The Indian cricket team first made its impression in the shortest format by winning the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. Since then, it has won several dozen matches and registered some of the highest scores in T20Is.
From Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh in the late 2000s to Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul today, the India batting line-up has always been a ferocious one, capable of taking on any opponent.
Piling up massive totals is one of the strengths of Team India as it has crossed the 200-run barrier 18 times in T20Is - the most by any team.
And with the 2021 T20 World Cup happening later this year, let’s look at are some of India’s highest scores in T20Is.
India’s highest score in the T20I came against Sri Lanka when they posted 260/5 at the Holkar Stadium in Indore in December 2017. India won the match by 88 runs.
Team India’s highest total overseas is 244/4. It came in the first T20I against the West Indies at Lauderhill, Florida in August 2016. India were chasing West Indies’ mammoth 245/6, helped by Evin Lewis’ ton. India fell short by one run despite KL Rahul’s unbeaten century as MS Dhoni fell to Dwayne Bravo on the last ball.
India’s highest team total while chasing stands at 211/4, when they defeated Sri Lanka — who posted 206/7 — in the second T20I at home in Chandigarh in December 2009. However, they technically chased a higher total, West Indies’ 207/5, in the first match at Hyderabad in 2019.
Incidentally, India has never lost a match when they posted a 200-plus score while batting first.
The record for the highest T20I team total is held by Afghanistan. They scored a whopping 278/3 against Ireland at Dehradun in February 2019.
India’s highest score in T20 cricket: Top 5 scores
260/5 - India vs Sri Lanka, Indore, December 2017
244/4 - India vs West Indies, Lauderhill, August 2016
240/3 - India vs West Indies, Mumbai, December 2019
224/2 - India vs England, Ahmedabad, March 2021
218/4 - India vs England, Durban, September 2007
Featured image courtesy: BCCI
