.jpg?type=hq)
T20 World Cup 2007 (L) and T20 World Cup 2016 (R) (Source: X)
The T20 World Cup has witnessed some iconic matches since its inception in 2007. Amidst the intense pressure of the highest level competition in the game’s shortest format, the tournament has witnessed some high-scoring affairs, when batters flexed their muscles.
These were the matches when the bowlers felt the gameday as no less than a nightmare. In the tournament's history, there have been only a few matches when the total match aggregates went beyond 400 runs.
Hence, here in this article, we’ll have a look at the five highest match aggregates in the World T20 history since its inaugural edition.
5 Highest match aggregates in T20 World Cup history
England vs South Africa - 459 runs, T20 World Cup 2016
England and South Africa locked horns in one of the historic games in the T20 World Cup 2016 at the Wankhede Stadium in India. The then-English skipper Eoin Morgan won the toss and asked the Proteas to bat first.
The opening pair of Hashim Amla (58) and Quinton de Kock (52) stitched a swashbuckling opening partnership of 96 runs in just 7.1 overs. Furthermore, Jean-Paul Duminy also smashed 54 runs off just 28 balls, followed by David Miller’s 12-ball 28.
These knocks helped South Africa post a big total of 229 runs for the loss of four wickets in the allotted 20 overs. It was the then-second-highest team total in the tournament’s history.
Nonetheless, this record remained in SA’s name for just an innings as England chased it in 19.4 overs, scoring 230 runs for the loss of eight wickets and winning the game by two wickets. With a total of 459 runs in 39.4 overs, this ENG vs SA clash still remains the game with the highest match aggregate in the T20 World Cup history.
England vs India - 418 runs, T20 World Cup 2007
England and India took on at the Kingsmead in Durban on September 19, 2007 in the inaugural T20 World Cup edition. It happened to be one of the most memorable games in the tournament’s history owing to former India legend Yuvraj Singh’s sensational ‘six sixes in an over’ off Stuart Broad.
The then-India skipper MS Dhoni won the toss and asked his batters to take charge. Gautam Gambhir (58) and Virender Sehwag (68) provided a blistering start to India, posting an opening partnership of 136 runs in just 14.4 overs.
Furthermore, Yuvraj Singh smashed the fastest T20I half-century off just 12 balls and ended up scoring 58 runs off just 16 balls, with three fours and seven sixes. On the back of these contributions, the Men in Blue posted a big total of 218 runs for the loss of four wickets.
While chasing the target, the Three Lions were restricted to the total of 200 runs for the loss of six wickets in the entire 20 overs. The eventual champions, India, won this game by 18 runs, with the match ending as the then-game with the highest aggregate in the tournament’s history with 418 runs in 40 overs.
South Africa vs West Indies - 413 runs, T20 World Cup 2007
The first-ever game of the entire T20 World Cup history was played between South Africa and the West Indies at the New Wanderers in the 2007 edition. The hosts’ skipper, Graeme Smith, won the toss and asked the Caribbean side to bat first.
On the back of Chris Gayle’s sensational century knock of 117 runs off just 57 balls, with seven fours and 10 sixes, West Indies posted a big total of 205 runs for the loss of six wickets in the 20 overs.
Nevertheless, the West Indies’ massive total couldn’t last longer as South Africa chased it comfortably in 17.4 overs, scoring 208 runs for the loss of just two wickets. Herschelle Gibbs starred with the bat, smashing 90 runs off just 55 balls, hitting 14 fours and two sixes.
Both teams jointly posted a massive match aggregate of 413 runs in 37.4 overs, which is currently the third-highest match aggregate of all time in the T20 World Cup history.
USA vs Canada - 391 runs, T20 World Cup 2024
The United States of America and Canada faced off in the tournament opener of the T20 World Cup 2024. The World T20 debutant skipper, Monank Patel, won the toss and decided to bowl first.
Batting first, Navneet Dhaliwal’s 44-ball 61 and Nicholas Kirton’s 51 runs off 31 balls, alongside Shreyas Movva (32 off just 16 balls), helped Canada post 194 runs for the loss of five wickets.
While chasing the target, the hosts lost both of their openers early at the score of 42 runs in 6.3 overs. However, the decisive partnership of 129 runs for the third wicket between Andries Gous (65) and Aaron Jones (94) helped their side chase the target without any trouble, scoring 197/3 in just 17.4 overs.
An aggregate of 391 runs in 37.4 overs was recorded in this game, which is the fourth-highest match aggregate of all time in the tournament’s history.
England vs South Africa, T20 World Cup 2014
Just two years before playing a high-scoring thriller in the 2016 edition, England and South Africa had locked horns in another run-fest and nail-biter clash in the T20 World Cup 2014. It was the 28th match of the fifth edition, in which England won the toss and put South Africa into batting first.
The Proteas posted a big total of 196 runs for the loss of five wickets in the allotted 20 overs courtesy of skipper AB de Villiers (69) and the star opener Hashim Amla (56).
While chasing the target, the Englishmen were almost there near the line but missed the target by four runs as they were restricted to 193 runs for the loss of seven wickets in the entire 20 overs.
Eventually, De Villiers’ men won this game by a narrow margin of three runs. This game ended as the fifth-highest match aggregate in the World T20 history, with a total of 389 runs in 40 overs.
.jpg?type=mq "England SWOT analysis")
