Jos Buttler becomes first England player to make 3,000 T20I runs
May 26, 2024
Birmingham [UK], May 26 : England skipper Jos Buttler became the first-ever batter from his country to score 3,000 T20I runs on Saturday.
Buttler reached this milestone during his side's second T20I against West Indies.
In the match, Buttler scored 84 runs in 51 balls, with eight fours and three sixes. His strike rate was 164.70.
In 115 T20Is, Buttler has scored 3,011 runs at an average of 35.42 and a strike rate of 145.10. He has scored a century and 23 fifties, with the best score of 101*. He is the ninth-highest run-scorer in T20I cricket.
Next to him in the English run-scoring charts is former captain Eoin Morgan, who scored 2,458 runs in 115 matches and 107 innings at an average of 28.58 and a strike rate of over 136, with the best score of 91 and 14 half-centuries.
The highest-run-scorer in T20I cricket of all time is star India batter Virat Kohli. In 117 matches, he has scored 4,037 runs at an average of 51.75 and a strike rate of 138.15, with a century and 37 fifties. His best score is 122*.
Coming to the match, England won the toss and opted to bat first. Knocks from skipper Buttler (84 in 51 balls, with eight fours and three sixes), Will Jacks (37 in 23 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and Jonny Bairstow (21 in 18 balls, with a four and two sixes), took England to 183/7 in their 20 overs.
Shaheen Shah Afridi (3/36) was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan.
In the run-chase of 184 runs, Pakistan kept losing wickets regularly and besides knocks from Fakhar Zaman (45 in 21 balls, with five fours and three sixes) and Babar Azam (32 in 26 balls, with four boundaries), none of the batters really scored much at the top. Later, Iftikhar Ahmed (23 in 17 balls, with a four and two sixes) and Imad Wasim (22 in 13 balls, with two fours and a six) tried to put up a fight, but Pakistan was bundled out for 160 runs in 19.2 overs.
Reece Topley (3/41) and Jofra Archer (2/28) were the top bowlers for England.
With this win, England take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series. The first game was washed out by rain.
Buttler took home the 'Player of the Match' award.
