The popularity of cricket has grown leaps and bounds in the last two decades and T20, the shortest format of the sport, has been at the heart of the surging mass appeal. For the uninitiated, T20I cricket is an action-packed affair.

It is said that any record in cricket is meant to be broken. Here are the top 10 T20I records which might shock you.

Also Read: Most Test centuries in overseas by active batters

T20I Records | Top 10

39 runs in an over

Samoa's wicketkeeper batsman Darius Visser made a new world record for scoring the most runs in an over in T20I cricket. In this matter, he has left behind legends like Yuvraj Singh and Kieron Pollard.

In the recent ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional East Asia-Pacific Qualifier A match, Samoa faced Vanuatu, with Darius scoring 39 runs in the 15th over. He hit six sixes in the over off Vanuatu bowler Nalin Nipiko with the help of Nipiko's three no balls. During his innings, Darius played a explosive inning of 132 runs in 62 balls. He hit 14 sixes and 5 fours, just four less than the most sixes hit by a batsman in a men's T20I.

18 sixes in an innings

Estonia batter Sahil Chauhan broke many T20I records during a T20I match against Cyprus in June this year. He broke West Indies legend Chris Gayle's record for the fastest century in T20 cricket history by reaching the milestone in just 27 balls. During his knock, Sahil also smashed 18 sixes which is the most in an innings. His runs came at a strike rate of over 351.

Playing just his fourth T20I, Chauhan 144* off 41 balls to obliterate records. Batting at No.4, the right-hander scored 144 of Estonia’s 194 runs to propel the team to a six-wicket win as Estonia chased the 192 set by Cyprus with seven overs to spare.

First seven-wicket haul in T20I

During the inaugural match of the T20 World Cup Asia B Qualifier, Malaysia's fast bowler Syazrul Idrus became the first bowler to bag seven wickets in a T20I, and that too, without a single catch involved. All his victims fell to his inswing deliveries, which knocked down their stumps, implying the immense control and skill Idrus possesses. This feat surpassed Peter Aho's previous record of taking six wickets for Nigeria against Sierra Leone in 2021.

Idrus crowned his spell with a maiden over, in which he scalped two more batters, ending with an incredible figure of 4-1-7-8.

Fastest T20I fifty

Nepal's Dipendra Singh Airee holds the record for the fastest fifty in T20I cricket, courtesy his astonishing nine-ball half-century scored vs Mongolia at the Asian Games 2023 in a group stage match. The knock is also the fastest 50 in T20Is. Before the Nepalese batter, former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh held the record for the fastest 50 in T20 cricket for almost 16 years.

Dipendra scored an unbeaten 52 off just 10 balls. The record knock featured an astonishing eight sixes. It also included six successive sixes, of which five came in the penultimate over.

Highest team total

Nepal batters smashed three T20I records en route to becoming the first team to amass a 300-plus total against Mongolia in the Asian Games 2023. The previous record for the highest innings total in a T20I was held by Afghanistan, who had amassed 278 for 3 against Ireland on February 23, 2019.

Currently, Nepal hold the record for the highest T20 score - 314/3. It is also the highest score in T20I and the first time that the 300-mark was breached in the shortest format of the men's game.

Fastest T20I century

Estonia batter Sahil Chauhan holds the record for the fastest century in T20I cricket after racing to his 100 in just 27 balls against Cyprus in a bilateral series match in June 2024. Chasing Cyprus' score of 191/7, Chauhan smashed an unbeaten 144 off 41 balls to take his team home in the 13th over and six wickets to spare.

First, Nepal's Kushal Malla held the record for the fastest century in T20 cricket before Chauhan. He registered the feat in just 34 balls against Mongolia. Then Namibia's Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton bettered it by one ball five months later against Nepal.

Highest individual score on debut

Canada’s Matthew Spoors holds the record for the highest score on T20 debut in men’s cricket. Playing for Canada against the Philippines in the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier 2022 match in Muscat, Spoors scored an unbeaten 108 in 66 balls after coming to bat as an opener. The debutant laced his innings with 14 fours and three sixes and guided Canada to 216/1 in 20 overs. The Philippines, in response, could only manage 98/5.

Previously, the honour belongs to Ricky Ponting, who made an unbeaten 98* in the first-ever T20I.

Also Read: Most Test centuries in the World Test Championship

4 maidens in an innings

Lockie Ferguson became the first bowler to deliver four maiden overs in a T20I match. He achieved this feat during the clash against Papua New Guinea in Trinidad in T20 World Cup 2024. Ferguson bowled four consecutive maiden overs while picking up three wickets.

Overall, this is only the second instance in T20 internationals where a bowler has bowled four maidens in an innings. Before this, only Canada’s Saad Bin Zafar has achieved this feat, against Panama in 2021.

Youngest player to debut in T20I

Romania’s Marian Gherasim has become the youngest player ever to play a T20I game at the age of 14 years and 16 days on 16 October. He made the record when he played the second T20 of their bilateral series against Bulgaria at the Ilfov County ground.

Gherasim broke the record of Kuwait’s Meet Bhavsar who had made his T20 debut against Maldvives at the age of 14 years and 211 days in January last year.

Highest career average

Sami Sohail of Malawi has the highest career average with an exceptional batting average of 63.35*. Since 2019, he has amassed 832 runs, showcasing his consistency and power with a formidable strike rate of 117.01. He is just above Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan and India’s superstar Virat Kohli.

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