Mohammad Shahzad surpasses Virat Kohli as fourth highest run getter T20Is

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.

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.