The first round of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka will conclude today with Australia facing Oman at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
Eight teams have secured their places in the Super Eight stage, while 12 teams, including the 2021 champions, Australia, have been knocked out after failing to finish in the top two of their groups.
Pakistan will meet New Zealand in the opening Super Eight fixture, while England, India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and Zimbabwe have also advanced.
The group stage produced intense contests during the 40 matches played across various venues, along with several upsets and a number of narrow escapes, as leading players delivered standout performances.
Top Five Leading Run Scorers
Star Pakistani opening batter Sahibzada Farhan leads the charts with 220 runs in four matches at a strike rate of 164.17, averaging 73.33, including one century and one half-century.
Sri Lankan opener Pathum Nissanka, who scored an impressive century against Australia, follows with 199 runs in four matches at a strike rate of 156.69, averaging 66.33, with one century and one half-century.
Bhanuka Mendis, Aiden Markram, and Ishan Kishan have also impressed, scoring 182, 178, and 176 runs respectively in four matches, registering strong strike rates and multiple half-centuries.
| Player | Matches | Runs | Strike Rate | Average | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sahibzada Farhan (PAK) | 4 | 220 | 164.17 | 73.33 | 1 | 1 |
| P Nissanka (SL) | 4 | 199 | 156.69 | 66.33 | 1 | 1 |
| BKG Mendis (SL) | 4 | 182 | 124.65 | 60.66 | 0 | 3 |
| AK Markram (SA) | 4 | 178 | 187.36 | 59.33 | 0 | 2 |
| Ishan Kishan (IND) | 4 | 176 | 202.29 | 44.00 | 0 | 2 |
Top Five Leading Wicket Takers
United States bowler Saurabh Chandrakant van Schalkwyk has taken 13 wickets in four matches, conceding 101 runs in 14.5 overs, with best figures of 4 for 25 and an average of 7.76.
Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy claimed nine wickets in four group-stage games, conceding 62 runs in 12 overs and recording best figures of 3 for 7, with an economy rate of 5.16.
Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani and Scotland’s Michael Leask have both taken nine wickets, with Muzarabani’s best figures of 4 for 17, while Leask conceded 122 runs across 16 overs.
Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai and Pakistan’s Usman Tariq have impressed with nine and eight wickets respectively, each delivering four-wicket hauls and maintaining competitive bowling averages.
| Player | Matches | Wickets | Economy | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC van Schalkwyk (USA) | 4 | 13 | 6.80 | 7.76 |
| CV Varun (IND) | 4 | 9 | 5.16 | 6.88 |
| B Muzarabani (ZIM) | 3 | 9 | 5.91 | 7.88 |
| MA Leask (SCOT) | 4 | 9 | 7.62 | 13.55 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai (AFG) | 4 | 9 | 8.24 | 12.66 |
Top Five Leading Six Hitters
Sahibzada Farhan and Ishan Kishan lead the T20 six-hitting charts with eleven sixes each in four matches, scoring 220 and 176 runs respectively, while maintaining aggressive strike rates above 160.
S. D. Hetmyer stands out with ten sixes in four games, accumulating 134 runs with a high score of 64, supported by eight fours. He demonstrates consistent power-hitting across innings.
Sohaib Khan and S. E. Rutherford hit nine sixes each, contributing 132 and 126 runs respectively, while maintaining high strike rates and hitting multiple boundaries.
| Player | Sixes | Matches | Runs | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sahibzada Farhan | 11 | 4 | 220 | 164.17 |
| Ishan Kishan | 11 | 4 | 176 | 202.29 |
| SO Hetmyer | 10 | 4 | 134 | 159.52 |
| Sohaib Khan | 9 | 4 | 132 | 145.05 |
| SE Rutherford | 9 | 4 | 126 | 180.00 |
Top Five Economical Bowlers
Ireland’s JB Little leads the economy charts in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2025/26, conceding only 16 runs in four overs while taking three wickets at an economy rate of 4.00.
Zimbabwe’s R Ngarava closely follows, giving away 17 runs in four overs with one maiden. He claimed three wickets and maintained an impressive economy rate of 4.25 in his debut match.
India’s CV Varun and Pakistan’s Usman Tariq also impressed with tight bowling, maintaining economy rates below six runs per over while picking crucial wickets in 12 and 11.3 overs respectively in the tournament.
| Player | Matches | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JB Little | 1 | 4.0 | 16 | 3 | 4.00 |
| R Ngarava | 1 | 4.0 | 17 | 3 | 4.25 |
| MW Forde | 3 | 10.0 | 44 | 4 | 4.40 |
| PA van Meekeren | 1 | 4.0 | 20 | 2 | 5.00 |
| CV Varun | 4 | 12.0 | 62 | 9 | 5.16 |
| Usman Tariq | 3 | 11.3 | 67 | 8 | 5.82 |
