently went past Chris Gayle's run tally for the Windies in the game's shortest format. During his knock of 28 against Australia in the fourth T20l, former T20I captain, Powell scored a fighting cameo, which didn't help his team's cause but took his overall run tally to 1925 T20I runs.
He is about to play his 100th T20 international for the West Indies side and has up to this point, been a West Indian loyalist who despite starring in different leagues around the world, still very much turns out for the national team. His ability to hit the ball well and often times over the ropes, makes Powell a desirable T20 candidate, irrespective of what league and where it is being played but again in times where the West Indies team is so desperately looking for a breakthrough and for a way to rebuilt at its core, it is imperative for experienced candidates like the Jamaican to stay on for national contention.
Chris Gayle
There are batters. There are attacking batters and then, there's the Universe Boss. What possible T20 league has this two-time T20 World Cup winner not played for is a puzzling question. With massive six hitting experience and a fanbase that measures in millions, Gayle, even today represents some of the best ideals that the West Indies, not always successful, stand for. And that's: A - a love for the game and B - an appetite of destroying any kind of bowling attack.
Chris Gayle shot to worldwide fame after his two triple hundreds in Test match cricket, not too long after which he destroyed South Africa courtesy his epic 117, that came in the maiden contest of the first-ever T20 World Cup.
He would then hit blazing knocks around the world, reach the IPL, further West Indies cricket's appeal to different parts of the globe, up the ante of big hitting and remind bowlers of why cricket is still very much a batter's game.
Unflusterd, unhurried by anything in particular, one of the man responsible for the most T20I runs for the West Indies, clubbed 1899 on his own from 79 international matches. He's also scored 2 T20I centuries for his national team.
Evin Lewis
When he got going, they said, the West Indies had found another Chris Gayle. Now, that he is here, there's no moniker being anointed to the left hander; as there could only be one - Evin Lewis.
The destructive batter from Trinidad has scored 1782 T20I runs for the West Indies from just 65 games with a strike rate touching 155.
But the thing that should concern Evin Lewis, the man responsible for the fourth highest T20I runs for the West Indies is his apparent association with injuries. The two are, more often than not, in harm's way.
And Lewis, such a great find for the West Indies team, should be cautious about recurring injuries that can often pose a threat to his career thereby leading to inconsistencies with the bat.
Lewis has also, over the years, worked on his game against spin, which isn't usually a West Indian strength.
Brandon King
To those die-hard fans of world cricket for whom the best players or most sought after cricketers, more often than not, hail from India, England or Australia, Brandon King is a reminder to not take the West Indies batting lightly. The man who recently made his Test debut and also scored a fluent 75 against Australia, is responsible for the fifth highest T20I runs for the West Indies.
The tall Jamaican has already scored 1648 runs from 65 innings including 13 half centuries. He is yet to score a three-figure mark and his maiden ODI ton came in 2023, which in complete contrast to his national team, was a successful year for the man himself.
A top order batter who plays in aggressively, meets elegant mould, King could really go a long way and must stay cautious about playing inconsistently, which is often the sad West Indian template.
Together with stable figureheads in the national side such as Shai Hope, Windies' white-ball captain, it is hoped that Brandon King, who is a joy to watch, will be able to make the most of his great potential.
FAQs
Who is West Indies' highest run-getter in T20Is?
The recently retired Nicholas Pooran has scored 2275 T20I runs for the West Indies. His retirement is still a shocker!
What are Chris Gayle's T20I numbers like?
From 79 matches, Chris Gayle scored 1899 runs with 2 hundreds and 14 fifties.
