Highest Individual Score in T20 World Cup History [2026 Updated List]

Records are easy in sports. They stay on a page until someone goes out and breaks them. The T20 World Cup has given the game some of its most powerful moments. Big hits. Quick runs. Match-changing and memorable innings. This list is of the highest individual scores in the tournament. It names the players who took the game and ran with it. It sticks to the facts. It recalls the balls, the boundaries and those nights when batsmen found a way to make the scoreboard sing.

Top 10 Highest Individual Scores in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup history

1. Brendon McCullum

Brendon McCullum tops the list. He scored 123 runs off 58 balls against Bangladesh in 2012. The innings was full of passion. He made waves on the field. He punished loose balls and took chances when he was there. This score is the highest in the history of the T20 World Cup. This is a figure that will not be forgotten. He came in a tournament where the game was still taking shape. He showed that it was something that could be done.

2. Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle played one of the most devastating innings in the history of this tournament. He scored 117 runs in 57 balls against South Africa in 2007. This innings was a display of power hitting. He cleared the ropes with ease. Six after six changed the mood of the match. Gayle’s innings defined a style of T20 batting that many would try to copy. It was raw and it was decisive. It forced the bowlers to find answers.

3. Alex Hales

Alex Hales played a match-winning innings in 2014. He scored an unbeaten 116 off 64 balls against Sri Lanka. This innings came when England needed to chase a big target. He held his head high and kept the scoreboard moving. This innings was measured and fierce at the same time. It showed how a batsman can combine patience and power. Hales remained unbeaten and the chase was complete. The spectators turned the chase into certainty.

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4. Ahmed Shehzad

Ahmed Shehzad scored a memorable century in 2014. He scored an unbeaten 111 off 62 balls against Bangladesh. This innings was one of Pakistan’s most impressive batting performances in the tournament. He played with control and aggression. He found gaps and punished loose lines. The score stood as a statement of intent from a young batsman who wanted to make his mark on the world stage.

5. Rilee Rossouw

In the 2022 tournament, Riley Rossouw played a powerful innings. He scored 109 runs in 56 balls against Bangladesh. This century came at an aggressive strike rate. This helped South Africa to make a big score. Rossouw’s batting was clean and strong. He attacked the bowlers and did not let them settle. This innings is a reminder that a single batsman can change the course of a match in a few overs.

6. Glenn Phillips

Glenn Phillips played one of the best innings of the 2022 World Cup. He scored 104 runs off 64 balls against Sri Lanka. This century came under pressure. It gave New Zealand a strong victory. Phillips mixed caution and a wealth of energy. He found boundaries when it mattered. This innings was a masterful display of timing and intention. He survived when the match needed it.

7. Tamim Iqbal

Tamim Iqbal had a brilliant performance in 2016. He scored an unbeaten 103 off 63 balls against Oman. This innings is one of Bangladesh’s best individual batting performances in the tournament. Tamim played with the authority of a man who knows his strengths. He kept the scoreboard moving and he kept the bowlers behind. The century was a clear, brilliant thing that needed a leader.

8. Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler scored a brilliant century in the 2021 World Cup. He scored an unbeaten 101 off 67 balls against Sri Lanka. This innings showcased his calm finishing ability and his power hitting. Buttler set the pace for the innings and then accelerated it over time. He remained unbeaten and the team benefited from his control. This was an innings that ultimately involved patience and power.

9. Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina became the first Indian to score a century in the T20 World Cup. He scored 101 runs in 60 balls against South Africa in 2010. The innings were aggressive and purposeful. Raina’s batting helped India post competitive scores. He ran the field and hit boundaries regularly. The century was a milestone for India in the tournament and for Raina as a player who could change the game.

10. Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle appears on this list once again with another iconic innings. He scored an unbeaten 100 off 48 balls against England in 2016. The unbeaten century gave West Indies a resounding victory. Gayle’s second entry shows his impact on the T20 World Cup. He could break down bowling attacks in different conditions and at different times. This innings was brutal in its efficiency and left little doubt about his place in the history of the format.

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Conclusion

These innings are not the same. Each inning came in a different year, under different lights and against different opponents. Some were chases. Some were innings that decided the total. Some were quiet in their art. Some were loud in their power. What they share is the ability to change a match. Those are the moments that make a tournament worth watching. Those are the nights when a batsman finds a way to make the ball the subject. The list names players and numbers. He keeps the facts. He remembers the runs and the balls and how the crowd can grow when a player takes the game and makes it his own.

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Who holds the record for the highest individual score in the history of T20 World Cup?

Brendon McCullum holds the record. He scored 123 runs in 58 balls against Bangladesh in 2012. It was a powerful innings. He attacked early and did not stop. This number still stands at the top.

Q2. Which players have scored centuries in T20 World Cup?

Many batsmen have reached three figures. Chris Gayle, Alex Hales, Ahmed Shehzad, Riley Rossouw, Glenn Phillips, Tamim Iqbal, Jos Buttler and Suresh Raina are among them. Each innings came in a different match and under different pressure. Centuries have been a part of the history of the tournament.

Q3. Why are T20 World Cup centuries remembered so strongly?

Centuries are rare in T20 cricket. The format is short and the pace is fast. Batsmen should score quickly and keep control. When that happens, an innings often changes the match. That’s why people remember them.