T20 Cricket is becoming one of the most loved formats of the game nowadays. The excitement, and the passion it brings from players and fans is much larger in comparison to other formats of the game.
Since T20I cricket is fast-paced, a batsman doesn’t have the time to take a few deliveries to settle down. On top of that, there’s the added pressure to score boundaries at will. So to put up a century is something that’s very rare. Today we’ll be looking at the top 10 highest individual scores in this interacting format of the game.
Top 10 highest individual scores in T20I cricket
10) George Munsey (127*) vs Netherlands
Scotland’s George Munsey slammed 127 not out off just 56 balls against Netherlands in September 2019. His knock consisted of 5 fours and 14 maximums. He reached his hundred in 41 balls.
Munsey’s innings propelled Scotland to a mammoth total of 252/3. In reply, Netherlands fell short by 58 runs. George Munsey has played 51 T20I matches so far. He has scored 1270 runs at a healthy strike rate of 146. The opener has seven fifties and a solitary century to his name in the shortest format.
The 11th name on the list of highest individual T20I scores is Tanzania women’s cricketer Fatuma Kibasu. She made 127 unbeaten runs off 66 balls against Eswatini in September 2021.
9) Max O’Dowd (133*) vs Malaysia
Dutch player Max O’Dowd became the first cricketer from his country to hit a century in a T20I, after smashing a sensational unbeaten 133 off 73 against Malaysia in April 2021. His innings helped his side defeat Malaysia by 15 runs in the second match of the Nepal tri-nation series.
Max’s innings included 15 fours and six towering sixes. The 28-year old has so far played 43 T20Is scoring 1161 runs at an average of 30 and a Strike rate of 124. He has slammed eight half-centuries in the shortest format.
8) Meg Lanning (133*) vs England
No.8 on the list is the skipper of the Australian Women’s team- Meg Lanning. She scored an unbeaten 63-ball 133 at County Chelmsford in the first T20I of Women Ashes 2019. Her innings included 17 fours and seven sixes.
Lanning’s knock propelled Australia to a score of 226/3. Her side won the game by a massive margin of 93 runs. Lanning has played 115 T20Is, scoring 3007 runs at an average of 36 and a strike rate of 116. She has two centuries and 14 fifties to her name.
7) Glenn Maxwell (145*) vs Sri Lanka
Another Australian batsman that was on top of the scoring charts was Glenn Maxwell. The name itself is enough to say how much carnage the guy can make if he has a bat in hand. If you can get him out early, you have the X-factor out. If the opposition can’t get him out cheaply, he can change the tide of the match and then the pressure is on the bowlers to survive.
He scored 145* off 65 balls including 14 fours and nine sixes at a strike rate of 224.07. He opened the innings with David Warner which is a rare sight and made use of the opportunity and a challenge kept in front of him. Maxwell’s innings ensured Australia posted a total of 263/3 against Sri Lanka.
6) AJ Healy (148*) vs Sri Lanka
The first instance of a woman hitting a high score from the top countries comes from Alyssa Healy. She is one of the most dangerous and fearsome batters in women’s cricket at this point. This exhilarating innings came against Sri Lanka in 2019.
She scored 148* off 61 balls which included 19 fours and seven sixes to her name. Healy scored at a mammoth strike rate of 242.62 and was simply unstoppable throughout the innings. The key to stopping her is to take her wicket at the start otherwise, the match is going to be one-sided without any doubt.
5) Aaron Finch (156) vs England
Once Aaron Finch is settled at the crease, rarely can anyone stop him barring himself. He is one of the most lethal batsmen in the world once he gets going. This is the reason why he features in this top 5 list twice.
This innings of 156 off 63 balls included 11 fours and 14 gigantic sixes to take his side to a total of 248 after 20 overs against a vibrant England side. It was an excellent innings and because of it, his side won the match.
4) ER Oza (158*) vs Bahrain
Bahrain Women and high scoring matches are kind of becoming a thing nowadays. But this time around they were on the receiving end of a smacking.
ER Oza hit 158* off 71 balls which included 22 fours and six sixes. This innings helped the UAE Women to a mammoth total and knew that this wouldn’t be chased down by the opposition. It was an innings of grit and class and all the shots she played were exquisite, to say the least.
3) HMD Rasangika (161*) vs Saudi Arabia
HMD Rasangika scored the highest score against KSA Women. This innings of 161* off 66 balls included 31 fours. This was the first innings ever in Women’s cricket where a player has scored more than 30 boundaries in an innings. She wrecked havoc on the opposition bowlers and the best part about this excellent innings is that there were no sixes and all the boundaries were fours.
It was a very tactically planned innings by Rasangika and one that will not only be remembered by her country but around the world. Associate games sometimes go less recognised but such innings and matches showcase how important grass root level cricket is. There have been many matches and innings like this where such blistering knocks go less recognised.
2) Hazratullah Zazai (162*) vs Ireland
Hazratullah Zazai is one of the most fearsome batsmen in the Afghanistan squad. He can play as an anchor or can even play as a finisher and when needed he can open the innings. He can smack the ball out of the park and has the ability to change the course of the match and the innings with one confident over. He has played many such confident knocks in his short career till now and can lead the team to victory with such innings.
This innings vs Ireland came in 2019 in Dehradun. His 162* off 62 balls included 11 fours and 16 sixes. This innings not only set their batting but ensured that it would take more than a miracle for the Ireland batsman to chase it down. Such an innings really boosts the team morale and that’s what a team like Afghanistan needs.
1) Aaron Finch (172) vs Zimbabwe
The highest score ever in International cricket was scored by the Australian captain Aaron Finch against a weak Zimbabwe side in 2018. Aaron Finch came to the match with stunning form and blasted the Zimbabwe bowlers all over the park. He had support from D’arcy Short and other Australian batsmen which helped him to play freely without having to worry about the wickets tumbling.
This knock of 172 off 76 balls included 16 fours and 10 sixes. He opened the innings and made sure he was right there till the final over for his country. This knock not only helped his side post a strong total but also made sure Zimbabwe needed something extraordinary to chase it down which the Australian bowlers didn’t let them do.
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