As India gets set to host the sixth edition of the World T20, check out the top performers from the five previous editions of the tournament.
The popularity of Twenty20 cricket is beyond doubt. Today it is common to see a league in the shortest format of the game mushrooming all over the world.
It made global headlines when India won the inaugural edition of the World T20 in 2007. The frenzy grew a million fold a year later when the cash-rich Indian Premier League was launched with much fanfare.
The World T20 is easily one of the most followed tournaments on the international cricket calendar and the International Cricket Council is making most of its popularity by organising the mega-event every two years as compared to the 50-overs' World Cup, which is staged every four years.
The sixth edition of the World T20 is being staged in India for the first time and the country's cricket-crazy fans can't wait for the showpiece event to kick-off on March 15 when hosts India take on New Zealand.
The qualifying round starts a week earlier, on March 8, with Zimbabwe and Bangladesh vying with lesser-ranked nations like Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Ireland, Oman, Scotland and Netherlands to grab the remaining two slots in the main round the of the tournament.
Sri Lanka, who won the last edition of the World T20 in 2014, have 21 victories from 31 matches in five editions of the tournament, while India have 17 from 28 games.
Check out the records of the previous five editions of the World T20:
WT20 Appearances:
| Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Tie+W | Tie+L | NR |
| Afghanistan | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Australia | 25 | 14 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bangladesh | 18 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| England | 26 | 11 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Hong Kong | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| India | 28 | 17 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Ireland | 12 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Kenya | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nepal | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Netherlands | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| New Zealand | 25 | 11 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Pakistan | 30 | 18 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Scotland | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| South_Africa | 26 | 16 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sri Lanka | 31 | 21 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| United Arab Emirates | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| West Indies | 25 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Zimbabwe | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
(Tie+W: Victory via Bowl-out after match finished in a tie, Tie+L: Losing via Bowl-out after match finished in a tie.)
Sri Lanka boast of the highest team total in the history of World T20. They smashed a mammoth 260 for six in their 20 overs against Kenya in the first edition of the tournament in 2007.
Highest team totals:
| Team | Score | Overs | Opposition | Ground | Year | |
| Sri Lanka | 260/6 | 20 | v | Kenya | Johannesburg | 2007 |
| India | 218/4 | 20 | v | England | Durban | 2007 |
| South Africa | 211/5 | 20 | v | Scotland | The Oval | 2009 |
| South Africa | 208/2 | 17.4 | v | West Indies | Johannesburg | 2007 |
| West Indies | 205/6 | 20 | v | South Africa | Johannesburg | 2007 |
| West Indies | 205/4 | 20 | v | Australia | Colombo (RPS) | 2012 |
Netherlands have the lowest team total in the history of World T20s. They crashed for a lowly 39 against Sri Lanka in Chittagong in 2014.
Lowest Totals
| Team | Score | Overs | Opposition | Ground | Year | |
| Netherlands | 39 | 10.3 | v | Sri Lanka | Chittagong | 2014 |
| New Zealand | 60 | 15.3 | v | Sri Lanka | Chittagong | 2014 |
| Ireland | 68 | 16.4 | v | West Indies | Providence | 2010 |
| Hong Kong | 69 | 17 | v | Nepal | Chittagong | 2014 |
| Afghanistan | 72 | 17.1 | v | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 2014 |
Sri Lanka's former batsman Mahela Jayawardene leads the run-scoring charts with a tally of 1016 runs from 31 matches, at an average of 39, with a century and five fifties.
West Indian Chris Gayle is second with 807 runs, while Tillakaratne Dilshan is a spot behind with 764 runs.
