Top five highest totals in T20 cricket of all-time

A 300-plus score has been registered only once in T20 cricket.

T20 cricket has proven to be an exciting format for cricket fans worldwide. The format’s size and dynamics have helped cricket viewership achieve new highs in both international and franchise circuits. With an increasing number of countries choosing the shortest format, the ICC T20I rankings now include up to 80 teams.

Shorter boundaries, bigger and better bats and nearly constant record-breaking have fueled this format, which has drawn a large number of new followers due to the instant cricket formula that many people enjoy.

Something similar was seen when Nepal became the first team to cross the 300-run mark in T20 cricket and most recently, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) demolished the record for the highest team total in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the ongoing IPL 2024 tournament.

Keeping in mind the same theme, we look at the top five highest team totals in T20 history, including internationals and league cricket.

Here are the top five highest totals in T20 cricket history:

5. 275/6 – Punjab vs Andhra, Ranchi, 2023

This match was played in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2023 between Punjab and Andhra in Ranchi, Jharkhand in October 2023. Punjab captain Mandeep Singh won the toss and chose to bat first and carnage ensued led by Abhishek Sharma.

Sharma led the way with 112 in 51, with nine fours and nine sixes. He was supported by Anmolpreet Singh, who smoked 87 in 26 balls with nine sixes and six fours to his name. Then cameos from Prabhsimran Singh (24) and Naman Dhir (17) took Punjab to a record 275/6 in 20 overs.

Two Andhra bowlers, Prithvi Raj (2/63) and Harishankar Reddy (0/66) went for 60 or more runs, while T. Vijay gave away 58 runs for his three wickets. In reply, Andhra managed 170/7 thanks to 104* from Ricky Bhui, but lost the game by 105 runs.

4. 277/3 – SRH vs MI, Hyderabad, 2024

The most recent team total in T20s to cross 270 came in the IPL 2024 tournament. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Mumbai Indians (MI) clashed in the eighth match of the tournament in Hyderabad. MI captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and chose to bowl first, a decision which came back to bite him.

Travis Head, in his first game for SRH, scored 62 in 24 balls with nine fours and three sixes, while Abhishek Sharma hit 63 in 23 balls with three fours and seven sixes. After they fell, it appeared that MI would have a chance to recover, but Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen added 116* runs for the fourth wicket in just nine overs.

Markram scored 42* in 28 deliveries with two fours and one six, while Klaasen smashed the MI bowlers for 80* in 34 balls with four fours and seven sixes. Kwena Maphaka, MI’s IPL rookie, went for 66 runs in four overs, while Jasprit Bumrah only went for 36 in the mayhem.

SRH broke the 11-year-old record for the highest team total in the IPL, which was held by Royal Challengers Bengaluru when they had made 263/5 against Pune Warriors India, with Chris Gayle notching 175*.

3. 278/4 – Czech Republic vs Turkey, Ilfov County, 2019

On August 30, 2019, the Czech Republic and Turkey clashed in an international T20 in Ilfov County, Romania. The match marked the second day of the Continental Cricket Cup, which was being played by hosts Romania, Austria, the Czech Republic, Turkey and Luxembourg.

The Czech Republic won the toss and their captain Edward Knowles decided to bat first. The opposition went for a leather hunt started by opener Sumit Pokhriyal, who made 79 in 52 balls with 12 fours and two sixes. But, the best knock came from Sudesh Wickramasekara, who made 104 in just 36 balls with eight fours and 10 sixes.

Honey Gori made 32 in 21 balls while opening the innings, as the Czech Republic made 278/4 in 20 overs. Turkey’s Tunahan Turan went for 70 runs in his four overs for one wicket. In response, Turkey only managed 21 runs with Mehmat Sert being the only one to reach double figures. The Czech Republic won the match by an eye-watering margin of 257 runs.  

2. 278/3 – Afghanistan vs Ireland, Dehradun, 2019

On February 23, 2019, Afghanistan and Ireland clashed in the second T20I of the series at Dehradun’s Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium. Asghar Afghan, Afghanistan captain won the toss and chose to bat first.

His batters pummeled the Irish bowlers into submission as Afghanistan posted 278/3 in 20 overs, a record that stood for a long time as the highest-ever T20I team total. Hazratullah Zazai starred with 162* in 62 balls, with 11 fours and 16 fours and a strike rate of 261.29. Usman Ghani made 73 in 48 balls with seven fours and three sixes.

In reply, Ireland made 194/6 with Paul Stirling making 91 in 50 balls, while, Rashid Khan took 4/25 in his four overs. Afghanistan registered an easy win by 84 runs.

1. 314/3 – Nepal vs Mongolia, Hangzhou, 2023

Nepal hold the record for the highest team total in T20Is and T20s, as they hammered the first-ever score of 300-plus in 20-over cricket history. The venue was the Zhejiang University of Technology Cricket Field in Hangzhou, China and the event was the Asian Games 2023.

The matches at the Asian Games were given T20I status by the ICC. This match saw Mongolia captain Luvsanzundui Erdenebulgan winning the toss and opting to field. The venue at which the matches were being played was extremely small and the Nepal batters took full advantage of the inexperienced Mongolian bowlers.

Kushal Malla hammered 137* in 50 balls with eight fours and 12 sixes, while Rohit Paudel, Nepal’s skipper made 61 in 27 balls with two fours and six sixes. But, the knock of the match came from Dipenra Singh Airee who faced 10 balls and hammered eight sixes to make 52* with a strike rate of 520.

Nepal made 314/3 in 20 overs and bowled out Mongolia for 41 to win the match by 273 runs.

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