A look at the biggest and best individual innings in the shortest format of the game
List: The highest T20 knocks ever
As Mohit Ahlawat’s incredible triple-century in a local Twenty20 match in Delhi continues to have the cricket world buzzing it had us asking, who holds the record for the highest individual T20 score in a professional match?
The list below features five of the biggest hitters on the planet, and it’s no surprise who comes in at No.1.
Here are the top six highest individual scores in professional T20 cricket (domestic and international).
153no by Luke Wright
Image Id: 55FBC68BA631408289C9AEEB5F18CAD3Essex vs Sussex, Chelmsford, July 2014
The numbers
Runs: 153 | Balls: 66 | Fours: 12 | Sixes: 11 | Strike rate: 231.81
The knock
Chasing a whopping 226 to win, Sussex and Melbourne Stars opener Luke Wright lost his opening partner Chris Nash from the third ball of the pursuit to be 1-0. Unfazed, Wright set about the mountainous challenge, reaching his half-century from 26 balls. That’s when the right-hander erupted. He hit ball No.27 for six, followed by a brace of maximums in the 11th over. Two overs later, Graham Napier was banished for a hat-trick of fours before the Englishman raised his bat for a century from 47 deliveries. But Wright wasn’t done yet. A six and a four were smashed off Reece Topley then two more sixes from Ravi Bopara’s medium pacers. Wright’s final six – his 11th of the evening – brought victory within four runs, which were easily accumulated two balls later to win with nine balls to spare.
156 by Aaron Finch
Image Id: 3D245CC796EF4BA3B1510D31A3364A52Australia vs England, Southampton, August 2013
The numbers
Runs: 156 | Balls: 63 | Fours: 11 | Sixes: 14 | Strike rate: 247.61
The knock
The only international innings in this list was a gem. Having been sent in by England, Australia made a rapid start thanks to Finch, who drop-kicked opening bowler Steven Finn over backward square leg for six from the first ball he faced. Finch feasted on Finn, hitting the lanky quick for three boundaries in the paceman’s next over before the Victorian turned his attention to the very, very part-time off-spin of Joe Root. The short straight Pavilion End boundary of the Rose Bowl was peppered in the 10th over as Finch clobbered 26 runs off Root courtesy of three huge sixes, a four over cover and fortuitous edge to the third man boundary. In a blink of an eye Finch was in the nineties, and midway through the 14th over he sent Stuart Broad for his eighth six to bring up the first T20 international century in the United Kingdom. What followed was more carnage, as Finch clocked two sixes off Luke Wright (on the receiving end this time), and three sixes off left-arm spinner Danny Briggs in the 17th over. The blitzkrieg was terminated an over later when Finch dragged Jade Dernbach on to his middle stump to end a wonderful knock.
158no by Brendon McCullum
Image Id: 6B63613F1EB34D949166C147866EDB72Warwickshire vs Derbyshire, Birmingham, July 2015
The numbers
Runs: 158 | Balls: 64 | Fours: 13 | Sixes: 11 | Strike rate: 246.87
The knock
Sent in by Derbyshire, McCullum put on a show for the Edgbaston faithful with his second T20 score in excess of 150. It took until the fourth over for McCullum to find the rope but he quickly made up for lost time, hitting seven boundaries (three sixes, four fours) in 13 balls. The former Black Caps captain reached his 50 in 23 balls and needed another 19 deliveries to reach triple figures. Melbourne Renegades seamer Nathan Rimmington was targeted by McCullum, though to be fair the entire Derby attack was in the Kiwi’s cross-hairs. Rimmington conceded three boundaries to McCullum in the 19th over, the last a scoop from outside off stump to bring up the batsman’s 150.
158no by Brendon McCullum
Image Id: 7ACC261841C941AA833A7BC01629114AKolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Bangalore, April 2008
The numbers
Runs: 158 | Balls: 73 | Fours: 10 | Sixes: 13 | Strike rate: 216.43
The knock
What a way to kick-start in the Indian Premier League! McCullum put his stamp on the lucrative competition its very first match, smashing the RCB bowlers to all parts of their home ground in a breathtaking display of power hitting. The glitz and the glamour was not lost on McCullum, who dazzled the packed house with 10 fours and 13 sixes. After three runs came from the first over, ‘Baz’ crunched three fours and a six in over No.2 to get the innings soaring. In terms of T20 half-centuries, McCullum’s 32-ball effort was rather sedate, and after 10 overs KKR were just 1-87. But in the 15th over the match fully swung the way of the visitors when McCullum took 16 off David Hussey before a two down the ground off Australian fast bowler Ashley Nofke the following over brought up the IPL’s maiden century. To cap off a wonderful innings, the right-hander hit five sixes and two fours from the final two overs to finish on 158no and set a towering benchmark in the fledgling competition.
162no by Hamilton Masakadza
Image Id: 169790345CC14CCE8A7D7A6D96A23EA0Mashonaland Eagles vs Mountaineers, Bulawayo, February 2016
The numbers
Runs: 162 | Balls: 71 | Fours: 14 | Sixes: 11 | Strike rate: 228.16
The knock
A veteran of more than 250 international appearances for Zimbabwe, Masakadza proved why he’s a cut above domestic cricket with a blistering unbeaten 162 almost 12 months ago. Representing the Mountaineers, Masakadza hit four boundaries in his first eight balls to let his intent be known early on. In five separate overs the right-hander hit three boundaries as the Eagles found no way to cease the damage. His fifty came from 24 balls and his hundred followed just 21 deliveries later. Like every player on this list, the 32-year-old wasn’t finished at 100. Twenty-one runs came off the 16th over and 17 more followed in the 19th as he guided his side to an unbeateable 3-242.
175no by Chris Gayle
Image Id: 936257C87C5C40608A0488E265DD5C81Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Pune Warriors, Bangalore, April 2013
The numbers
Runs: 175 | Balls: 66 | Fours: 13 | Sixes: 17 | Strike rate: 265.15
The knock
Who else but Christopher Henry Gayle? The self-proclaimed ‘Universe Boss’ put on a clinic in the sixth edition of the IPL, amassing an improbable, unthinkable yet incredible 175no in a single T20 innings. The carnage started in the second over when the brutish left-hander spanked five fours off the bowling of Ishwar Pandey. Deprived of the strike by Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dlishan, Gayle took his frustration out on Australian allrounder Mitchell Marsh, who conceded four sixes and a four from his first over that cost 28 runs. At this point, Gayle had arrived at his half-century in just 17 deliveries. Three overs later the Jamaican repeated the damage, this time to another Australian in Aaron Finch, who was also smacked for 28. In the ninth over – the ninth over – Gayle launched Ashok Dinda out of the stadium to bring up his century in just 31 balls – the fastest ever in T20 cricket. After taking a few overs to compose himself, Gayle took 26 off the 15th over and combined with AB de Villiers for a quick-fire partnership of 44 from 15 balls. He finished the innings undefeated on 175 in a team total of 5-263. In reply, Pune were bowled out for 133, with Gayle capturing 2-5 from one over. Fair day out for Gayle.