Virat Kohli vs Sahibzada Farhan: Reality check after Pakistan batter breaks India legend’s T20 World Cup record

Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan broke the long-standing record of India's batting icon Virat Kohli for most runs in a single T20 World Cup. It was a huge moment in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026, but the full picture tells an even bigger story.

Sahibzada Farhan breaks Virat Kohli’s 12-year-old record

Now, Sahibzada Farhan became the highest run-scorer in a single T20 World Cup edition. Kohli had scored 319 runs in the 2014 edition of the tournament. That record stood tall for 12 years. Farhan has also become the first-ever batter to score two centuries in a single edition of the T20 World Cup.

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The right-handed batter scored a brilliant century in the Super 8 encounter between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Pallekele. He reached the three-figure mark in just 60 deliveries, hitting nine fours and five sixes at a strike rate of 166.67. His century helped Pakistan to beat Sri Lanka by five runs.

Farhan's record-breaking and explosive campaign

Before Pakistan’s final Super Eight match against Sri Lanka, Sahibzada Farhan needed just 38 runs to break Kohli’s record. He crossed the mark during his knock and created history. Notably, Farhan had scored a century against Namibia in the league stage at the T20 World Cup 2026.

Farhan was in sensational form in this tournament. He smashed two centuries and two half-centuries and amassed 383 runs in seven games at an excellent strike rate of above 158. He also hit the most sixes in this edition, going past the previous mark set by Shimron Hetmyer (17 sixes).

Sahibzada Farhan vs Virat Kohli

Farhan’s 2026 T20 World Cup campaign was about aggression and big hitting, while Kohli’s 2014 run was about consistency and pressure handling. Back in 2014, Kohli carried India almost single-handedly to the T20 World Cup final, where India lost the trophy to Sri Lanka.

The former Indian captain scored four half-centuries in that tournament and played match-winning knocks under heavy pressure. His strike rate (around 130) was lower compared to Farhan's (over 158), but he played according to the situation and took his team to the finals.

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Back in 2014, Kohli had scored 319 runs in the T20 World Cup.

His scores included:

36* vs Pakistan

54 vs West Indies

57* vs Bangladesh

23 vs Australia

72 vs South Africa

77 vs Sri Lanka (Final)

In 2026, Sahibzada Farhan’s runs came in a campaign where Pakistan struggled as a team. Despite his heroics, Pakistan failed to make it to the semifinals of the T20 World Cup 2026.

He smashed two centuries and two half-centuries, and his strike rate was above 158, showing pure attacking cricket. The Pakistani opener is currently leading the batting chart in this edition.

Farhan finished the 2026 T20 World Cup with more than 319 runs, and

His scores are:

47 vs Netherlands

73 vs USA

0 vs India

100* vs Namibia

63 vs England

100 vs Sri Lanka