Top 5 teams with the highest T20 score
Limited overs and shorter gameplay triggered a remarkable transformation in the traditional form of cricket. The batting side adapted by accelerating with an urgency to go big, doing it more often than in the red-ball format. Then came the T20 format, with just 20 overs per side, and along with it arrived an explosive brand of cricket. T20 cricket has brought about remarkable dynamism in the sport. While the shorter format is perceived as a merry ground for batsmen, the ability to save runs in such a setting is a skill especially rewarded. Offering both sides a level playing field while also promising a fiery showdown, the T20 format has swiftly emerged as one of the most popular cricket formats among fans. Meanwhile, there have been instances where a team mastered the strategy so well that they registered their names in the elusive list of highest T20 scores.
Teams with highest T20 score
The onset of T20 cricket saw many cricket-playing nations introducing private T20 leagues. What started with the Vitality T20 grew into India launching the Indian Premier League, which is now the biggest T20 league in the world. Then came the Big Bash League in Australia, the Caribbean Premier League, and so on. Now, almost every nation has a league of its own, with players from around the world trying to claim as much game time as possible. In this list, however, we will talk about the highest T20 score by a team in the international setup, a format that still enjoys the most fanfare and holds a substantial place in the ICC ranks.
5. India - 283/2 vs South Africa, 15 November 2024
The list as it will move ahead will show that India transitioned significantly after ending its over-a-decade-long drought for the T20 World Cup. The phase after India's 2024 ICC T20 World Cup victory saw young bloods coming up in the team. With the rising IPL stars arrived the zeal of smashing big and mighty cricket score, playing a fearless brand of cricket. Meanwhile, this team with the up and coming guns saw India enter the list of teams with Top 5 highest T20 score twice. The first came in 2024 as India took on South Africa at the latter's home in Johannesburg.
India produced a batting masterclass against South Africa, piling up a colossal 283/1. Young sensation Tilak Varma was in an unmatched league, hammering an unbeaten 120 from just 47 deliveries. At the other end, Sanju Samson matched the fireworks with a flawless 109*. The duo’s dominance left South Africa’s bowling attack clueless as India rained down 23 sixes. Abhishek Sharma was the lone wicket to fall, and the Men in Blue cruised to a commanding 135-run win.
4. Zimbabwe - 286/5 vs Seychelles, 19 October 2024
Zimbabwe, meanwhile, hold the fourth rank in the highest T20 score on record, 286/5 against Seychelles. Openers Brian Bennett (91) and Tadiwanashe Marumani (86) set the tone from the first ball, dismantling the bowling with relentless hitting. They cleared the ropes 18 times and kept the scoring rate at a blistering 14.30 per over. Seychelles’ attack had no answers, and sloppy fielding only added to their woes, sealing an emphatic Zimbabwe victory and a confidence boost for the record books.
3. India - 297/6 vs Bangladesh, 12 October 2024
This time, a touring Bangladesh fell to the vicious attack by the Men in Blue in Hyderabad. India shattered their own T20I batting benchmarks with a mammoth 297/6 against Bangladesh. Sanju Samson lit up the stadium with a sparkling 111, while skipper Suryakumar Yadav unleashed a rapid 75. The pair toyed with the bowlers, smashing 22 sixes and maintaining a stunning run rate of 14.85. Bangladesh’s best efforts went in vain, as they were bundled out for 164, giving India a thumping 133-run triumph.
2. Nepal - 314/3 vs Mongolia, 27 September 2023
Amid the blitz of T20 leagues and major international teams playing bilaterals, other tournament rarely fascinate the audience. However, Nepal, this one time, made sure that all the cricket fans from around the world took stock of the Asian Games. Nepal made global headlines during the Asian Games, becoming the first team in T20I history to breach the 300-run barrier. They amassed 314/3 against Mongolia, with Kushal Malla leading the carnage. His unbeaten 137 came with 12 towering sixes and 8 fours, making the chase impossible before it even began. Nepal’s total included 26 sixes, and Mongolia’s bowlers were left searching for answers in a record-breaking rout.
1. Zimbabwe - 344/4 vs Gambia, 23 October 2024
Topping them all, however, is Zimbabwe’s jaw-dropping 344/4 against Gambia, the highest T20 score ever recorded. Sikandar Raza was the chief destroyer, blasting 133* from just 43 balls, peppered with 15 sixes and 7 boundaries. The entire line-up joined the onslaught, smashing 27 sixes in total, a world record, and finishing with a scarcely believable run rate of 17.20.
