The White Ferns veteran batter Suzie Bates reclaims the top spot, as she becomes the first New Zealand batter to breach the 4000 runs mark in the T20Is.
The 36-year-old all-rounder from Otago, Suzannah Bates made her international debut on 4th March 2006, in an ODI against India. Since then, she has played in over 100 T20Is and is currently just one short of her 150th T20I for New Zealand.
She has scored 4021 runs, scoring at a strike rate of 108.99 and an impressive average of 29.78. Her tally of runs includes 26 half-centuries and a century. Her best performance with the bat in the format came as a skipper against South Africa at Taunton on 20 June 2018, when she scored an unbeaten 124, scoring at an impressive strike rate of 187.87. Her tally of runs included 16 boundaries and three maximums, playing a crucial role in helping New Zealand seal a comprehensive 66-run victory.
𝐒𝐮𝐳𝐢𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐩 🔥
4021 T20I runs and leads the run-scorer chart in T20Is.#CricketTwitter | 📸: Getty pic.twitter.com/SIZirQltQ8
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) October 16, 2023
South Africa has been one of her favourite opponents, scoring 585 runs at a strike rate of 128.57. She has a humongous average (48.75) of around 50. She has one century and three half-centuries in 16 innings against South Africa in the T20I format. Sri Lanka is her second-favourite side, scoring 489 runs at a strike rate of 112.15, and a mind-boggling average of 40.75 in 12 innings.
Her tally of runs against Sri Lanka in the format includes four half-centuries. Her best performance with the bat against Sri Lanka came at Nelson on 20 November 2015. West Indies is third on her list in terms of her preferred opponent in the format. She has scored 517 runs in 21 innings at a strike rate of 98.85 and an average of 25.85. Her tally of runs against West Indies includes five half-centuries. Her best performance with the bat against West Indies came at Taunton on 13th June 2009, when she scored 60 off just 39 balls at an impressive strike rate of 153.84.
Apart from these three sides, she also enjoys facing Australia as she has scored (969 runs) almost, around 1000 runs at an average of 24.22 and at a strike rate of 100.62 in 42 innings. Her tally of runs against Australia includes four half-centuries. Her best performance with the bat against the Aussies came in Brisbane on 1st October 2018, when she scored 77 runs at a strike rate of 148.07. Her tally of runs included 11 boundaries and a couple of maximums.
The year 2018, has been one of her most productive years in the T20I format as she amassed a mammoth 670 runs, scoring at an impressive strike rate of 135.35 and averaging over 50 (51.53). Her tally of runs included five half-centuries and a century. 2014 was her second-best year scoring 419 runs at a strike rate of 120.05 and an impressive average of 38.09. Her tally of runs in that year included four half-centuries.
Apart from her exploits with the bat, she has also been a much more handy performer than just a part-timer with the ball in hand. She has picked up 56 wickets at an average of 23.75 and a strike rate of 21.5. Her best performance with the ball for the White Ferns came at the Rose Bowl against Australia on 20 February 2011, when she returned with the match figures of (4/26) at an average of 21.87 and a strike rate of 18.2. Around 43% of her wickets came against Australia (24) in 32 innings followed by the West Indies with 23% of her wickets (13) in 14 innings. 2014 was her best year with the ball in hand, picking up 12 wickets at a strike rate of 14.5 and an average of 14.75.
She holds the record for the most runs in her career across the men’s and the women’s game in the T20I format with 4021 runs, she is closely followed by Virat Kohli with 4008 runs in the men’s game and the Australian skipper Meg Lanning takes the number two spot with 3405 runs as far as the women’s T20Is are concerned. She also holds the record for the most number of half-centuries (27) in 146 innings in the Women’s T20Is.