Pakistan’s opener Sahibzada Farhan made history in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 by surpassing Virat Kohli’s record for the most runs scored in a single edition of the tournament. Farhan achieved this milestone during Pakistan’s crucial Group 2 Super 8s match against Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Stadium. Needing 37 runs to surpass Kohli’s tally of 319 runs, Farhan reached the record early in Pakistan’s innings with an aggressive batting display.
Facing Sri Lanka’s Dushmantha Chameera, Farhan aggressively attacked, hitting a six and a four to approach the record. He leveled with Kohli’s mark with a single in the fifth over and then surpassed it by hitting a boundary off Dasun Shanaka in the sixth over. Virat Kohli had set the previous record during the 2014 T20 World Cup, where he led India to the final and was named Player of the Tournament.
Farhan has been in exceptional form throughout the tournament, scoring a century against Namibia and a half-century against England in the Super 8s. Despite a setback against India, where he was dismissed without scoring, Farhan has consistently provided strong starts for Pakistan. Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl, while Pakistan made strategic changes to their playing XI for the crucial match against Sri Lanka.
