Even with a 50-over World Cup taking place in 2023, an astonishing 451 T20 Internationals (including those involving associate nations) were played throughout the year. The rise of T20 leagues, creative shot-making, and batsmen consistently hitting boundaries have led to higher run-scoring in this abbreviated format.
In 2023, a total of 27 centuries were recorded in T20 Internationals, with Kushal Malla achieving the fastest-ever century in T20I history, scoring it in just 34 balls.
Here are the top 5 men’s T20 International innings of 2023:
#5 Glenn Maxwell (104 from 48 balls against India)
In a spectacular display of aggression against India on November 28, 2023, Maxwell showcased his best form. The Australian all-rounder hammered 20 runs from the final four balls of the match, securing an unlikely victory for his team.
With Australia requiring 47 runs from the last two overs and 22 from the last, Maxwell and captain Matthew Wade shifted into the highest gear, successfully chasing down a massive target of 223.
Maxwell’s unbeaten 104, comprising eight boundaries and eight sixes in 48 balls, guided Australia to an improbable victory against India.
His innings, which included a harsh treatment of Pradish Krishna, outshone Ruturaj Gaikwad’s earlier century. Despite Maxwell’s heroics, it was Australia’s sole win in the five-match T20I series against India after the 2023 World Cup.
#4 Johnson Charles (118 from 46 balls against South Africa)
On a pitch favouring batsmen at SuperSport Park in Centurion, Johnson Charles blazed a century in just 43 balls, steering his team to a formidable total of 258/5 in a T20 International match.
Entering at number three on the fourth delivery of the innings, Charles displayed aggressive intent from the outset, forging a 135-run partnership for the second wicket with Kyle Mayers in a mere 58 balls.
Following Mayers’ departure, Charles sustained the assault on the South African bowlers. The seasoned bowling attack, featuring Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, Wayne Parnell, Sisanda Magala, Aiden Markram, and Tabraiz Shamsi, faced a tough time against the West Indian batter.
Charles eventually got out after scoring 118, hitting an impressive 10 boundaries and 11 sixes at an extraordinary strike rate of 256.52.
#3 Quinton de Kock (100 from 44 balls against West Indies)
With Johnson Charles’s previously mentioned century setting the stage, South Africa found themselves tasked with chasing a target of 259 within 20 overs, requiring a rapid and strong start.
Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks forged a formidable 152-run opening partnership in just 65 balls. De Kock took charge in this alliance, scoring a century (100) from only 44 balls, featuring eight boundaries and nine sixes.
His explosive innings set the tempo for the team, enabling South Africa to successfully chase the target with seven balls remaining. For his decisive performance, the South African keeper-batsman earned the Player of the Match accolade.
#2 Suryakumar Yadav (112* from 51 balls against Sri Lanka)
The top-ranked T20I batsman, Suryakumar Yadav, registered two centuries in T20 Internationals during 2023. The initial of these centuries was achieved in Rajkot against an ineffective Sri Lankan bowling attack.
Entering the game at number four, Yadav unleashed havoc, leaving the Sri Lankan bowlers perplexed about where to deliver the ball against the Indian batsman.
Scoring at an astonishing strike rate of 219.61, he hammered nine sixes and seven boundaries. Remaining unbeaten with a score of 112 from just 51 balls, Yadav steered India to a commanding total of 228. India comfortably won the match by a margin of 91 runs.
#1 Dipendra Singh Airee (52* From 10 balls against Mongolia)
Special recognition is warranted for the innings played by Dipendra Singh, who etched his name in history by achieving the fastest-ever half-century in T20 Internationals against Mongolia during the Asian Games 2023.
He reached his half-century in a mere nine balls, comprising eight sixes, displaying a remarkable strike rate of 520. Dipendra Singh’s record for the fastest half-century in T20 Internationals is unlikely to be surpassed and, at most, could be equalled.
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