Kieron Pollard added another remarkable chapter to his T20 legacy on Sunday, overtaking Chris Gayle to become the leading run-scorer in the history of the format during Major League Cricket 2026.The landmark moment arrived when the former West Indies all-rounder reached 81 during MI New York’s clash against Washington Freedom. Pollard eventually remained unbeaten on 100 from 56 deliveries, although his century came in a losing cause. The knock lifted his career T20 tally to 14,582 runs from 736 matches, scored at an average of 31.83 and a strike rate of 151.12.In doing so, the 39-year-old surpassed fellow West Indian great Chris Gayle, ending the “Universe Boss”’s 12-year stay at the top of the all-time T20 run charts.For Pollard, the achievement carries extra significance because the vast majority of those runs have come while batting in the middle and lower order rather than as a top-order batter.“Surpassing Chris Gayle, someone we looked up to in the West Indies over a period of time, is special. He has done great things in all formats of cricket, so again, sorry Universe Boss, but we are both at the top there,” Pollard said after the match.“Having said that, batting at No. 6 or 7 is very difficult. Somebody needs to do the dirty work, though, and while everyone rushes to bat at the top of the order, a cricket match involves 11 people, and everyone has a role to play. I guess my role over time was to finish matches, and I embraced that. Once you embrace the challenge and practice for it, good things come,” he added.Pollard’s rise to the summit of T20 cricket also serves as a reminder of a generation of West Indian cricketers who embraced franchise cricket long before it became widely accepted. Alongside players such as Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, Pollard often faced criticism for prioritising franchise leagues, with many believing it came at the expense of international commitments.Looking back, however, Pollard has no regrets about the path he chose and believes time has validated the decisions made by his generation.“Hell, no, I’d be lying if I said that [if he ever imagined achieving the ‘most runs’ feat]. But what I’m proud of, individually and with all those other guys you mentioned like Chris, is that we took a leap of faith and we got ridiculed a lot for it. Now you live to see guys at a young age, even retiring from international cricket to play franchise cricket because again cricket is not just a sport anymore; it’s a business,” he said.“One thing I’ve understood in life about human beings is that when you do something different, change is something we’re not really accustomed to. I’m happy that I’ve lived the day to see it, and I hope everyone who criticised us over the years can sit back and say, ‘Cheers’. We don’t need a sorry. Respect each and every format of the game, but understand that just like technology, everything is changing,” he added.
