With only 20 overs or 120 legitimate deliveries to play per team, batters in T20 cricket are always eager to clear the boundaries and often rack up massive scores individually.
Former Sri Lankan cricketer Deepika Rasangika, who now plays for Bahrain, holds the record for the highest individual T20 score in women’s cricket. Rasangika, at the age of 38, scored an unbeaten 161 from 66 balls against Saudi Arabia in the GCC Women's Twenty20 Championship Cup in Oman in March 2022.
Rasangika was the first woman cricketer to cross the 150-run landmark in T20 internationals. Her record knock helped Bahrain put on 318/1 and beat Saudi Arabia by 269 runs.
At the same competition a few days later, Deepika Rasangika’s Bahrain was on the receiving end. UAE’s Esha Oza almost snatched the record for the highest individual T20 score in women’s cricket but had to contend with an unbeaten 158 from 71 balls. Oza’s knock helped UAE notch 253/1 in 20 overs and win the match by 210 runs.
Highest individual T20 score in women’s cricket
| No. | Batter | Runs | Team | Opponent | Date |
| 1 |
Deepika Rasangika |
161* |
Bahrain |
Saudi Arabia |
March 22, 2022 |
| 2 |
Esha Oza |
158* |
UAE |
Bahrain |
March 26, 2022 |
| 3 |
Alyssa Healy |
148* |
Australia |
Sri Lanka |
October 2, 2019 |
| 4 |
Meg Lanning |
133* |
Australia |
England |
July 26, 2019 |
| 5 |
Fatuma Kibasu |
127* |
Tanzania |
Eswatini |
September 14, 2021 |
| 6 |
Sterre Kalis |
126* |
Netherlands |
Germany |
July 27, 2019 |
| 7 |
Meg Lanning |
126 |
Australia |
Ireland |
March 27, 2014 |
| 8 |
Suzie Bates |
124* |
New Zealand |
South Africa |
June 20, 2018 |
| 9 |
Danni Wyatt |
124 |
England |
India |
March 25, 2018 |
| 10 |
Beth Mooney |
117* |
Australia |
England |
November 21, 2017 |
*Not Out
The rest of the list is dominated by reigning T20 world champions and five-time winners Australia.
Wicket-keeper batter Alyssa Healy of Australia scored an unbeaten 148 in 61 balls against Sri Lanka in 2019 and holds the record for the highest score in women’s T20 cricket among member nations. Healy’s knock in Sydney was laced with 19 fours and seven sixes and helped Australia defeat the Lankans by 132 runs.
Australian captain Meg Lanning is the only player to feature twice in the top 10 list of the highest individual T20 score in women’s cricket. Her team was in trouble after Alyssa Healy was dismissed cheaply against hosts England in a 2019 T20 series opener. Lanning, however, led the rescue mission with 133 not out in 63 balls. Australia put on 226/3 in 20 overs and beat England by 93 runs.
Meg Lanning’s 65-ball 126 against Ireland in 2014 is the seventh-highest individual T20 score in women’s cricket.
Photo Credit: Alamy
