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Zimbabwe scripted history in T20I cricket, setting a new world record for the highest team total in the shortest format. They amassed a staggering 344 runs in their 20 overs, which is the highest-ever total in T20I history riding on 30 fours and 27 sixes.
Zimbabwe clock highest-ever T20I total
Sikandar Raza was the architect of this record-breaking innings, smashing an unbeaten 133 off just 43 deliveries, including seven fours and 15 sixes in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Africa Sub Regional Qualifier B match against Gambia on October 23.
A look at highest totals in T20Is
Zimbabwe - 344/4 vs Gambia in October 2024
Nepal - 314/3 vs Mongolia in September 2023
India - 297/6 vs Bangladesh in October 2024
Zimbabwe - 286/5 vs Seychelles in October 2024
Afghanistan - 278/3 vs Ireland in February 2019
Zimbabwe batters wreaked havoc on Gambian bowlers but it was Raza's blistering century which powered Zimbabwe to a world record total. He reached his century in just 33 balls, tying the record for the second-fastest T20I century with Namibia's Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton. Nepal's Sahil Chauhan holds the record for the fastest T20I century, achieved in 27 balls.
Fastest hundred in T20Is by a full-member batter
33 balls - Sikandar Raza vs Gambia, Nairobi, 2024
35 balls - David Miller vs Bangladesh, Potchefstroom, 2017
35 balls - Rohit Sharma vs Sri Lanka, Indore, 2017
39 balls - Johnson Charles vs South Africa, Centurion, 2023
40 balls - Sanju Samson vs Bangladesh, Hyderabad, 2024
Zimbabwe's total surpassed Nepal's previous record of 314 runs, setting a new benchmark in T20I cricket.
Moreover, Tadiwanashe Marumani made history by scoring the fastest half-century for Zimbabwe in T20Is, reaching the milestone in just 13 balls. This feat places him among the top three fastest half-centuries in the world, alongside Nepal's Dipendra Singh Airee (9 balls) and India's Yuvraj Singh (12 balls). Marumani contributed 62 runs off 19 balls, while Brian Bennett and Clive Madande added 50 and 53 runs respectively. Zimbabwe, who won the toss, opted to bat first and capitalised on the opportunity to set a new world record.
Zimbabwe's record-breaking performance was truly astounding. They smashed a staggering 57 boundaries, the most by any team in a single T20I match. Their 27 sixes also set a new world record, surpassing Nepal's previous record of 26.
On the other hand, Gambia's Musa Jorbateh had a day to forget. He conceded a record-breaking 93 runs in his four overs, marking the most expensive spell in both T20 and T20I history. Just four days earlier, Zimbabwe had already set a high bar, scoring 286/5 against Seychelles, which was then the second-highest total by a full-member nation in a T20I.
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