Highest Scores in T20 World Cup History: McCullum Leads the Way

Scoring big runs in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is always a dream for every batter. Some batters have dominated in the T20 World Cup tournaments, and some of them have brought up some special matches with their powerful batting performances. In this article, We are going through the highest individual scores in T20 World Cup history.

List of highest scores in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup history (Top 5)

Rilee Rossouw (South Africa): 109 vs Bangladesh  

During the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 Super 12 stage, while South Africa thrashed Bangladesh by 104 runs, Proteas no. 3 batter Rilee Rossouw smashed a great century. He had a solid 168-run partnership for the second wicket with the opener, Quinton de Kock and Rossouw scored 109 runs in 56 balls (seven fours and eight sixes). Rossouw scored 50 runs in 30 balls and completed 100 runs in 52 balls. In reply, Bangladesh were bundled out for only 101 runs.

Ahmed Shehzad (Pakistan): 111* vs Bangladesh 

It was the Super 10 contest of the ICC World T20 2014, where Pakistan opener Ahmed Shehzad smashed a great century against Bangladesh. Shehzad dominated the first innings of the match, where the right-handed opener completed his 50 runs in 30 balls and the century in 58 balls. Shehzad scored 111 not out in 62 balls (ten fours and five sixes), as Pakistan scored 190/5 in 20 overs. Bangladesh replied with 140/7 in 20 overs, as Pakistan won by 50 runs.

Alex Hales (England): 116* vs Sri Lanka  

It was the Super 10 contest of the ICC World T20 2014, where English opener Alex Hales smashed a match-winning century against Sri Lanka in their successful chase. After the Lankan team was sent to bat first, Tillakaratne Dilshan (55) and Mahela Jayawardene (89) guided the team to score 189/4 in 20 overs.

In reply, although England lost their first two wickets in the first over without adding a single run, opener Alex Hales and Eoin Morgan handled the situation and set up a strong third-wicket partnership. While Morgan scored 57 runs, Hales scored 116 not out in 64 balls (11 fours and six sixes) to secure a great victory for England. The English team successfully chased the target in 19.2 overs after losing four wickets.  

Chris Gayle (West Indies): 117 vs South Africa  

It was the historic first match in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup history where the hosts, South Africa, faced the West Indies. The Caribbean opener, Chris Gayle, bossed the first innings and scored 117 runs in 57 balls (seven fours and ten sixes). The left-handed opening batter hit his fifty in 26 balls and recorded the first-ever T20 international century in 50 balls. His batting guided the West Indies to score 205/6 in 20 overs.

However, South African batters Herschelle Gibbs (90 not out in 55 balls) and Justin Kemp (46 not out in 22 balls) destroyed West Indies’ celebration, as the hosts Proteas chased down the target in 17.4 overs after losing only two wickets.

Brendon McCullum (New Zealand): 123 vs Bangladesh  

It was the Group Stage match of the ICC World T20 2012, where New Zealand star Brendon McCullum recorded the highest individual score in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup history. After Bangladesh chose to field first, McCullum came to bat at no.3 after the opener, Martin Guptill (11) was dismissed cheaply in the fourth over of the innings.

The Blackcaps right-handed batter McCullum completed his 50 runs in 29 balls and smashed his century in 51 balls. He scored 123 runs in 58 balls with the help of 11 fours and seven sixes. His batting helped New Zealand score 191/3 (20 overs), while Bangladesh replied with only 132/8 (20 overs), as the Blackcaps won by 59 runs.