T20 cricket is the newest format of the game in the sport, and it has been a huge success since it was launched in 2003. It is the shortest format of cricket, and it attracts huge crowds around the world.
Here are 10 interesting facts about T20 cricket.
1. Afghanistan hit the highest total for a 20 overs game when they scored 278/3 against Ireland at Dehradun in February 2019. Opener Hazratullah Zazai hit an unbeaten 162 from 62 balls. He was supported by Usman Ghani who scored 73 before being dismissed. Afghanistan’s score was matched by the Czech Republic in a game against Turkey last that year, but they lost four wickets in their innings.
2. The Sydney Thunder were bowled out for just 15 from 5.5 overs in a Big Bash game against the Adelaide Strikers in December 2022. That’s the lowest score by any professional team in T20 cricket. The team from Australia lasted just 35 balls in their chase, falling a long way short of their target of 140.
3. West Indies star Chris Gayle is one of the most explosive T20 batsmen in history. He holds the record for the highest score in this format, as he hit an unbeaten 175 for the Royal Challengers Bangalore against the Pune Warriors in an IPL game in April 2013.
Another T20 trophy! Balkh Legends @APLT20official Champions! 🏆 🥂🍾🙌🏿🤣 #12KRuns pic.twitter.com/lU7HnJIv4p
— Chris Gayle (@henrygayle) October 21, 2018
4. With 14,562 runs from 455 innings, Gayle also has the most career T20 runs. The former West Indies opening batsman has made 22 centuries and he has hit over 1,000 sixes between 2005 and 2022. He has caused world-class bowlers many problems throughout his career.
5. Gayle is a player who has added his name to the history books in professional sports in many ways. Arguably his most extraordinary innings came in 2013 when he took just 30 balls to score a century. That remains the fastest T20 ton in history. David Miller came close to the mark in 2017 when he hit a century from 35 balls for South Africa against Bangladesh. The South African has taken the mantle from Gayle as one of the most dangerous T20 players in the game today. He is currently featuring for the Paarl Royals at the SA20 tournament in his home country. As of the 26th of January, the Royals are 4/1 in the cricket betting to win that T20 event in South Africa.
6. Three players hold the record for the fastest 50 in T20 cricket. Yuvraj Singh (vs England, 2007), Gayle (vs Adelaide Strikers, 2016) and Zazai (vs Balkh Legends, 2018) all got to the mark off just 12 balls.
Vital knock from @iMRizwanPak
He hits his th ODI half-century. #PAKvNZ | #TayyariKiwiHai pic.twitter.com/koXfkyWWQC
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) January 13, 2023
7. Only one player in the history of T20 cricket has scored over 2,000 runs in a calendar year. Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan managed that feat in 2021. The opening batsman had the best year of his career, scoring 2,036 runs. He played a total of 45 innings, which meant he averaged an impressive 56.55. The wicket-keeper batsman had 18 50s and one century in the record-breaking year.
8. Colin Ackermann made history in 2019 in a T20 Blast game in England by becoming the first player to take seven wickets in a T20 game. The Leicestershire player finished with bowling figures of 7/18 in a match against Warwickshire. The Dutchman proved unstoppable with the ball in Leicester. Seven players have taken six wickets in a game, but none have been able to match Ackermann yet.
9. West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has been a specialist in T20 cricket throughout his career. Bravo plays many of the leading franchise leagues around the world, including the IPL. The former West Indies captain holds the record for the most T20 wickets. He has taken 614 wickets from 556 matches, including two five-wicket hauls.
10. Having a safe pair of hands is an important attribute for a fielder in T20 cricket. West Indies international Kieron Pollard has taken the most T20 catches in history. Since making his T20 debut in 2006, he has made 334 catches from 614 matches. Pollard is considered one of the greatest fielders of all time in white-ball cricket.
With so much T20 cricket played around the world today, more records could be made in 2023 with the bat, ball and in the field.
