The best cricket players from all over the world are gathering for another edition of the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup. But what exactly is the highest score in T20 International history?
Chris Gayle holds the record for the highest score in T20 International history. He scored an astonishing 175 not out while playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) against the Pune Warriors in the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL). This incredible unbeaten century is the highest individual score in all professional men’s Twenty20 cricket.
Many impressive hundreds have been made in Twenty20 cricket around the world. With the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup approaching, we took the time to explore the records and find out which batsmen hold the top spots for the highest score in T20 International cricket history.
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What is the Highest Score in T20 International History?
Aaron Finch has held the record for the highest score in t20 international cricket twice. He currently holds the record outright, just three runs short of Gayle’s record in all formats.
Finch first set the record in 2013 when he scored 156 runs from 63 balls against England. He hit 11 fours and 14 sixes, achieving a strike rate of 247.61 at The Rose Bowl in Southampton, 11 years ago.
Five years later, Finch scored 172 runs for Australia against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club in Harare in 2018. Like Gayle, he opened the batting, allowing him to accumulate his massive twenty-over century.
Finch sent the Zimbabwe bowlers all over the ground, hitting 16 fours and 10 sixes at a strike rate of 226.31 from 76 balls 10 more than Gayle faced during his innings. Finch’s innings remains the highest score in t20 international as a captain.
Top 10 Highest Scores in T20 international and T20 History
| Rank | Player | Score | Team | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Gayle | 175* | Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) | 2013 |
| 2 | Aaron Finch | 172 | Australia | 2018 |
| 3 | Hamilton Masakadza | 162* | Mountaineers | 2016 |
| 4 | Hazratullah Zazai | 162* | Afghanistan | 2019 |
| 5 | Dewald Brevis | 162 | Titans | 2022 |
| 6 | Adam Lyth | 161 | Yorkshire | 2017 |
| 7 | Brendon McCullum | 158* | Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | 2008 |
| 8 | Brendon McCullum | 158* | Warwickshire | 2015 |
| 9 | Aaron Finch | 156* | Australia | 2013 |
| 10 | Glenn Maxwell | 154* | Melbourne Stars | 2022 |
The Highest Score in T20 Cricket History?
Gayle dominated the Pune Warriors at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore during the sixth season of the IPL. His remarkable innings stands out for several reasons. Not only is it the highest score ever recorded in franchise Twenty20 cricket, but it is also the highest score in T20 International cricket, including List A and international matches.
Known as the “Universe Boss,” Gayle batted for 66 balls to reach 175, carrying his bat throughout the innings. The bowlers from Pune had no response to the powerful hitting of this West Indies legend. He scored at an impressive strike rate of 265.15, hitting 13 fours and 17 sixes. At that time, he also achieved the fastest century in T20 cricket, reaching 100 runs in just 30 balls.
RCB’s total of 263/5 was the largest score in T20 cricket at the time, although many teams have since surpassed that mark.
As a two-time T20 World Cup winner, Gayle is an ambassador for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup in the West Indies and the United States. The tournament will last a month, taking place from June 1 to 29, across seven countries, with matches played in three southern states of the USA and on six Caribbean islands.
What is the Highest Score by an Indian Player in IPL History?
The highest score made by an Indian batsman in Indian Premier League history is 132 not out, achieved by KL Rahul. This unbeaten century ranks fifth overall in IPL history. Rahul scored his 132 runs off 69 balls while playing for Kings XI Punjab (now called Punjab Kings) against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Dubai in 2020.
He hit 14 fours and seven sixes, achieving a strike rate of 191.30 at the Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium. Similar to Gayle and Finch, Rahul opened the batting for his team and faced more than 50% of the balls in their 20-over innings.
Rahul’s score of 132* is ranked forty-first in the all-time highest scores in T20 cricket history. While Gayle’s score of 175* is the top score in T20 history, Finch’s two significant hundreds rank second and ninth overall in the shortest format of the game.
Both Gayle and Finch are among only three players to have scored two or more 150+ scores in T20 cricket history. The other player is New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum, whose highest T20 scores are both 158 not out one in the IPL and another for Warwickshire in England’s domestic T20 league.
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