Brian Bennett Shatters Virat Kohli's Record in T20 World Cup
Historic Achievement by Brian Bennett
In a remarkable turn of events, Brian Bennett made headlines by breaking a decade-old world record previously held by Virat Kohli, despite Zimbabwe's 72-run loss to India during the 2026 T20 World Cup at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium on February 26. This defeat eliminated the Sikandar Raza-led team from the tournament after they had already suffered a 107-run defeat against the West Indies in their earlier match in the Super 8 stage.
Bennett showcased his exceptional talent with an impressive unbeaten score of 97 runs off 59 balls, achieving a strike rate of 164.41. The 22-year-old's performance included eight boundaries and eight sixes, marking his third half-century of the tournament following crucial fifties against Australia and Sri Lanka during the group stage.
Brian Bennett's Record-Breaking Performance
Throughout the tournament, Bennett has accumulated a total of 277 runs across five innings, remaining not out in four of them. His only dismissal occurred against the West Indies in Mumbai, where he scored just five runs. In his other innings, he scored 48 against Oman, 64 against Australia, 63 against Sri Lanka, and 97 against India. His remarkable tally of 272 runs in not-out innings sets a new record for the most runs by a batter in a single edition of the tournament, making him the first player to surpass 250 runs while remaining not out. Kohli is the only other player to have scored over 200 runs in a single T20 World Cup while not being dismissed, achieving this feat twice.
| Player | Runs | Innings | 100s | 50s | Year |
| Brian Bennett | 272 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2026 |
| Virat Kohli | 226 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2016 |
| Virat Kohli | 208 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2022 |
| Matthew Hayden | 198 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2007 |
| Jos Buttler | 196 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
Bennett's three unbeaten half-centuries tie him with Kohli and Hayden for the most in a single edition of the tournament. Additionally, he is the first player in T20 World Cup history to remain undismissed four times in one edition. His tournament average of 277 is the highest ever recorded, and even if he were to be dismissed for a duck against South Africa, it would still stand as the highest average in a single edition, surpassing Kohli's record of 136.5 set in 2016. However, David Miller, with an average of 146 in the current competition, still has the opportunity to break this record.