Most Runs
| Player | Matches | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | 100 | 50 |
| DPMD Jayawardene(SL) | 31 | 31 | 5 | 1016 | 100 | 39.07 | 1 | 6 |
| CH Gayle(WI) | 23 | 22 | 2 | 807 | 117 | 40.35 | 1 | 7 |
| TM Dilshan(SL) | 31 | 30 | 4 | 764 | 96* | 29.38 | 0 | 5 |
| KC Sangakkara(SL) | 31 | 30 | 4 | 661 | 68 | 25.42 | 0 | 4 |
| BB McCullum(NZ) | 25 | 25 | 3 | 637 | 123 | 28.95 | 1 | 2 |
New Zealand's former captain Brendon McCullum holds the record for the highest individual score in World T20. He smashed 123 against Bangladesh in 2012, while Chris Gayle, Alex Hales, Ahmed Shehzad and Suresh Raina also hit centuries to occupy a place in the top five.
Highest Individual Scores
| Player | Runs | Team | Opposition | Ground | Year |
| BB McCullum | 123 | New Zealand | v Bangladesh | Pallekele | 2012 |
| CH Gayle | 117 | West Indies | v South Africa | Johannesburg | 2007 |
| AD Hales | 116* | England | v Sri Lanka | Chittagong | 2014 |
| Ahmed Shehzad | 111* | Pakistan | v Bangladesh | Dhaka | 2014 |
| SK Raina | 101 | India | v South Africa | Gros Islet | 2010 |
India's batting sensation Virat Kohli boasts of the highest average at 72, having scored 504 runs in 11 matches, with the help of five half-centuries.
Highest Batting Averages (minimum 10 innings)
| Player | Matches | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | 100 | 50 |
| V Kohli (IND) | 11 | 11 | 4 | 504 | 78* | 72 | 0 | 6 |
| MEK Hussey (AUS) | 21 | 16 | 8 | 437 | 60* | 54.62 | 0 | 2 |
| RG Sharma (IND) | 23 | 20 | 8 | 585 | 79* | 48.75 | 0 | 6 |
| KP Pietersen (ENG) | 15 | 15 | 2 | 580 | 79 | 44.61 | 0 | 4 |
| Umar Akmal (PAK) | 16 | 14 | 4 | 408 | 94 | 40.8 | 0 | 3 |
Yuvraj Singh holds the record for the fastest half-century in World T20. He hammered a 12-ball 50 against England in Durban in 2007 during which he hit pacer Stuart Board for six sixes in an over.
In the same tournament, he blasted a 20-ball 50 against Australia.
Fastest 50s
| Balls | Name | Team | Against | Venue | Year |
| 12 | Yuvraj Singh | India | England | Durban | 2007 |
| 17 | SJ Myburgh | Netherlands | Ireland | Sylhet | 2014 |
| 18 | GJ Maxwell | Australia | Pakistan | Mirpur | 2014 |
| 20 | Mohammad Ashraful | Bangladesh | West Indies | Johannesburg | 2007 |
| 20 | Yuvraj Singh | India | Australia | Durban | 2007 |
Gayle has hit the fastest century in World T20s, off just 50 balls against South Africa in 2007. McCullum is a close second with a 51-ball hundred against Bangladesh in 2012.
Fastest 100s
| Balls | Name | Team | Against | Venue | Year |
| 50 | CH Gayle | West Indies | South Africa | Johannesburg | 2007 |
| 51 | BB McCullum | New Zealand | Bangladesh | Pallekele | 2012 |
| 58 | Ahmed Shehzad | Pakistan | Bangladesh | Mirpur | 2014 |
| 59 | SK Raina | India | South Africa | Gros Islet | 2010 |
| 60 | AD Hales | England | Sri Lanka | Chittagong-D | 2014 |
No surprise that Gayle has hit the most sixes in the history of World T20 with 49 sixes from 23 games, while Yuvraj Singh is a distant second with 31 sixes.
