DUBAI: Brendon McCullum has become the second man to get to the 9000-run mark in Twenty20 cricket, getting to the milestone during the course of his whirlwind 27-ball 43 for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League on Sunday 8 April.
At the end of his innings, McCullum had 9035 runs to his name in the shortest format of the game at an average of 30.94 and a strike rate of 137.81.
The former New Zealand captain only trails the Windies’ Chris Gayle in the list of top run-scorers in T20 cricket. Gayle has 11,068 runs. Windies all-rounder Kieron Pollard (8048 runs), Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik (7728) and Australia’s David Warner (7668) complete the top five.
McCullum, despite last playing a T20 International in June 2015, remains the second-highest scorer in the format too, with 2140 runs.
He is behind fellow New Zealander Martin Guptill, who tops that list with 2271 runs, with India captain Virat Kohli (1983) only a little way behind.
McCullum, 36, was always in demand from clubs in T20 leagues around the world and has been plying his trade around the world since retiring from international cricket in February 2016.
Apart from Royal Challengers Bangalore, McCullum is also a part of Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League, Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League, and Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League.
McCullum’s blitz, however, did not end in victory for his team, as Sunil Narine scored a 19-ball 50 to help Kolkata Knight Riders complete a four-wicket win.
