Shimron Hetmyer completes 1,500 T20I runs and settles back at No. 3
shimron hetmyer moved past the 1, 500-run mark in T20 internationals during the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup Super 8 clash against Zimbabwe at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, and the milestone has come as he re-establishes himself at No. 3 for West Indies in the ongoing World Cup.
Shimron Hetmyer reaches 1, 500 T20I runs
Hetmyer reached the landmark with his 21st run in that Super 8 match at Wankhede, taking his career total past 1, 500 T20I runs. He started the innings on 1, 479 T20I runs and, across 80 appearances for West Indies, now has eight half-centuries and a top score of an unbeaten 81.
Milestone in Mumbai underlined by mixed overall numbers
The tally places Hetmyer among a small group of West Indies batters to reach 1, 500 T20I runs; he is the 11th West Indies batter to hit the mark. His overall T20I average sits in the low 23s and is the second-worst among West Indies players who have scored 1, 500 or more T20I runs, ahead of only Johnson Charles's 22. 42. Hetmyer’s strike rate is above 135.
Big returns in World Cups and a strong year
Despite a modest overall record, Hetmyer has been strong in T20 World Cups: across 10 matches in the tournament he has scored more than 280 runs at an average above 35, with a strike rate beyond 140 and a couple of fifties. This year he compiled 270-plus T20I runs at an average above 43 and a strike rate above 175.
Back at No. 3 after a spur-of-the-moment switch in South Africa
Hetmyer has been in the West Indies' T20I set-up for over eight years but is playing only his second World Cup in the format. He has moved up and down the order, been in and out of the side and seen a few controversies, and is now back at No. 3 in the ongoing World Cup.
The move to No. 3 was a spur-of-the-moment decision in South Africa in January: after the first game the team management said they had no one to bat at three and asked him to try. He gave himself a couple of hours to get his mind around it and then took the role in the second game. He said so far it has been fun and that he has the backing of the entire team, including the management staff.
Preparation, roles and technique
On preparation, Hetmyer drew a line between batting early and finishing. He said playing at No. 3 means facing the new and swinging ball more often, and mentally he focuses on off-the-field preparation: once his mind is in the right place he can bat at three or at six. When playing with Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, his coach throws new balls at him in practice to recreate swing and to make sure he holds his shape at the crease.
He described finishing as holding shape and being in good positions while doing it. He also said he does not change his bat swing or stance for the different roles, except when bowlers start bowling wide.
The context of his 2023–24 numbers is incomplete in the provided material: the sentence begins "Across 2023 and 2024, your strike rate and average, against spin especially, were not that"—unclear in the provided context.
What comes next
Hetmyer heads into the remainder of the Super 8 stage of the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup with 1, 500 T20I runs to his name and the No. 3 slot for West Indies in the ongoing tournament.
