Highest Individual Scores in T20 International Cricket
The record books for individual T20 International innings reveal extraordinary hitting performances. These are the highest T20I scores ever made and the stories behind them.
T20 International cricket, played over just 20 overs per side, produces individual innings of remarkable power and invention. The highest scores in T20I history reflect the evolution of the format — from cautious beginnings in 2005 to the boundary-clearing, ramp-and-scoop era of the 2020s where batters routinely attack bowling with a freedom that would have been considered reckless in earlier cricket. The record holders represent nations that have invested most in T20 batting development.
The Record Holders
The highest individual score in men's T20 International cricket is held by Hazratullah Zazai of Afghanistan, who scored 162 not out off 62 balls against Ireland in Dehradun in 2019. The innings included 11 fours and 16 sixes — a strike rate of over 261. Afghanistan's batting development, shaped by years of playing aggressive cricket in domestic tournaments worldwide, produced a generation of T20 batters capable of extraordinary hitting displays. The innings remains the benchmark for T20I batting.
Aaron Finch of Australia held the record twice — scoring 156 not out against England in 2013 and then improving to 172 against Zimbabwe in 2018. Finch's 172 in Harare came from 76 balls and included 10 fours and 16 sixes. The innings demonstrated that opening batting against weaker opposition in T20s can produce statistics that look closer to Test cricket giant scores compressed into 20-over constraints. Finch's willingness to attack from the first delivery distinguished his batting from conventional openers of earlier eras.
Women's T20I Records
In women's T20 International cricket, the record is held by Deandra Dottin of West Indies, who scored 112 not out against South Africa in 2010 — the first T20I century by a woman. Beth Mooney and Smriti Mandhana have subsequently scored T20I centuries that reflect the growing depth of women's T20 batting. The women's game has seen rapid scoring rate increases as players have adopted the aggressive techniques pioneered in men's T20 cricket, with modern women's T20I centuries now scored at strike rates that match the men's format.
Frequently asked questions
Has any T20I innings scored more sixes than Zazai's 16?
Chris Gayle holds the record for most sixes in a T20I innings with 17 — scored in his 175 not out against Kenya in the 2007 ICC World T20. Gayle's innings remains the highest individual T20 World Cup score and the highest in T20I cricket by Gayle himself, though Zazai's 162 from 62 balls had a higher strike rate.
What is the highest T20 innings ever in any format including domestic T20?
In all T20 cricket including domestic competitions, Brendon McCullum scored 158 not out for Kolkata Knight Riders in the inaugural IPL match in 2008. Various domestic T20 competitions globally have seen innings exceeding 150, but McCullum's 158 in the first-ever IPL match remains one of the most iconic.
Is a T20I double century possible?
Mathematically, scoring 200 in a T20 innings would require a strike rate of 1,000 off 20 balls, which is impossible. The absolute maximum achievable is 36 per ball (six sixes per over) across 20 overs = 120 balls. A team could score approximately 278 total theoretically, but an individual 200 within a 120-ball innings would require the same batter to face most of those balls, making it practically impossible.