A momentous occasion unfolded during the third T20I at Perth Stadium as the lights shone brightly on Australian cricketing star David Warner. The seasoned batsman has carved out yet another notch in the record books by amassing 12,000 runs in the high-octane world of T20 cricket, during Tuesday’s face-off against West Indies. This significant achievement cements Warner’s status as the first Australian, and only the fifth player globally, to reach such a distinguished milestone in the shortest format of the game.
Warner’s journey to this landmark was encapsulated in a scintillating performance where he required just 48 runs at the start of play to hit the 12,000-mark. He approached the challenge with characteristic aplomb, smashing a spectacular 81 off 49 deliveries, guiding his team in their pursuit of 221. His knock, speckled with nine boundaries and three soaring over-the-fence hits, came to a close with a sweep at cow corner caught off Roston Chase’s bowling in the 14th over.
Warner’s climb to the 12,000-run summit is second in pace only to the formidable Chris Gayle of West Indies, who remains top of the table. Warner’s feat came in his 369th T20 match, just shy of Gayle’s record by 16 games. The elite list continues with Alex Hales, Shoaib Malik, and Kieron Pollard rounding off the top five fastest to the milestone, reaching it in 435, 486, and 620 matches, respectively.
Fastest to 12,000 T20 runs:
– Chris Gayle – 353 matches
– David Warner – 369 matches
– Alex Hales – 435 matches
– Shoaib Malik – 486 matches
– Kieron Pollard – 620 matches
However, the historic day in Perth didn’t just witness Warner’s 12,000-run feat. The Australian icon also surpassed the 3,000-run mark in T20 Internationals during the same innings. This achievement sees him become only the second Australian, after his predecessor Aaron Finch, to scale this particular peak, and the seventh cricketer worldwide to do so. Finch currently holds 3,120 runs across 103 matches, while Warner’s entry into the elite 3,000 club came in his 102nd T20I.
David Warner’s relentless pursuit of excellence and his ability to consistently perform at the highest level underscores the left-hander’s enduring significance in the T20 format. As he eyes the T20 World Cup 2024 as the potential curtain call for his illustrious career, records such as these solidify his legacy as one of cricket’s modern-day greats.
The lineups on the day were as follows:
Australia’s Playing XI: David Warner, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh (c), Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Hardie, Tim David, Matthew Wade (wk), Adam Zampa, Xavier Bartlett, Spencer Johnson, Jason Behrendorff
West Indies’ Playing XI: Kyle Mayers, Johnson Charles, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Roston Chase, Rovman Powell (c), Sherfane Rutherford, Andre Russell, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph
As the Australian contingent moves forward, Warner’s monumental achievements will not only serve as an inspiration to his teammates but also engrave his name even deeper into the annals of cricket history. Whether Warner’s journey will conclude at the upcoming T20 World Cup remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the dynamism and drama he brings to the crease will be eternally etched in the memories of cricket aficionados around the world.
