Pakistan’s T20 World Cup campaign did not go according to plan and there were very few positives to take away. But one performance stood tall above the disappointment.

Despite Pakistan exiting the 2026 T20 World Cup before the semi finals, the tournament will remember them for a remarkable individual campaign. Opening batter Sahibzada Farhan lit up the competition and is on course to finish as the leading run scorer, breaking the long standing record set by Virat Kohli.

However, New Zealand star Finn Allen still has one final chance to steal the record when he plays in the tournament final.

Historic run scoring campaign

Farhan’s performance across the tournament was nothing short of extraordinary.

The right hander scored 383 runs in 7 matches, a tally that now stands as the highest in a single T20 World Cup edition.

During Pakistan’s crucial Super 8 match against Sri Lanka, Farhan surpassed Virat Kohli’s iconic 2014 record of 319 runs, a milestone that had stood untouched for more than a decade.

Even though Pakistan were eliminated before the knockout stages, Farhan’s consistency and power hitting made him the standout batter of the tournament.

He finished with an average of 76.60 and a strike rate of 160.25, numbers that underline just how dominant he was throughout the competition.

Farhan’s match by match performance

Netherlands
47 off 31 balls
Set the tone for Pakistan’s opening win.

USA
73 off 41 balls
A powerful innings packed with boundaries that secured victory.

India
0 off 4 balls
Dismissed early in a heavy defeat.

Namibia
100 off 58 balls not out
His maiden T20I century and the first ton of his record breaking campaign.

New Zealand
0 off 0 balls
A rare diamond duck in the Super 8 stage.

England
63 off 45 balls
Held the innings together during a middle order collapse.

Sri Lanka
100 off 60 balls
A second century that also helped him break Kohli’s record.

Leading run scorers in the tournament

• Sahibzada Farhan (Pakistan) – 383 runs in 7 matches, highest score 100*
• Brian Bennett (Zimbabwe) – 292 runs in 6 matches, highest score 97*
• Finn Allen (New Zealand) – 289 runs in 8 matches, highest score 100*
• Aiden Markram (South Africa) – 286 runs in 8 matches, highest score 86
• Jacob Bethell (England) – 280 runs in 8 matches, highest score 105

Bitter ending for Pakistan

Pakistan entered their final Super 8 game needing a 64 run victory over Sri Lanka to leapfrog New Zealand on net run rate.

Farhan once again delivered with a century, helping Pakistan post a huge total. But Sri Lanka managed to avoid a heavy defeat, ending Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the semi finals.

Records broken by Farhan

• Most runs in a single T20 World Cup edition with 383 runs
• First player to score two centuries in a single T20 World Cup campaign
• 176 run opening partnership with Fakhar Zaman, the highest stand in T20 World Cup history
• 18 sixes, the most by a Pakistan batter in one edition

Allen still has one chance

While Farhan currently holds the record, Finn Allen could still break it in the final.

The New Zealand opener has 289 runs and needs 95 runs in the final to surpass Farhan’s tally of 383. Finn did score a 100 from 33 balls in the semi final against South Africa.

If Allen manages it, the tournament could witness one last dramatic twist in the race for the run scoring crown.