Former West Indies cricketer Ian Bishop speaks to the media in Sharjah during the ILT20’s Qualifier 2 Sharjah: The number of cricket runs scored in T20 cricket has been increasing every year since the turn of the decade. In 2025, 4,62,258 runs have been scored worldwide in the shortest format of the game. On average, each team scored 295.37 runs per match.Punjab scored 310 against Bengal in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with Abhishek Sharma scoring a 52-ball 148. At international level, England stunned South Africa by scoring 304 runs thanks to Phil Salt’s unbeaten 60-ball 141 and Jose Buttler’s 30-ball 830.
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Big scores remain the main objective for all involved – curators with batting friendly pitches; lawmakers allowing wider bats and promoters promising run fests to bring fans to stadiums or keep them glued to the television.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!The average scores in the T20 format over the last five years are: 281.81 (2021), 280.54 (2022), 288.00 (2023), 285.40 (2024) and 295.37 (2025). The year the first T20I was played (2005) the average was 275.19.
Batters have always been seen as heroes and pitchers as villains. Even when I played it was always a battle
Ian Bishop
Given the adulation they receive, does this make the batter more attractive to the next generation of cricketers? Former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop doesn’t think so.“I don’t think everybody wants to be a batsman. I still think there’s room in the game for those who want to mix fast, for those who want to mix with the wrist, for those who want to mix with the finger,” said Bishop, who is a commentator for the ongoing ILT20.Year Total Runs (T20s) Average Runs per Team20254,62,258295,3720244,74,631285,4020233,49,643288,0020223,86,865280,5420213,49,170281,8120967,8120967“Historically, and going back to the early days of the game, batsmen have always been seen as heroes and bowlers as villains. Even when I played, it was always a battle,” he continued with a smile.“I think you’re absolutely right that the game is becoming more and more favored by the batsmen, but I still think guys want to come through. And bowlers are an adaptable species. The more the game changes, the more bowlers will come up with plans to counter that. That’s always been the ebb and flow of cricket in general – red ball or white ball or T20.”“As administrators, I will agree with you that we need to do a better job of creating a better balance between bat and ball in T20 cricket as well,” he opined.This isn’t the only radical change he wants to make to the modern game. The 58-year-old, who has played 43 Test matches for the Windies, is a big supporter of four-day Test matches.“I’ve been in favor of four-day Test cricket for a long time. That’s especially true if you’re going to have a World Test Championship (WTC) where results are essential, requiring pitches that deliver results.”“But the arguments against it from others are (about) the weather affecting the game and then there’s no going back. But if you ask me, I’ve said publicly for a long time that I’m a fan of 4-day Test cricket.
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Here is a rewritten version with the same meaning but with new wording:The ICC approved four-day Tests for bilateral series in 2017, with England facing Zimbabwe over four days at Trent Bridge last year, following four-day Tests against Ireland in 2019 and 2023. Four-day Tests have not yet been played in the World Test Championship (WTC) format.Many smaller countries hesitate to hold tests because of the time they require and the cost. However, the switch to four-day cricket could allow the entire three-Test series to be completed in less than three weeks. In four-day Tests, the playing hours are extended to ensure a minimum of 98 overs per day (instead of 90) to help make up for lost time.
