A deluge of runs: Top five high-scoring men's T20 matches in history

The first ever 500-plus aggregate score in a men's T20 match was achieved in 2022 during the Cricket South Africa T20 Challenge

T20 cricket is touching new heights every day regarding how many runs can be scored in a maximum of 40 overs by the two teams. The newest height was reached on Monday, April 15 as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) smashed 287/3 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. This match also saw a total of 549 runs being scored, another first in T20 cricket. 

This new record was made not even after a month when SRH and Mumbai Indians (MI) on March 27, tallied 523 runs in a match in the IPL 2024. 

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But they were not the first teams to aggregate 500 or more runs in this format. Here are the top five high-scoring matches in the history of men's T20 so far.

549- SRH vs RCB, Bengaluru, IPL 2024

Batting first, Hyderabad broke their record of highest-ever IPL total when they hit 287/3 in their 20 overs. While Travis Head smashed a fourth fastest IPL century in just 39 balls, Heinrich Klaasen scored a quickfire 67 off just 31 balls to propel SRH to the record total. However, in reply, RCB didn't back down even after losing their first five wickets in the 10 overs. Dinesh Karthik smashed a 35-ball 83 to get the home team to 262/7, failing to beat their highest-ever IPL score of 263 by just a single run.

523 - SRH vs MI, Hyderabad, IPL 2024

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Many records were broken during this match, including that of the most sixes hit in a single T20 game and the most boundaries scored in an IPL match. However, the biggest record broken was the highest total scored in an IPL match as SRH went past Royal Challengers Bengaluru's total of 263/5 achieved in 2013. The Orange Army set a new benchmark as they scored 277/3 in their 20 overs.

Nobody would have thought that Mumbai would give such a tough fight in the chase and at some points also look threatening to steal the game away. However, they fell short by 31 runs and scored 246.
 

517 - SA vs WI, Centurion, 2023

In second place is a match involving two big-hitting international teams, South Africa and West Indies. In a match in Centurion in 2023, the West Indians posted their highest score ever in T20 internationals as they mounted 258/5 in their 20 overs.

But little did they know that South Africa is a master of historic chases, and another one was recorded that evening as the hosts went past the target of 259 with seven balls to spare. Johnson Charles scored a century for the Windies, while Quinton de Kock did the same for the Proteas.

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515 - QG vs MS, Rawalpindi, PSL 2023

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Third on the list is a match from the Pakistan Super League. Rawalpindi is known for its flat decks, and on that ground, Multan Sultans amassed a total of 262 runs thanks to a century from Usman Khan. In reply, Quetta Gladiators also scored freely, racking up 253/8, but eventually lost the match by eight runs.

506 - Surrey vs Middlesex, The Oval, T20 Blast 2023

he year 2023 continued to produce high-scoring matches as in June, the T20 Blast in England lit up the Oval when Middlesex chased down 253 against Surrey to win a South Group encounter. No centuries were scored in that match, though. 

Top Five High-Scoring Men's T20 Matches

Aggregate Runs	Team 1	Team 2	Date	Series	Venue
549	Sunrisers      Hyderabad	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	15/04/24	Indian Premier League 2024	Bengaluru
523	Sunrisers Hyderabad	Mumbai Indians	27/03/24	Indian Premier League 2024	Hyderabad
517	South Africa	West Indies	26/03/23	West Indies tour of South Africa 2023	Centurion
515	Quetta Gladiators	Multan Sultans	11/03/23	Pakistan Super League 2023	Rawalpindi
506	Surrey	Middlesex	22/06/23	T20 Blast 2023	The Oval