Record-breaking totals: Five highest team scores in T20I cricket
The ICC’s decision to hand T20I status to all T20 games between International teams from 2018-2019 made a mockery of records. However, the highest individual T20I scores and the highest Men’s T20I totals were less affected due to this move. Till date, only six teams managed to post 250+ totals in Men’s T20I cricket but only two of them came during the matches between associate teams.
Here we look at the top five totals in Men’s T20I cricket:
5) 260/5 by India vs Sri Lanka, 2017:
India had a shy at the highest T20I total when they hosted Sri Lanka in the Indore T20I. The stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma equalled the fastest T20I hundred record as he brought up his century in only 35 balls. He smashed 118 from only 43 balls while his opening partner KL Rahul scored a 49-ball 89. The duo added 165 in just 12.4 overs but MS Dhoni, who was promoted to No.3, made only 28 off 21 balls. It indirectly played a role in India missing out the World record only by four runs.
4) 260/6 by Sri Lanka vs Kenya, 2007:
Usually big totals in T20Is occur due to some impeccable individual performances but Sri Lanka’s total of 260/6 against Kenya during the 2007 WT20 was an exception. Sanath Jayasuriya’s 44-ball 88 was the top score for the Lankans in that game while skipper Mahela Jayawardene blasted 62 in only 27 balls. The duo added 87 runs for the 3rd wicket in just 29 balls. Jehan Mubarak’s unbeaten 46 off just 13 balls was crucial in lifting the Lankans to a mammoth total as 45 runs came in the last two overs.
3) 263/3 by Australia vs Sri Lanka, 2016:
About a week after the ODI World record total held by Sri Lanka was broken by England, the Australians took down the highest T20I total held by Lankans against them itself. During the first of the 2-match T20I series held in Pallekele, Australia posted 263/3 in their 20 overs all thanks to an unbeaten 145-run knock from Glenn Maxwell. The all-rounder got promoted to open the innings where he smashed 14 fours and nine maximums during his 65-ball innings but narrowly missed out on breaking Aaron Finch’s record T20I score.
2) 278/4 by Czech Republic vs Turkey, 2019:
David Miller and Rohit Sharma smashed the fastest T20I century taking 35 balls apiece in 2017. The record was equalled in 2019 by Sudesh Wickramasekara of Czech Republic. During the Continental Cup game in Ilfov County, Wickramasekara smashed an unbeaten 104 from 36 balls with the help of ten sixes and eight fours. His knock helped the Czech Republic team finish on 278/4 and level the highest T20I total in Men’s cricket. Turkey team had a couple of players aged 50+ and they conceded 39 extra runs including 26 wides.
1) 278/3 by Afghanistan vs Ireland, 2019:
Afghanistan made merry of T20I records when they hosted Ireland in Dehradun at the start of 2019. Hazratullah Zazai was the chief destroyer who smashed an unbeaten 162 from just 62 balls; the 2nd biggest T20I individual score as he smashed a record 16 sixes going along with 11 fours. Zazai put on a world record partnership of 236 in 17.3 overs with Usman Ghani (73 off 48) for the first wicket which helped the Afghans take over the record of highest Men’s T20I total with 278/3.
