Smashing bowlers to all parts of the ground does not necessarily make for a good game of cricket, but it certainly entertains the crowd as they often have more chance of catching the ball than the fielding side!
A team does not necessarily have to score at a run-a-ball to win a game of T20 cricket but big totals can go a long way to setting up a victory. Here are the top five team totals in men’s T20 internationals.
5 – India, 260-5
India have been one of the powerhouses of cricket for some time and it is no surprise to see they have amassed one of the biggest scores in the shortest format, setting their benchmark against Sri Lanka in 2017.
Rohit Sharma has been and continues to be a dominant force at the top of the order for India and he clubbed a blistering 118 off just 43 balls to set up the massive total. He reached three figures in the joint-fastest ever time off just 35 balls, while he scored 10 of his career 133 sixes in that innings and is second only to New Zealand’s Martin Guptill in all-time maximums.
KL Rahul chipped in with a fine 89 off just 49 deliveries before Nuwan Pradeep fought back late on to claim a couple of wickets and finish with figures of 2-61 off just four overs.
Credit to Sri Lanka for making a fist of the run-chase with Kusal Perera smashing 77 off 37 balls, but with his wicket went his side’s hopes and India won by 88 runs.
4 – Sri Lanka, 260-6
Sri Lanka feature once again on our list, and it won’t be the last, but this time it is they who enjoyed themselves out in the middle as they smashed Kenya for 260 in their ICC World Twenty20 clash in 2007.
Sanath Jayasuriya (88 off 44 balls), Kumar Sangakkara (30 off 18) and Mahela Jayawardene (65 off 27) set the platform for Jehan Mubarak to steal the show.
The all-rounder bludgeoned five sixes in an unbeaten 13-ball 46, with Lameck Onyango taking the largest brunt of the punishment with figures of 0-61 off four overs, although Steve Tikolo’s one over cost 25 runs.
Needless to say, the cricketing minnows of Kenya were doomed before they started the run chase and capitulated to 88 all out, losing by a whopping 172 runs.
3 – Australia, 263-3
Sri Lanka feature for the third and final time and, again, they had no answer for opening fireworks, this time from Australia’s Glenn Maxwell back in 2016.
Maxwell has not always delivered for the Australians but this innings demonstrated why they want to have him in their line-up as he smashed 14 fours and nine sixes as he carried his bat for an unbeaten 145, the fourth highest individual score in T20i cricket.
The big-hitting right-hander faced a mere 65 balls in his innings, and enjoyed able support from David Warner (28), Usman Khawaja (36) and Travis Head.
The Aussies took early wickets to temper any thoughts of a victory with Sri Lanka ending the match 88 runs behind at 178-9.
2 – Czech Republic, 278-4
This match is remarkable for a number of reasons, not least the total that the Czech Republic posted in a Continental Cup clash in 2019.
Turkey might not have realised what was in store when they reduced the Czechs to 107-3, with Sumit Pokhriyal hardly torching them with his 52-ball 79.
It was number five Sudesh Wickramasekara that did the bulk of the damage though as he smashed 10 sixes in his scintillating unbeaten 104, matching the fastest ever hundred along the way.
Tunahan Turan’s figures of 1-70 stand out as the second most expensive of all time, but what is perhaps more noteworthy is that Turkey were then dismissed for a paltry 21 to suffer the lowest total ever scored in T20 international cricket as well as the biggest margin of defeat – a massive 257 runs.
1 – Afghanistan, 278-3
Earlier that year in 2019, hence why they are number one, Afghanistan had set the benchmark that the Czech Republic later matched, and not for the first time it was the openers who tore the bowlers apart.
Ireland were the victims on this occasion with Hazratullah Zazai tucking into their attack from the get-go, striking a record 16 sixes in a torturous 162 not out, the second highest score in T20i cricket.
He may have taken a more sedate 42 balls to reach the hundred milestone but with Usman Ghani’s 73 in support, he at least contributed to the most sixes ever recorded in one innings with 22 in total for Afghanistan.
Paul Stirling struck 91 off 50 balls in Ireland’s reply but the chasers were unable to sustain their effort and ended their innings at 194-6, 84 runs behind.