Most Sixes
| Player | Span | Matches | 6s |
| CH Gayle(WI) | 2007-2014 | 23 | 49 |
| Yuvraj Singh(IND) | 2007-2014 | 27 | 31 |
| SR Watson(AUS) | 2007-2014 | 20 | 27 |
| DPMD Jayawardene(SL) | 2007-2014 | 31 | 25 |
| DJ Bravo(WI) | 2007-2014 | 23 | 22 |
Highest Partnerships
| Wkt | Runs | Partners | Team | Opposition | Ground | Year |
| 1st | 145 | CH Gayle, DS Smith | WI | SA | Johannesburg | 2007 |
| 2nd | 166 | DPMD Jayawardene, KC Sangakkara | SL | WI | Bridgetown | 2010 |
| 3rd | 152 | AD Hales, EJG Morgan | ENG | SL | Chittagong | 2014 |
| 4th | 107 | AD Hales, EJG Morgan | ENG | WI | Pallekele | 2012 |
| 5th | 119* | Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq | PAK | AUS | Johannesburg | 2007 |
| 6th | 101* | CL White, MEK Hussey | AUS | SL | Bridgetown | 2010 |
| 7th | 74 | MEK Hussey, SPD Smith | AUS | BAN | Bridgetown | 2010 |
| 8th | 53* | MEK Hussey, MG Johnson | AUS | PAK | Gros Islet | 2010 |
| 9th | 44 | Gulbadin Naib, Shapoor Zadran | AFG | ENG | Colombo(RPS) | 2012 |
| 10th | 20 | NO Miller, SJ Benn | WI | AUS | Gros Islet | 2010 |
| 10th | 20 | ST Finn, JW Dernbach | ENG | IND | Colombo(RPS) | 2012 |
Sri Lanka's pace ace Lasith Malinga rightly dominates the wicket-taking charts with 38 wickets from 31 games, with an economy rate of 7.43.
Saeed Ajmal is second with 36 scalps from 23 games in a list dominated by Sri Lankan and Pakistani bowlers.
BOWLING
Most Wickets
| Player | Matches | Wkts | BBI | Ave | Econ |
| SL Malinga(SL) | 31 | 38 | May-31 | 20.07 | 7.43 |
| Saeed Ajmal(PAK) | 23 | 36 | Apr-19 | 16.86 | 6.79 |
| BAW Mendis(SL) | 21 | 35 | 06-Aug | 15.02 | 6.7 |
| Umar Gul(PAK) | 24 | 35 | 05-Jun | 17.25 | 7.3 |
| Shahid Afridi(PAK) | 30 | 35 | 04-Nov | 22.51 | 6.62 |
Sri Lanka's mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis holds the best figures in World T20s -- six for eight against Zimbabwe in 2012. His team mate Rangana Herath claimed five for three against New Zealand in 2014.
Best Bowling Figures:
| Player | Wkts | Econ | Team | Opposition | Ground | Year |
| BAW Mendis | 6-8 | 2 | Sri Lanka | Zimbabwe | Hambantota | 2012 |
| HMRKB Herath | 5-3 | 0.85 | Sri Lanka | New Zealand | Chittagong | 2014 |
| Umar Gul | 5-6 | 2 | Pakistan | New Zealand | The Oval | 2009 |
| Ahsan Malik | 5-19 | 4.75 | Netherlands | South Africa | Chittagong | 2014 |
| SL Malinga | 5-31 | 7.75 | Sri Lanka | England | Pallekele | 2012 |
Leading Economy Rates (minimum 250 balls)
| Player | Matches | Overs | Mdns | Runs | Wkts | BBI | Ave | Econ |
| SP Narine (WI) | 12 | 44.4 | 1 | 231 | 15 | 03-Sep | 15.4 | 5.17 |
| DL Vettori (NZ) | 17 | 67.1 | 0 | 392 | 20 | Apr-20 | 19.6 | 5.83 |
| NL McCullum (NZ) | 20 | 62.1 | 0 | 378 | 20 | Mar-15 | 18.9 | 6.08 |
| AD Mathews (SL) | 26 | 66.2 | 2 | 426 | 18 | Mar-16 | 23.66 | 6.42 |
| Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) | 18 | 65.1 | 0 | 420 | 20 | Apr-34 | 21 | 6.44 |
Among wicketkeepers, Pakistan's Kamran Akmal holds the record for most dismissals, with 30 in as many games including 12 catches and 18 stumpings.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is in fourth place, with 24 dismissals from 28 matches.
