West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle currently holds the record for the highest individual score in T20 cricket.
While playing for Team Bangalore in the 2013 Indian T20 League, Gayle slammed an unbeaten 175 off just 66 balls against the now-defunct Pune franchise at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The southpaw broke New Zealand cricketer Brendon McCullum’s record, who smashed an unbeaten 158 off 73 balls for Team Kolkata against Bangalore in the first match of the inaugural edition of the Indian T20 League in 2008.
During his record-breaking innings, Gayle also broke the record for the fastest T20 hundred, reaching his magnificent century in 30 balls. Gayle’s innings was laced with 17 sixes and 13 fours.
Australia T20I captain Aaron Finch boasts the second-highest individual score in T20 cricket.
In the third match of Zimbabwe T20I Tri-series featuring the hosts, Australia and Pakistan, Finch hammered 172 off just 76 balls against Zimbabwe in Harare in 2018.
Finch’s incredible innings, which included 16 fours and 10 maximums, is also the highest individual score in T20I cricket.
Zimbabwe’s Hamilton Masakadza comes in third on the list for the highest individual scorers in T20 cricket.
While playing for the Mountaineers in their domestic Twenty20 competition, Masakadza smashed an unbeaten 71-ball 162 against Mashonaland Eagles in 2016. His innings featured 14 fours and 11 sixes.
Afghanistan cricketer Hazratullah Zazai is the fourth batter on the list.
While opening the batting, Zazai hammered an unbeaten 162 against Ireland in the second T20I of the series in Dehradun in 2019. Zazai’s scintillating hundred powered Afghanistan to post a mammoth score of 278/3 in their allotted 20 overs. Zazai’s innings included 11 fours and 16 maximums.
England’s Adam Lyth is the fifth-highest individual score in men’s T20 cricket.
While representing Yorkshire in the NatWest T20 Blast, Lyth smashed 161 off 73 balls against Northamptonshire in 2017. Lyth’s innings was laced with 20 fours and seven sixes.
Interestingly, former New Zealand cricketer Brendon McCullum features twice on the list for the highest individual score in T20 cricket.
Apart from his unbeaten 158 in the Indian T20 League in 2008, McCullum blasted an unbeaten 64-ball 158 for Warwickshire against Derbyshire in the NatWest T20 Blast in 2015.
Aaron Finch, his Australia teammate Glenn Maxwell and England cricketer Luke Wright complete the top 10 list for the highest individual score in T20 cricket.
While Finch smashed 156 against England in Southampton in 2013, Maxwell registered an unbeaten 154 while playing for the Melbourne Stars against Hobart Hurricanes at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the Big Bash League in 2022 .
Luke Wright features 10th on the list as he hammered an unbeaten 153 for Sussex against Essex in Chelmsford in the NatWest T20 Blast in 2014.
Meanwhile, Bahrain’s Deepika Rasangika holds the record for the highest individual score in women’s T20 cricket.
Opening the innings for Bahrain women’s cricket team, Rasangika smashed an unbeaten 161 against Saudi Arabia in the Golf Cup Women’s Twenty20 Championship.
Interestingly, Rasangika has also represented the Sri Lanka women’s cricket team for more than 60 matches between 2008 and 2014.
The Colombo-born cricketer broke the record of Australia wicket-keeper batter Alyssa Healy, who scored an unbeaten 61-ball 148 against Sri Lanka during the third T20I of Sri Lanka women's tour of Australia in 2019.
Highest individual score in T20 cricket
| Player | For | Against | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Venue | Year |
| Chris Gayle | Bangalore | Bangalore | 175* | 66 | 13 | 17 | Bengaluru | 2013 |
| Aaron Finch | Australia | Zimbabwe | 172 | 76 | 16 | 10 | Harare | 2018 |
| Hamilton Masakadza | Mountaineers | Mashonaland Eagles | 162* | 71 | 14 | 11 | Bulawayo | 2016 |
| Hazratullah Zazai | Afghanistan | Ireland | 162* | 62 | 11 | 16 | Dehradun | 2019 |
| Adam Lyth | Yorkshire | Northamptonshire | 161 | 73 | 20 | 7 | Leeds | 2017 |
| Brendon McCullum | Kolkata | Bangalore | 158* | 73 | 10 | 13 | Bengaluru | 2008 |
| Brendon McCullum | Warwickshire | Derbyshire | 158* | 64 | 13 | 11 | Birmingham | 2015 |
| Aaron Finch | Australia | England | 156 | 63 | 11 | 14 | Southampton | 2013 |
| Glenn Maxwell | Melbourne Stars | Hobart Hurricanes | 154* | 64 | 22 | 4 | Melbourne | 2022 |
| Luke Wright | Sussex | Essex | 153* | 66 | 12 | 11 | Chelmsford | 2014 |
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Featured photo: MANJUNATH KIRAN / AFP
