Top 10: Highest Run Chases in T20 World Cup

Over the years, we have witnessed some great run chases by the teams in the T20 World Cup. From South Africa chasing down 206 in the inaugural match against West Indies to England chasing down 230 against South Africa in the 2016 T20 World Cup

In this article, we will talk about the 10 highest run chases in T20 World Cup history.

10. West Indies (179/4 vs Australia, 2014)

In the T20 World Cup 2014, West Indies chased down the target of 179 runs in a thrilling contest against the Aussies. Australia batting first scored 178 runs in 20 overs; Glenn Maxwell played a cameo of 45 runs off 22 balls for them.

West Indies got a fine start with the openers Chris Gayle and Dwayne Smith scoring 50 runs from the first 5 overs. Chris Gayle scored a fifty, but in the last 19 balls, West Indies were required to score 49 runs to win the match; then their skipper, Daren Sammy, came out to bat and smashed 34 off 13 balls, Ensuring a win for WI. 

9. Ireland (180/4 vs Scotland, 2022)

In the T20 World Cup 2022 Match 7, Scotland vs Ireland at the Bellerive Oval, Hobart, Curtis Campher played one of the best knocks in the history of Irish cricket.

Scotland won the toss and elected to bat first, putting up a total of 176 runs on the board with the help of Michael Jones 86 runs knock. In reply, Ireland lost the wickets of their openers in the powerplay itself. When Campher came out to bat, Ireland needed 120 runs from 66 balls. The pace-bowling all-rounder scored 72* runs from just 32  deliveries, and Ireland chased down the total with one over left.

8. West Indies (183/4 vs England, 2016)

West Indies, in the 2016 T20 World Cup, chased down the target of 183 runs in just 18.1 overs against England at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. England scored 182 runs while batting first, and Joe Root scored top-scoring for them with his knock of 48 runs from 36 balls.

West Indies lost the wicket of Johnson Charles in the first over. Marlon Samuels and Chris Gayle stitched a 55-run partnership once Samuel was dismissed; Chris Gayle took the game away from England, The left-handed opener smashed a century from 47 balls, A knock consisting of 11 sixers and 5 fours.

7. England (190/4 vs Sri Lanka, 2014)

ICC T20 World Cup 2014, match 22 when we witnessed a fantastic run chase by England against Sri Lanka at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram. Sri Lanka batting first put up a good score of 189 in 20 overs on the board, with Mahela Jayawardene smashing 89 runs off 51 balls.

England lost two wickets in the first over, then Alex Hales and Eoin Morgan stitched a record partnership of 152 runs for the second wicket; Hales went on to score a hundred. He finished with 116 runs from 64 balls, and Ravi Bopara’s 11 off 6 ensured the win for England with 4 balls left.

6. Netherlands (193/4 vs Ireland, 2014)

The Netherlands chased down the target of 190 runs in just 13.5 overs against Ireland. This happened in the T20 World Cup 2014 in Match 12; Ireland batting first scored 189 runs, and Andrew Poynter top scored for them with his knock of 57 runs from 38 deliveries.

The Netherlands had to chase the target in 14.1 overs to qualify for the next round. They were off to a great start, with Peter Borren and Stephan Myburgh smashing 91 runs in the power play. Top Cooper’s knock of 45 runs from just 15 balls made sure that Netherlands wins and qualifies for the next round.

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5.  West Indies (196/3 vs India, 2016)

The hosts, India, were up against West Indies in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2016 at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. India batting first scored 192 runs in their 20 overs. Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane provided a great start to the team by giving an opening partnership of 62 runs from 7.2 overs, and Virat Kohli smashed 89 runs from 47 balls.

In response, West Indies lost the wickets of Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuel early in the powerplay, but Johnson Charles’s fifty, Lendl Simmons’s 82*, and Russell’s 43* from 20 balls helped West Indies chase down the target of 193 runs in 19.4 overs. 

4. USA (197/3 vs Canada, 2024)

USA playing at the Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas chased down a massive target of 195 runs in just 17.4 overs against Canada in match 1 of T20 World Cup 2024. The USA won the toss and asked Canada to bat first. Navneet Dhaliwal scored 61 off 44 balls and helped Canada score 194.

In reply, USA lost the wicket of Steven Taylor for the score of 0 in the first over. Skipper Monank Patel, too, was dismissed early, but then Andries Gous and Aaron Jones stitched one of the most destructive partnerships of 131 runs from 55 balls. Gous scored 65 runs off 46 balls, and Aaron Jones scored 94* off 40 balls and smashed 10 sixes in his innings.

3. Australia (197/7 vs Pakistan, 2010)

Australia, Facing the defending champions Pakistan in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2010, chased down the target of 192 runs on the second last ball of their innings when Michael Hussey smashed Saeed Ajmal for a six.

Pakistan batted first and scored 191/6. Akmal brothers smashed the fifties for them. Australia lost the wicket of David Warner in the first over, and they kept losing wickets at regular intervals, but it was Michael Hussey who won the match for the Aussies with his knock of 60* runs off 24 balls.

2.  South Africa (208/2 vs West Indies, 2007)

In the inaugural match of the T20 World Cup, we witnessed a fantastic run chase by the hosts, South Africa, against West Indies. WI, batting first at The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, scored 205 runs, with Chris Gayle smashing 117 runs from 57 balls, including 10 sixes.

In reply, Herschelle Gibbs’s opening scored 90* off 55 balls, and Justin Kemp, batting at 4, scored 46 runs from 22 deliveries, helping South Africa to chase down the total in just 17.4 overs.

1. England (230/8 vs South Africa, 2016)

England chased 230 runs against South Africa at the Wankhede stadium in the T20 World Cup 2016. South Africa’s batting first reached to 229 runs, with Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock and Jean-Paul Duminy scoring fifties.

In reply, England was off to a great start, with Hales and Roy smashing 48 runs in 15 balls for the opening partnership. Then it was Root who played the match-winning knock for England by scoring 83 runs from 44 deliveries with the help of 6 fours and 4 sixes.

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