Kieron Pollard, a true giant in the world of T20 cricket, has just hit a milestone that once felt out of reach. The former West Indies captain has now become the highest run-scorer in men’s T20 cricket, breaking Chris Gayle’s long-held record during the 2026 Major League Cricket (MLC) season. Pollard achieved this remarkable feat with an unbeaten century while playing for MI New York against Washington Freedom. This latest achievement is a testament to nearly two decades of unwavering performance across various global T20 leagues. With a staggering total of 14,582 runs from 736 matches, Pollard has claimed the top spot on the all-time leaderboard, surpassing Chris Gayle (14,562), Alex Hales (14,449), Jos Buttler (14,371), David Warner (14,284), and Virat Kohli (14,218).
What makes this record even more impressive is that Pollard carved out his career primarily as a middle-order batsman. Unlike many of his peers who are at the top of the run charts, he never opened the batting. Instead, he accumulated most of his runs batting at No. 4, 5, and 6, often stepping up to finish innings under pressure. At 39 years old, he also holds the title of the most-capped player in T20 history and remains the only cricketer to have combined over 10,000 runs with more than 300 wickets in this format.
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Washington Freedom Win Despite Kieron Pollard’s Historic Effort in MLC
Despite Pollard’s unforgettable performance, the night ended in disappointment. The Washington Freedom put up an impressive score of 245 for 5, thanks to Mitchell Owen’s remarkable 155 off just 68 balls, marking the highest individual score in MLC history. With solid contributions from Steve Smith and Mark Chapman, Freedom set MI New York a challenging target of 246 runs.
In their chase, MI New York faced an early setback. Quinton de Kock, Monank Patel, and Nicholas Pooran fell quickly, putting the team in a tough spot. However, Pollard stepped up, launching a counteroffensive and forming valuable partnerships with Romario Shepherd and Corbin Bosch. He finished the innings unbeaten on 100 from 56 balls, hitting 11 fours and four sixes, and remarkably reached his century on the last ball of the match.
This century marked only the second T20 hundred of Pollard’s career, and it also pushed him past Chris Gayle’s previous record, which had stood for over 12 years. Pollard now boasts 986 sixes in T20 cricket and is closing in on Gayle’s record of 1,056 sixes. While there are still questions about how much longer he will play, his legacy in T20 history is firmly established. This record not only showcases his longevity but also highlights a career defined by impact, adaptability, and consistent excellence in the world’s premier T20 leagues.
