T20 World Cup 2022: Top 3 individual scores in the history of the competition

The 2022 T20 World Cup is set to commence in less than a couple of days. The biggest T20I cricket spectacle will get underway on Sunday (October 16) in Australia with Round 1 fixtures of the tournament.

Sri Lanka, Namibia, UAE, Zimbabwe, West Indies, Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands will battle for four spots in the Super 12 stage.

The highly awaited Super 12 fixtures will get underway on October 22 with the opening clash being between the Trans-Tasman rivals, Australia and New Zealand. India's first game is scheduled against their arch-rivals Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on October 23.

Can anyone break Brendon McCullum’s record? 🔥🤔

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The excitement for the T20 World Cup is palpable. After all, it's the one tournament where all the best players from around the globe give it their all to get their hands on the ultimate T20I silverware.

Since its inception in 2007, the T20 World Cup has seen some great batting performances, where batters have put on a cracking show on the grandest stage of all.

With the eighth edition of the T20 World Cup being around the corner, let’s take a look at the three highest individual scores by batters in the history of the tournament.

#3 Alex Hales - 116* off 64 vs Sri Lanka at T20 World Cup 2014

Alex Hales stunned the eventual winners of the 2014 T20 World Cup with a breathtaking century in Chattogram

The only player on this list who will feature in this year's edition is Alex Hales. He scored a match-winning unbeaten 116 off 64 against Sri Lanka in Chattogram in 2014.

Hales’ knock was a true gem considering Sri Lanka had posted 189 in their 20 overs, courtesy of a special 89 from the veteran Mahela Jayawardene.

Happy birthday, Alex Hales!

His blistering 64-ball 116* against Sri Lanka in the 2014 men's @T20WorldCup is the highest individual score by an England batsman in the format 👏 https://t.co/WFq9UZx7oz

Chasing 190 against a high-quality side on the subcontinent is never easy. It's worth noting that Hales' opponents were the eventual champions of that edition.

England began their chase in the worst possible way, losing two wickets without having a run on the board after the first over. However, Hales added 152 for the third wicket with Eoin Morgan in just over 15 overs, scoring at a run rate of around 10. Morgan's contribution in that was just 57 off 38.

Hales hammered six sixes and 11 fours in his 64-ball innings, ensuring England took down the challenging total with four balls to spare.

#2 Chris Gayle - 117 off 57 vs South Africa at T20 World Cup 2007

Chris Gayle ensured a thrilling start to the history of T20 World Cups with a century in the opening contest of the first-ever edition of the tournament, in 2007 [Pic Credit: Getty Images]

The very first game of the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup, played in Johannesburg, in 2007 was made memorable by 'Universe Boss' Chris Gayle, who took just four T20I innings to register his maiden T20 international hundred.

After opting to bat first, West Indies got off to a great start as the West Indian great asserted his dominance against the Proteas bowlers. The left-hander starred in a fabulous 145-run opening partnership alongside Devon Smith, who scored a mere 35 off 34.

#OnThisDay in 2007, Chris Gayle became the first player to hit a century in T20Is 👏

He smashed 117 runs of 57 balls against South Africa in the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup 🙌

#chrisgayle #westindies #southafrica #t20worldcup #wivsa https://t.co/HVbwv72VhL

Gayle blazed away to 117 off just 57 balls in an innings which included as many as 10 towering sixes and seven boundaries.

Thanks to Gayle's efforts, West Indies put up a formidable target of 206 for the home side to chase down. Herschelle Gibbs led the South African charge with a blistering unbeaten 90 off 55 and was ably supported by Justin Kemp, who scored 46 from 22.

Eventually, the Greame Smith-led side won the match by eight wickets and had another 2.2 overs left in hand when they completed the chase.

#1 Brendon McCullum - 123 off 58 vs Bangladesh at T20 World Cup 2012

Brendon McCullum was the first player to hit two T20I hundreds [Pic Credit: ICC].

The record for the highest individual score in a T20 World Cup game is held by none other than New Zealand legend Brendon McCullum. The former Kiwi skipper hit a magnificent 58-ball 123 during New Zealand's opening game of the 2012 edition against Bangladesh in Pallekele.

After being put in to bat first, New Zealand lost opener Martin Guptill early on in the innings, before McCullum entered the crease in the fourth over.

The dashing right-handed batsman showcased his intentions from the onset and found gaps in the remaining two overs of the powerplay, before bludgeoning the ball all around the park against the spinners.

He was the first player to hit two T20I centuries - watch Brendon McCullum smash 123 against Bangladesh at WT20 2012 bit.ly/McCullum123Bang https://t.co/0YYECZQp3N

No Bangladeshi bowler was spared as McCullum clobbered 11 boundaries and seven maximums during his stay. McCullum's record-shattering ton took New Zealand to 191/3 in their first innings.

Chasing a mighty score of 192 was always going to be a tough ask and, with Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan back in the hut without making an impact, Bangladesh were always looking down the barrell.

In the end, the Kiwi unit won the game by a huge margin of 59 runs as McCullum was awarded the Man of the Match award for his batting exploits.