All 90+ Scores in Men’s T20 World Cup History

Unlike Test cricket where “Nervous Nineties” are a psychological hurdle, in T20s, the 90s are often dictated by the 120-ball limit.

Over 65% of the players on this list finished Not Out. They didn’t “miss” a century due to nerves; they simply ran out of balls or reached the target. In T20 history, 90* is often more valuable than a 100 in a losing cause.

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The “90s” Club: Clinical Excellence in T20 World Cup History (2007–2026)

EDITION	PLAYER	SCORE (BALLS)	SR	OPPONENT	VENUE	6s	% OF TEAM SCORE	RESULT	THE “STORY”
2007	Herschelle Gibbs	90* (55)	163.6	v West Indies	Johannesburg	2	43%	Won	Opened the first-ever WC with a record chase of 205.
2009	Tillakaratne Dilshan	96* (57)	168.4	v West Indies	The Oval	2	61%	Won	The “Dil-scoop” era; he carried the entire SL lineup.
2010	Mahela Jayawardene	98* (56)	175.0	v West Indies	Bridgetown	4	50%	Won	Masterful placement; ran out of balls 2 runs short.
2010	Chris Gayle	98 (66)	148.4	v India	Bridgetown	7	58%	Won	Heartbreaking run-out in the final over of the innings.
2012	Luke Wright	99* (55)	180.0	v Afghanistan	Colombo (RPS)	6	50%	Won	Closest anyone has ever come without a century.
2014	Umar Akmal	94 (54)	174.0	v Australia	Mirpur	4	49%	Won	A blistering counter-attack that stunned the Aussies.
2021	Martin Guptill	93 (56)	166.0	v Scotland	Dubai	7	54%	Won	Fought extreme heat; fell caught in the 19th over.
2021	Rassie van der Dussen	94* (60)	156.6	v England	Sharjah	6	50%	Won	A lone warrior effort that ended England’s win streak.
2022	Devon Conway	92* (58)	158.6	v Australia	Sydney (SCG)	2	46%	Won	Clinical “anchor” knock that silenced the hosts.
2024	Aaron Jones	94* (40)	235.0	v Canada	Dallas	10	48%	Won	Power Record: Most sixes (10) in a 90s score.
2024	Nicholas Pooran	98 (53)	184.9	v Afghanistan	St Lucia	8	45%	Won	Joined Gayle in the “Run-out on 98” club.
2024	Rohit Sharma	92 (41)	224.3	v Australia	St Lucia	8	45%	Won	The Blitz: 2nd Fastest to reach 90+ (only 41 balls).
2026	Lorcan Tucker	94* (51)	184.3	v Oman	Colombo (SSC)	4	51%	Won	Saved Ireland from 47/3 to post a massive 235.
2026	Ibrahim Zadran	95* (56)	169.6	v Canada	Chennai	5	52%	Won	Clinical chase-masterclass on a spinning track.
2026	Brian Bennett	97* (59)	164.4	v India	Chennai	6	53%	Lost	The Only Loss: Scored 97* in a massive chase of 257.
2026	Sanju Samson	97* (50)	194.0	v West Indies	Eden Gardens	4	47%	Won	The Kolkata Hero: Iced the chase to reach the SFs.

Key Insights – What You Need To Know

A 90-run score generally falls into two tactical categories: the Carrier and the Finisher.

The Carrier: Players like Tillakaratne Dilshan or Ibrahim Zadran who score >50% of the team’s total. They anchor the innings from start to finish.
The Blitzer: Players like Rohit Sharma or Aaron Jones who strike at 220+. For them, the 90s are just a byproduct of a high-speed assault where the milestone is irrelevant compared to the damage done to the opposition’s morale.

Sanju Samson (97), Aaron Jones (94), and Luke Wright (99) “ended” their innings in the 90s only because the game was won.

In nearly 20 years of tournament history, only once has a player scored 90+ and still lost the match (Brian Bennett, 2026). Every other instance resulted in a win, proving that a “90” is effectively a “Match-Winning” score.

Open, high-scoring grounds like Bridgetown (Barbados), Gros Islet (St Lucia), and recently Chepauk (Chennai) are the hotspots for these scores. Happened Twice!

Tillakaratne Dilshan (2009) scored 61% of Sri Lanka’s runs in his match, the highest percentage on this list. It shows how much he carried the team.

Only two players have ever been run out while in the 90s. Remarkably, they were both West Indians, and they were both dismissed on exactly 98: Chris Gayle (2010 vs India) and Nicholas Pooran (2024 vs Afghanistan).

See which player has been dismissed by running out most times in T20I cricket here.

We’ve seen four 90+ scores in the 2026 edition alone, showing that batters are getting closer to centuries more frequently than ever before.

While these players represent the elite “near-misses,” it is important to note that Chris Gayle, Mahela Jayawardene, Alex Hales, Jos Buttler, and Pathum Nissanka belong to an even more exclusive circle, as they each have a century to their name in this prestigious tournament in addition to these 90-run innings.

If you want to see who managed to go all the way and reach the triple digits, you can check out my other deep dive here: The Ultimate List of Centuries in T20 World Cup History (2007–2026)

Buvanesh Thiraviam

A Cricket Blogger | Blogs at Cricindeed.com