During the T20 cricket explosion of the last decade and a half, South African talent has been mixing it with the world’s best all over the globe.
Here, we look at the five South Africans with the most T20 runs. For this list, we have included players who have left South African cricket as Kolpak players, but not South African-born players who have represented another country.
5. Cameron Delport – 5,557 runs in 236 matches
Delport was unfortunate never to earn a Proteas T20I cap, but his career has taken him all over the world. The former Dolphins all-rounder has turned out in competitions in the Caribbean, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, England, Australia and Afghanistan. Delport has scored five T20 tons during his career and was in Pakistan for the 2020 PSL campaign when all cricket was called off, scoring 62 for the Karachi Kings in the final match before the tournament was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic.
4. JP Duminy – 6,397 in 264 matches
Duminy consistently churned out runs in the shortest format of the game, scoring 42 half-centuries in his 248 innings. He briefly captained the Proteas T20I set-up, but has now retired from all forms of the game. His highest score in the format was 99 not out, hit for the Cape Cobras in a Champions League T20 match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
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3. Colin Ingram – 6,658 runs in 265 matches
Ingram is perhaps South African cricket’s most significant loss when it comes to T20 performers. He had begun to display his potential for the national side when a Glamorgan approach tempted him away. Since moving to the county, he has blossomed, becoming club captain in white-ball cricket and has starred in T20 leagues around the world.
2. David Miller – 6,900 runs in 319 matches
With so much cricket behind him already, it is crazy to think that Miller is just 30 years old. Only one South African has scored more runs in T20 cricket than him, and Miller holds the record for the fastest international century in the format. He has tonned up on three occasions, put 31 half-centuries on the board and could still become South Africa’s most prolific scorer in the abbreviated game.
1. AB de Villiers – 8,657 in 310 matches
De Villiers has excelled at franchise cricket, and it is not surprising that Proteas management has been eager to coax him out of retirement for one last fling at the T20 World Cup. De Villiers ranks eighth on the all-time T20 run-scorers list, which is headed up by Chris Gayle with over 13,000 runs to his name. He may not be keen on playing for too much longer, but we wouldn’t rule out ‘Mister 360’ passing 10,000 runs in the format that has earned him millions.
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