Australian cricket stalwart David Warner achieved a significant milestone, crossing the 12,000-run mark in T20 cricket during the third T20I against West Indies at Perth Stadium on Tuesday.
Warner, eyeing a memorable finish to his cricketing career at the T20 World Cup 2024, became the first Australian player and the fifth overall to accomplish this feat in the shortest format of the game.
Needing 48 runs before the match, Warner showcased his prowess with a splendid knock of 81 runs from 49 balls in pursuit of a daunting target of 221. His innings included 9 fours and 3 sixes before he was dismissed by Roston Chase in the 14th over.
Warner’s achievement also sees him become the second-fastest player ever to reach 12,000 T20 runs, following the legendary West Indian cricketer Chris Gayle. Warner achieved this milestone in his 369th match, falling just 16 games short of the world record held by Gayle.
Fastest to 12,000 T20 Runs:
1. Chris Gayle – 353 matches
2. David Warner – 369 matches
3. Alex Hales – 435 matches
4. Shoaib Malik – 486 matches
5. Kieron Pollard – 620 matches
Additionally, Warner also surpassed the 3,000-run mark in T20 Internationals during the same match, becoming only the second Australian and the seventh overall to achieve this milestone. His former captain Aaron Finch leads the Australian chart with 3,120 runs in 103 matches, while Warner reached the 3,000-run mark in his 102nd T20I appearance.