5 Players Who Can Break Chris Gayle’s 175-run Record in T20s

Chris Gayle (L) and Abhishek Sharma (R) (Source: AFP) 

In April 2013, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Pune Warriors India faced off in the 31st game of IPL 2013. It happened to be a day during the entire 19-year journey of the tournament when the former Caribbean great, Chris Gayle, created a history that remains a dream for many batters. 

PWI skipper Aaron Finch won the toss and asked RCB to bat first. However, Chris Gayle had some other plans on the day as he ran through the bowling attack of the Warriors. Gayle ended up smashing an unbeaten knock of 175 runs off just 66 balls, hitting 13 fours and 17 massive sixes in his iconic knock. 

Gayle’s 175-run knock is still the highest individual score by a batter in the T20s, the shortest format of the game. Many batters have come close to this milestone, but it’s still untouched even after more than 12 years. 

That said, here, we’ll have a look at the 5 players who can break Chris Gayle’s 175-run record in T20s. 

5 Players who can break Chris Gayle’s 175-run record in T20s

Abhishek Sharma - India 

The explosive India opener, Abhishek Sharma, mirrors Gayle in aggression, stunning fans with his rapid centuries in T20Is and showing a similar aptitude for dominating bowling attacks. 

Abhishek's 5,070 runs in 168 innings across 172 T20 games, with a strike rate of 173.51, reflect Gayle-like explosiveness. Like Gayle, he consistently converts starts into big scores, as seen in his eight centuries. 

Abhishek has the best knock of 148 runs to his name in a T20 innings, which makes him one of the top contenders to break Chris Gayle’s record of 175 runs. 

Finn Allen - New Zealand 

The New Zealand opener, Finn Allen, is one of the swashbuckling batters in the current generation of batters. He has represented the Blackcaps in 52 T20Is, scoring 1,285 runs in 52 innings at an average of 25.19 and a decent strike rate of 163.27, with two centuries and five half-centuries.

Apart from his international career, Finn Allen has featured in 172 T20 games across various leagues and tournaments. In these appearances, he has scored 4,881 runs in 170 innings, hitting five centuries and 31 half-centuries. 

Notably, the Kiwi star has already scored a 151-run knock in the T20s, which is his highest individual score in the shortest format of the game. He also has a knack for becoming the batter with the highest individual score in T20s, surpassing Chris Gayle. 

Vaibhav Suryavanshi - India 

India’s teenage batting prodigy, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, has amused everyone with his batting masterclass at the age of just 14. He has played 18 T20s, proving his worth as one of the blistering openers in the format. 

Suryavanshi has scored 701 runs in 18 innings, with an outstanding batting average of 41.23, hitting three centuries and a half-century. It also includes his swashbuckling knock of 144 runs off just 42 balls, with 11 fours and 15 sixes in the Rising Stars Asia Cup 2025. 

Considering his age and batting potential, the 14-year-old seems to have an ample time to break Chris Gayle’s record of the highest individual score in the T20s. 

Nicholas Pooran - West Indies 

The veteran West Indies wicketkeeper-batter, Nicholas Pooran, has extensive experience across T20Is and T20s. Speaking of his T20 career, Pooran has played 443 games across various franchise leagues and tournaments. 

In these appearances, he has accumulated 10,371 in 416 innings, averaging 39.97, with four centuries and 63 half-centuries. Pooran also has the ability to break his former Caribbean teammate’s 175-run record in the T20s owing to his ability to accelerate the innings after a half-century or century. 

Travis Head - Australia 

Australia’s in-form top-order batter, Travis Head, has left no format untouched with his sensational batting form, be it Tests, ODIs or the T20Is. Besides that, he has impressive numbers in T20s across various leagues, including the IPL. 

In 168 T20 appearances, Head has scored 4,414 runs in 162 innings, with an average of 30.44, hitting two centuries and 26 half-centuries. His ability to score the runs with a 150+ strike rate might take him to the highest individual score in T20s, leaving Chris Gayle behind in this milestone.