WICKETKEEPING
Most Dismissals
| Player | Span | Matches | Dis | Ct | St |
| Kamran Akmal (PAK) | 2007-2014 | 30 | 30 | 12 | 18 |
| KC Sangakkara (SL) | 2007-2014 | 31 | 26 | 12 | 14 |
| D Ramdin (WI) | 2007-2014 | 23 | 24 | 16 | 8 |
| MS Dhoni (IND) | 2007-2014 | 28 | 24 | 17 | 7 |
| MV Boucher (SA) | 2007-2010 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 1 |
Australia's wicketkeeping great Adam Gilchrist holds the record for most dismissals, with four, in a single match -- against Zimbabwe in 2007, a record he jointly holds with England wicketkeeper Matt Prior in the same tournament.
Most Dismissals in an Innings
| Player | Dis | Ct | St | Inns | Team | Opposition | Ground | Year |
| AC Gilchrist | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | Australia | Zimbabwe | Cape Town | 2007 |
| MJ Prior | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | England | South Africa | Cape Town | 2007 |
| Kamran Akmal | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | Pakistan | Netherlands | Lord's | 2009 |
| NJ O'Brien | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | Ireland | Sri Lanka | Lord's | 2009 |
| MS Dhoni | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | India | Afghanistan | Gros Islet | 2010 |
South Africa's AB de Villiers, one of the best fielders in world cricket at the moment, holds the record for most catches, with 21 in 26 matches.
FIELDING
Most Catches
| Player | Span | Matches | Ct |
| AB de Villiers (SA) | 2007-2014 | 26 | 21 |
| DA Warner (AUS) | 2009-2014 | 19 | 15 |
| LRPL Taylor (NZ) | 2007-2014 | 23 | 13 |
| DPMD Jayawardene (SL) | 2007-2014 | 31 | 13 |
| MEK Hussey (AUS) | 2007-2012 | 21 | 12 |
Most Catches in an Innings
| Player | Ct | Inns | Team | Opposition | Ground | Year |
| DJG Sammy | 4 | 2 | West Indies | Ireland | Providence | 2010 |
| B Lee | 3 | 1 | Australia | Sri Lanka | Cape Town | 2007 |
| SJ Benn | 3 | 1 | West Indies | Australia | The Oval | 2009 |
| LMP Simmons | 3 | 1 | West Indies | India | Lord's | 2009 |
| AB de Villiers | 3 | 2 | South Africa | India | Nottingham | 2009 |
The record for most appearances in World T20s is jointly held by Sri Lanka veterans -- Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Lasith Malinga and Kumar Sangakkara -- with 31 appearances in the history of the tournament.
APPEARANCES
Most Matches
| Player | Matches | Runs | Wkts |
| TM Dilshan(SL) | 31 | 764 | 2 |
| DPMD Jayawardene(SL) | 31 | 1016 | - |
| SL Malinga(SL) | 31 | 24 | 38 |
| KC Sangakkara(SL) | 31 | 661 | - |
| Kamran Akmal(PAK) | 30 | 524 | - |
UMPIRES
Most Matches Umpired
| Umpire | Span | Matches |
| Aleem Dar (PAK) | 2009-2014 | 29 |
| SJA Taufel (AUS) | 2007-2012 | 29 |
| SJ Davis (AUS) | 2007-2014 | 24 |
| IJ Gould (ENG) | 2009-2014 | 22 |
| Asad Rauf (PAK) | 2007-2012 | 19 |
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Statistics courtesy: The International Cricket Council
