The T20I format of cricket has always been an extremely high-paced format. As the shortest format, each team faces a mere 20 overs, compelling batsmen to adopt an aggressive style of play from the very first ball which is why some of the highest scores in this format are ridiculous. This urgency to score runs quickly not only enhances competition but also creates an electrifying atmosphere that captivates fans worldwide. This article talks about the top T20I scores in the history of the format and the teams who managed to achieve it.
What a mad run chase by South Africa – they've created history by chasing down 259.
Quinton De Kock, Reeza Hendricks and captain Aiden Markram the heroes. pic.twitter.com/RdbYXwYEU9
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 26, 2023
In a match between South Africa and West Indies, the Windies batted first and posted a massive target of 259 for South Africa to chase, one of the highest totals in history. It looked like West Indies had managed to win in the first innings itself, but South Africa was not ready to give up. Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks came out firing and made 100 runs in 44 balls and 68 runs in 28 balls respectively. While the Proteas were facing a massive target, they managed to chase the score down in just 18.5 overs, making 259 runs, the 10th-highest score in T20I history.
Credit: ESPNcricinfo
India posted a massive total of 260 runs against Sri Lanka on 22nd December 2017. India batted first and their openers made light work of the Sri Lankan bowling attack. Rohit Sharma made 118 runs in 43 balls while KL Rahul made 89 runs in 49 balls. These brilliant performances helped India reach a total of 260, a score Sri Lanka could not chase down despite their valiant effort and India ended up winning the match by 88 runs.
Sri Lanka is tied with India for the 8th-highest score posted in a Twenty20 game. They managed to achieve this total in a game against Kenya on 14th September 2007. Brilliant performances by Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, and Jehan Mubarak, who made 88 runs in 44 balls, 65 runs in 27 balls, and 46 runs in 13 balls respectively helped propel Sri Lanka’s total to 260. Their bowling attack bowled out Kenya for just 88 runs, giving Sri Lanka a win by a margin of 172 runs.
ICC: 💥 145* off 65 balls
💥 14 fours and nine sixes#OnThisDay in 2016, @Gmaxi_32's 🔥 knock guided Australia to a massive 263/3 against Sri Lanka in Pallekele – the then highest team total in men's T20Is 🤯 pic.twitter.com/IK6ISgqbOe— Maηi vkƴath ズ (@vkyath) September 6, 2020
Australia put in one of their best T20I performances against Sri Lanka on 6th September 2016, making one of the highest scores in T20I history. While performances from the likes of David Warner, Usman Khwaja, and Travis Head helped, it was Glenn Maxwell’s performance that really stood out. He made a whopping 145 runs in just 65 balls, accounting for more than half of Australia’s total. They ended up restricting Sri Lanka to 178 runs and won the game by a margin of 85 runs.
Credit: Eurosport
The 6th highest T20I total in history was set by England against West Indies on 19th December 2023. Fast-paced hitting by Jos Buttler, Will Jacks, and Liam Livingstone helped the team a lot but it was Phil Salt’s performance that stood out. He ended up making 119 runs in just 57 balls which included seven fours and 10 sixes which propelled their total to 267. West Indies tried valiantly to chase it down but ended up getting bowled out for 192, losing the game by 75 runs.
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Meanwhile, in cricket, Malaysia is on rampage mode. They got their highest T20 total with 268 runs for 4 wickets against Thailand in their Asian Games group match.
Syed Aziz Syed Mubarak hit 126 runs in just 56 balls, the highest in Malaysia now.
Quarter-final, sudah pasti! pic.twitter.com/jdCVXcsR7m
— T. Avineshwaran (@avineshW90) October 2, 2023
Malaysia put in one of the best T20I performances against Thailand on 2nd October 2023. Malaysian batsmen Syed Aziz, Zubaidi Zulkifle, Muhammad Amir, and Virandeep Singh, all performed spectacularly. Aziz ended up making 126 runs in 56 balls, finishing with 13 fours, nine sixes, and a strike rate of 225. This helped them make 268 runs, one of the highest scores in T20I history. Malaysia managed to restrict Thailand to a mere 74 runs and ended up winning the game by a massive margin of 194 runs.
FASTEST T20I CENTURY: three batsmen equally holding the record of fastest T20I 💯 with 35 balls..
One of them is Sudesh Wickramasekara of Czech Republic 🇨🇿 vs Turkey 🇹🇷 who is originally from Sri Lanka 🇱🇰 #Cricket pic.twitter.com/wXNQeLBTxG
— Dulith Kasun (@DulithK) April 6, 2021
The game between the Czech Republic and Turkey which took place on 30th August 2019 is one of the most one-sided games in history. Czech Republic batted first and standout performances by Sumit Pokhriyal and Sudesh Wickramasekara who made 79 runs in 52 balls and 104 runs in 36 balls respectively which helped them post a total of 278 runs. Turkey, on the other hand, were bowled out for just 21 runs, handing Malaysia a massive win by 257 runs.
Credit: Crictoday
Afghanistan is tied with the Czech Republic for the third-highest score in T20I history. Like in nearly almost all of the cases, Afghanistan batted first. Incredible displays of batting prowess by openers Hazratullah Zazai and Usman Ghani made this possible. Ghani made 73 runs in 48 balls while Zazai made 162 runs in 62 balls and remained not out. Ireland tried their best to chase it down and made a respectable 194 runs but fell short by 84 runs, losing the game.
An exhibition of hitting in Hyderabad as India rack up a total of 297/6 in the third T20I against Bangladesh 😲#INDvBANhttps://t.co/VntlndJaUy
— ICC (@ICC) October 12, 2024
The Indian cricket team made the second-highest T20I total in history on 12th October 2024 against Bangladesh. Sanju Samson, Surykumar Yadav, Riyan Parag, and Hardik Pandya, all contributed a lot. Samson made 111 runs in 47 balls, Suryakumar Yadav made 75 runs in 35 balls, Parag made 34 runs in 13 balls, and Pandya made 47 runs in 18 balls. This helped them post a massive total of 297 runs and win the game by a massive margin of 133 runs.
The game that took place between Nepal and Mongolia on 27th September 2023 holds the record for the highest runs scored in a T20I inning. Kushal Malla, Rohit Paudel, and Dipendra Singh Airee all had brilliant performances. They made 137 runs in 50 balls, 61 runs in 27 balls, and 52 runs in 10 balls respectively. This helped them post a massive total of 314 runs. Nepal managed to bowl Mongolia out for just 41 runs, winning the game by a massive margin of 273 runs.
For more news and updates on the highest T20I scores, keep reading GutshotMagazine.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Telegram.
Guransh Machra is a sportswriter at Gutshot Magazine. He covers football news from local leagues like the Indian Super League as well as international leagues like the Premier League. He follows various sports like Football, Cricket, Formula 1, and Tennis. Apart from sports, Guransh is also enthusiastic about reading and gaming.
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