Sahibzada Farhan Sets New T20 World Cup Record, Surpassing Kohli
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Key Takeaways
Kandy, Feb 28 (NationPress) In a remarkable achievement, Pakistan's opening batsman Sahibzada Farhan has made history in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 by eclipsing Virat Kohli’s record for the highest runs in a single tournament edition. This feat was accomplished during a crucial Super 8s match against Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Stadium.
Before the match, the 29-year-old needed just 37 runs to surpass Kohli’s previous record of 319 runs, which had been unbroken since the 2014 tournament. Farhan made his mark early in the innings, attacking Dushmantha Chameera right away with a six and a four. He equaled Kohli’s score with a single on the last ball of the fifth over, and then broke the record by hitting a boundary off Dasun Shanaka in the sixth over.
Kohli had set the standard during the 2014 T20 World Cup, where he led India to the finals and earned the title of Player of the Tournament, a recognition he also achieved in the 2016 edition.
Farhan has consistently shone throughout the tournament, starting with a century against Namibia and following it up with a half-century against England. His only challenge came against India, where he was dismissed for a duck by Hardik Pandya.
Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bowl first. Pakistan made three roster changes for this critical match, excluding Babar Azam, Saim Ayub, and Salman Mirza, while including Naseem Shah, Khawaja Nafay, and Abrar Ahmed.
After losing their first two Super 8s games against England and New Zealand, Sri Lanka has been eliminated from the tournament. However, Pakistan still has a chance to advance to the semi-finals if they defeat Sri Lanka by at least 64 runs to improve their Net Run Rate (NRR) above that of New Zealand.