New Delhi: Afghanistan's wicketkeeper batsman Mohammad Shahzad has now surpassed Indian skipper Virat Kohli for most T20I runs. The news came within few minutes of the start of the third T20I match between Afghanistan and Ireland at Greater Noida stadium on Sunday.


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It was the second ball of the first over, with Barry McCarthy into the attack. He went for a short and wide delivery giving the opener a chance to push it down backward point for a boundary and with that, Shahzad surpassed Kohli for most runs in T20 international matches.


In 58 matches, he has scored 1779 runs, almost 70 runs more than fifth-placed Virat Kohli who has notched up 1709 runs in 48 matches and just 27 short of third placed Martin Guptill. He is also ranked No.7 in the best T20 batsmen's list.


The 29-year-old, who has scored over 100 runs in three T20 matches, is now among the top four run-getters in the shortest format of the game.


Player Span Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave
BB McCullum  (NZ) 2005-2015 71 70 10 2140 123 35.66
TM Dilshan  (SL) 2006-2016 80 79 12 1889 104* 28.19
MJ Guptill  (NZ) 2009-2016 61 59 7 1806 101* 34.73
Mohammad Shahzad  (AFG) 2010-2017 58* 58 4 1749 118* 32.38
V Kohli  (INDIA) 2010-2017 48 44 12 1709 90* 53.4
Umar Akmal  (PAK) 2009-2016 82 77 14 1690 94 26.82
DA Warner  (AUS) 2009-2016 63 63 3 1686 90* 28.1
JP Duminy  (SA) 2007-2017 71 65 21 1683 96* 38.25
Mohammad Hafeez  (PAK) 2006-2016 77 75 4 1614 86 22.73
EJG Morgan  (ENG) 2009-2017 67 66 13 1568 85* 29.58

His ravishing display with the bat during the 2016 T20 World Cup, earned him the name 'Afghan Dhoni' and was among the favourites in the IPL auction from the list of associate players. But the T20 specialist remained unsold.