Jos Buttler becomes the first batsman in T20 history to score 15,000 runs. England’s wicketkeeper-batter achieved the feat on 17 September 2016 in the second T20I against Sri Lanka at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.
Buttler needed only one run to get to West Indies great Kieron Pollard’s 14,999 T20 runs. He completed the record with a single off Eshan Malinga in the fifth over of England’s run chase.
Buttler opened the innings for England alongside Aneurin Donald. He went on to score 30 runs from 16 balls in four fours and a six before he was bowled by Dushmantha Chameera.
Buttler Moves Past Kieron Pollard
Buttler became the world's leading run-scorer of men's T20 cricket in all competitions with the landmark. Pollard was the record holder in the match with 14,999 runs from 754 matches.
Buttler reached 15,000 runs in his 528th T20 match. He has scored an average of 35.46 and a strike rate of 147.46 in his T20 career. He has nine centuries and 107 half-centuries.
Buttler’s T20 accomplishments are remarkable. He has played for England as well as for a number of domestic and franchise teams around the world, including Lancashire, Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Titans, Sydney Thunder, Paarl Royals and Manchester Originals.
Buttler’s record has been established in leagues, tournaments, and playing conditions, making the 15,000-run mark one of the biggest individual milestones of the format.
Top T20 Run-Scorers
After Buttler’s outstanding innings, the leading run-scorers in men’s T20 cricket are:
Jos Buttler: 15,000 runs
Kieron Pollard: 14,999 runs
Alex Hales: 14,581 runs
Chris Gayle: 14,562 runs
David Warner: 14,284 runs
Virat Kohli: 14,218 runs
Buttler’s rise to the top also means he has moved ahead of some of the biggest names in T20 history, including Pollard, Hales, Gayle, and Warner.
England beat Sri Lanka to seal the series
Buttler’s individual performance came during another convincing England victory. Sri Lanka were restricted to 145/9 after Liam Dawson took a three-wicket haul and Jamie Overton took two wickets.
England then chased down the target in 12.1 overs to win by six wickets. Tom Banton scored 52 runs in 24 balls, and Harry Brook took 23 from 8 deliveries, which were both the top scorers for the team. Buttler took 30 from 16 balls in a successful chase.
The victory gave England an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series. It also extended England's win streak against Sri Lanka in T20 internationals to 14 matches.
The third and final T20I will be played at Old Trafford, Manchester, on September 19. The series already won will now be decided on whether Buttler can add to his record-breaking tally and continue his remarkable run in T20 cricket.
