India posted their third-highest T20I total against New Zealand in the fifth match.
India entered the highest T20I total list after posting a mammoth 271/5 against New Zealand in the fifth and final match of the series at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. The record was registered on January 31, a week before the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.
Riding on Ishan Kishan’s maiden century (103 off 43), this is India’s third appearance in the list.
For those wondering who has the highest T20I total, the answer is still Zimbabwe’s 344/4. Nepal’s 314/3 is second, and England’s 304/2 is now third. India’s 297/6, which was once the highest by a Test nation, has been pushed to fourth.
The trend is clear — the highest T20I totals past the 250-run mark are no longer rare. With power-hitting depth, batting-friendly pitches, and evolving strike rates, scores once thought unthinkable are now very much part of the modern game.
| Team | Score | Overs | Opposition | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zimbabwe | 344/4 | 20.0 | Gambia | Nairobi (Ruaraka) | 23 Oct 2024 |
| Nepal | 314/3 | 20.0 | Mongolia | Hangzhou | 27 Sep 2023 |
| England | 304/2 | 20.0 | South Africa | Manchester | 12 Sep 2025 |
| India | 297/6 | 20.0 | Bangladesh | Hyderabad | 12 Oct 2024 |
| Spain | 290/3 | 20.0 | Croatia | Cartagena | 7 Dec 2025 |
| Zimbabwe | 286/5 | 20.0 | Seychelles | Nairobi (Gym) | 19 Oct 2024 |
| India | 283/1 | 20.0 | South Africa | Johannesburg | 15 Nov 2024 |
| Afghanistan | 278/3 | 20.0 | Ireland | Dehradun | 23 Feb 2019 |
| Czech Republic | 278/4 | 20.0 | Turkey | Ilfov County | 30 Aug 2019 |
| Nigeria | 271/4 | 20.0 | Ivory Coast | Abuja | 24 Nov 2024 |
| India | 271/5 | 20.0 | New Zealand | Thiruvananthapuram | 31 Jan 2026 |
| Malaysia | 268/4 | 20.0 | Thailand | Hangzhou | 2 Oct 2023 |
| England | 267/3 | 20.0 | West Indies | Tarouba | 19 Dec 2023 |
| Australia | 263/3 | 20.0 | Sri Lanka | Pallekele | 6 Sep 2016 |
| Sri Lanka | 260/6 | 20.0 | Kenya | Johannesburg | 14 Sep 2007 |
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Zimbabwe still hold the record for the highest T20I total, with their 344/4 against Gambia in 2024, while Nepal’s 314/3 against Mongolia in 2023 sits second.
In Zimbabwe’s stunning heist, Sikandar Raza smashed seven fours and 15 sixes on his way to his century. Zimbabwe later bowled Gambia out for a paltry total of 54 and won the match by a massive margin of 290 runs.
A couple of weeks before this, India smashed their way into the record books on October 12, 2024, as they posted a massive total of 297/6 in the final T20I of the three-match series against Bangladesh in Hyderabad. This was the second-highest team total ever posted in T20I cricket at that time, and the fourth-highest after Zimbabwe’s assault and England’s carnage.
When England reached 304/2 against South Africa in 2025, it wasn’t just another big score — it was the first time a major Test-playing nation crossed the 300 barrier in T20 internationals.
Until then, only Zimbabwe and Nepal had gone past that mark, both against lower-ranked opposition. That makes England’s effort stand out: it came against a full-strength South African attack, in a high-profile bilateral series, underlining just how far batting standards have risen in elite cricket.
England rewrote history in Manchester on September 12, 2025, piling up a mammoth 304/2 against South Africa. Phil Salt led the charge with a breathtaking 141 off 60 balls, while captain Jos Buttler blasted 83 from just 30 deliveries.
The opening pair’s assault ensured England crossed 300 for the first time in T20Is. This became the third-highest total in T20I cricket and the highest ever against a Test-playing nation, surpassing India’s 297/6 against Bangladesh in 2024.
India’s explosive 297/6 against Bangladesh in Hyderabad on October 12, 2024, is now fourth overall. Sanju Samson (111 off 47) and Suryakumar Yadav (75 off 35) stitched together a 173-run partnership, with Hardik Pandya (47 off 18) and Riyan Parag (34 off 13) carrying the late assault.
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