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Jayasuriya is going to take some stopping as Twenty20 top runscorer

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An in-depth look at the main contenders to be crowned king of the willow at the Twenty20 World Cup

It has been a thrilling Twenty20 World Cup to date, with 3308 runs smashed during the group stages and more fireworks are expected now that the Super 8s stage has begun.

There are nine more games being played between Monday and Thursday (September 17 to 20), which will have a big say on the way this market continues to develop. The chance to play one or maybe two more games hands batsmen involved a huge advantage.

Current 3.15 favourite in the market is Sri Lanka veteran Sanath Jayasuriya, with 149 runs in his two innings. Sri Lanka face Pakistan on Monday in a match that could do as much for their outright hopes as helping Jayasuriya in the runscorer betting.

Jayasuriya was hugely impressive in cracking 88 off only 44 balls against Kenya, and he followed that up with 61 against New Zealand, as his attacking style of play again proved to be ideally suited for this unique limited-overs game.

His unflappable nature and the fact that he opens the innings highlights why many Betfair punters feel he could hold on to his position at the top of the run charts, and with Sri Lanka fancied to go all the way in the tournament (5.5 to win), he could well have five more innings.

But this could be one of the more volatile markets during the tournament because of the lack of opportunity to build an innings - there has only been one century so far and Chris Gayle followed up his 117 against South Africa with a duck, as the West Indies exited the event early.

That volatility was seen on Sunday when Matthew Hayden's price crashed from being matched as high as 21 to 3.55 second favourite, off the back of an unbeaten 73 in Australia's Super 8 clash with Bangladesh. The powerful left-hander is now five runs behind Jayasuriya on 144 runs, although he has played in one more game.

Hayden also has the advantage of being an opener and with the fielding restrictions as they are, it has been easier for top-order batsmen to get in and build an innings - all of the leading contenders in the market usually bat in the top four.

Among them are Hayden's opening partner Adam Gilchrist (13) and Jayasuriya's Sri Lankan team-mate Mahela Jayawardene, who will take the field against Pakistan on Monday looking to add to the 100 runs he has scored in two outings so far.

Jayawardene has the highest strike rate of any batsman in the top 30 runscorers at the tournament, with his 100 runs having come off only 45 balls, and the manner of his 65 against Kenya was breath-taking. He can be backed at 13 to top the Twenty20 World Cup runs chart.

Despite not yet hitting top form, with 92 runs to his name, Gilchrist is not too far off the pace and punters who remember the 149 runs he scored in Australia's World Cup final win over Sri Lanka, will realise there is always the potential for a huge innings from the wicket-keeper.

South Africa skipper Graeme Smith is next up at 17.5, with 88 runs from his three innings to date, but he still looks to be struggling with a hand injury suffered earlier in the tournament.

Next up in the market but needing help to play a part in the tournament's last four, is England's Kevin Pietersen, who has scored 115 in his three innings so far and was seemingly unlucky to be run out as he tried to rescue his country against South Africa on Sunday.

The 21 available to small stakes about the hard-hitting Hampshire batsman would be interesting if England could beat both New Zealand and India in their next two group games and make it into the semi-finals.

Pietersen scored a fine 79 against Zimbabwe, and with the recent move to move him up the order to No 3 in the line-up, the chances are he will face a lot more bowling given the lack of runs coming from England's opening partnerships.

The only other player at a relatively short price is South Africa's Herschelle Gibbs, but despite scoring 90 in the opening win over the West Indies, his hamstring niggle kept him out of their next two games, making it no certainty that he will have the chance to add to his current tally.

His team-mate Albie Morkel could be a big danger if given more time at the crease, judged on his 43 off 20 balls against England on Sunday. But coming in at seven he may struggle to get enough time at the crease, and there are no prices on offer for him in the market.

• Cricket
• Twenty20 World Cup