Trailblazers: First to 2000 T20I runs from each country

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Shajin Mohanan S
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Trailblazers: First to 2000 T20I runs from each country
Administrators see T20 cricket as the format to drive the popularity and growth of the women’s game. Over the years we have seen how the format has evolved giving the batters freedom to play aggressively. T20 has given us some memorable performance by the best of the lot. With the T20 World Cup in 2020 attracting record numbers with the viewership, it’s time to look back at the players who have been there long enough to achieve significant numbers with the bat.



This week, Women’s CricZone lists the first players from each country to score 2000 runs in T20Is.



(Numbers shown are those at the end of the match in question)



Charlotte Edwards (England)



28 Mar 2014



© Getty Images © Getty Images







































MatchesRunsHSBat Avg100s50s
75205592*32.6108


 



England’s skipper Charlotte Edwards became the first woman to score 2000 runs in T20Is during the 2014 T20 World Cup against Bangladesh in Sylhet. Edwards, playing in her 75th match, brought up the milestone when she scored a couple against Fahim Khatun to reach 25.



Despite the three early wickets, the England opener continued in her merry ways making life difficult for the hosts by smashing 11 boundaries in her innings. She shared a 50-run stand with Natalie Sciver to steady the ship and then went on to score a 69-ball 80. Bangladesh’s timid response to England’s competitive total meant Edwards walked away with player of the match trophy on the special day.



 



Stafanie Taylor (West Indies)



16 Mar 2016



© Getty Images © Getty Images







































MatchesRunsHSBat Avg100s50s
6920029035.75017


 



Stafanie Taylor is one of the most prolific batters currently playing the game and it was no surprise when West Indies captain became the first from their team to cross 2000 runs in T20Is. Her feat came two years after Edwards’ during the T20 World Cup against Pakistan at Chennai in 2016.



Put into bat, West Indies were wrecked early by Anam Amin’s left-arm spin. Taylor decided to curb her natural instinct and played a sedate innings. She brought up the 2000 run milestone when she smashed Asmavia Iqbal for a boundary to take her score to 39. She became the third player in the world to do so in T20Is after the two England players Charlotte Edwards and Sarah Taylor. A three-wicket haul from Anisa Mohammed helped West Indies to a close win by four runs.



Stafanie Taylor is the fastest to 2000 run mark till date - she reached there in 68 innings from 69 matches.



 



Suzie Bates (New Zealand)



18 Mar 2016



publive-image © Getty Images







































MatchesRunsHSBat Avg100s50s
80206394*27.50013


Two days later it was Suzie Bates turn to reach the coveted milestone at the same T20 World Cup when she captained New Zealand in their match against Ireland at Mohali.



Bates, playing in her 80th T20I match, decided it was time to bring her A-game. Having brought up her 2000th run with a single off Amy Kenealy she continued to torment the hapless Irish bowlers to score a 60-ball 82 hitting seven fours and two sixes during her stay at the crease. Unsurprisingly, Bates was declared the player of the match after New Zealand thrashed Ireland by 93 runs.



Suzie Bates is currently the highest run-getter in T20Is - across gender - with 3243 runs under her belt.



 



Meg Lanning (Australia)



28 Mar 2018



Meg Lanning. ©ICC © ICC







































MatchesRunsHSBat Avg100s50s
73201712633.06110


Meg Lanning was always destined for greatness and it did not come as a surprise when she became the first Australian to reach the 2000-run mark. She achieved this feat against their traditional rivals England in Mumbai in 2018 during the tri-nation series in India.



Coming into the match, having already scored 1976 runs from 72 matches, Lanning won the toss and decided to field and restricted England to modest total of 96 runs. Lanning didn’t have to wait for long for her turn with Australia losing two early wickets. She decided to bat through the innings with Ellyse Perry and smashed a 28-ball 41 to remain unbeaten. Her eight hits to the boundary included a four against Sophie Ecclestone that brought her the 2000th run in the format.



 



Mithali Raj (India)



3 Jun 2018



Mithali Raj in action. ©ICC © ICC







































MatchesRunsHSBat Avg100s50s
73207497*40.66015


Mithali Raj has been in the game for so long and has many records in her bag. The experienced right-hander became the first Indian to achieve the 2000 run feat during her career best innings of 97 not out against Malaysia during the 2018 Asia Cup.



Raj, playing her 70th innings in her 73rd T20I, pushed for a seemingly insignificant single in the eighth over of the match bowled by Sasha Azmi, to take her run tally to 2000 runs. Although she couldn’t reach her maiden century in the format, her stroke-filled 97 gave India its biggest victory in terms of runs in T20Is.



 



Bismah Maroof (Pakistan)



26 Oct 2019



Bismah Maroof in action for Pakistan. ©ICC © ICC







































MatchesRunsHSBat Avg100s50s
101202365*26.6109


Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof became the first Pakistan player to go past 2000 runs in T20Is during the home series against Bangladesh in 2019.



Maroof, having won the toss and decided to bat, came to the crease as early as in the third over, with two early wickets giving Pakistan a scare. She smashed Panna Ghosh for a boundary in the last over of the power play to take her score to 11 runs that was needed to join the coveted club. Her innings and the 60-run partnership with Umaima Sohail meant Pakistan had a competitive total of 126 runs on the board. Pakistan’s 14-run win meant Maroof finished the memorable day with a player of the match trophy in hand.



 



You can read more lists here.
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