Well begun is half done, they say, and it best suits the T20I format. Starting a T20I innings with a bang is like laying the best platform for your team to go big.
In the modern-day cricketing world, starting the first over with an attacking mentality is always a strategic move by teams that like to play dominating cricket.
This article will state those instances where the most runs were scored in the first over of a T20I innings.
Most Expensive First Overs in a T20I Innings
| Bowler | Runs Conceded | Batters | Batting Team | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ehsan Khan (Hong Kong) | 28 | Aslam Khan (14), Syed Aziz (13), Extras (1) | Malaysia | Singapore | 2025 |
| Ashwin Vinod (Estonia) | 28 | Habib Khan (28) | Switzerland | Tallinn | 2025 |
| Rahat Kazi (Timor-Leste) | 25 | Gede Priandana (19), Dharma Kesuma (1), Extras (5) | Indonesia | Bali | 2025 |
| Kemar Roach (West Indies) | 24 | David Warner (22), Shane Watson (1), Extras (1) | Australia | Sydney | 2010 |
| Matija Sarenac (Serbia) | 24 | Ramesh Satheesan (15), Taranjeet Singh (5), Extras (4) | Romania | Sofia | 2021 |
| Syazrul Idrus (Malaysia) | 24 | Assad Vala (9), Tony Ura (8), Extras (7) | Papua New Guinea | Kuala Lumpur | 2023 |
| Tendai Chatara (Zimbabwe) | 23 | Quinton de Kock (23) | South Africa | Hobart | 2022 |
| Abdul Bhikari (Suriname) | 22 | Shashikant Laxman (20), Extras (2) | Mexico | Buenos Aires | 2024 |
| Daniel Jakiel (Malawi) | 22 | Shahid Afridi (22) | Germany | Blantyre | 2025 |
| Vukasin Zimonjic (Serbia) | 22 | Zahir Mohammed (21), Arslan Basharat (1) | Hungary | Szodliget | 2025 |
Key Insights on Record-Breaking Opening Overs in T20I History
Expensive Opening Overs in T20Is
Ehsan Khan (Hong Kong) and Ashwin Vinod (Estonia) have bowled the joint-most expensive first over in a T20I innings. Both conceded 28 runs each in their opening overs against Malaysia and Switzerland, respectively, in 2025.
Ehsan Khan’s 28-run first over is the most expensive one in the final of a multi-team tournament, having suffered the wrath in the summit clash of the 2025 Asia Pacific Cricket Champions Trophy.
Kemar Roach has bowled the most expensive first over among full-member bowlers in a T20I innings. The West Indies pacer gave away 24 runs at the start against Australia in the second innings of the 2010 Sydney T20I.
Roach was the first bowler to concede more than 20 runs in the first over of a T20I innings.
Rahat Kazi’s 25-run first over for Timor-Leste against Indonesia in 2025 is the most expensive by a bowler on T20I debut. This was, in fact, Timor-Leste’s first T20I match.
Individual Batter Dominance and Boundary Records in the First Over
Ashwin Vinod conceded all 28 runs from the bat of Switzerland’s Habib Khan. This is the most runs scored by a single batter in the first over in a T20I innings.
Habib Khan smashed four sixes in Vinod’s over, the most in the first over in a T20I innings.
Greece’s Sinan Khan has conceded the most fours in the first over in a T20I innings. The Czech Republic’s Sazib Bhuiyan carted him for five fours in the T20 World Cup Europe qualifier in 2024.
Vanuatu’s Nalin Nipiko has bowled the most expensive over in T20Is. Samoa’s Darius Visser hammered Nipiko for 39 runs, including six sixes, in the 15th over in a T20 World Cup qualifier match in 2024.
Longest First Overs in T20Is
Malaysia’s Syzrul Idrus’s 24-run first over lasted for 12 balls against Papua New Guinea in 2023. This is the third-longest first over by a bowler in T20Is.
The longest first over jointly belongs to Thinley Jamtsho (Bhutan) and Luwsanzundui Erdenebulgan (Mongolia), who bowled 14 balls each against the Maldives (2019) and Japan (2024), respectively.
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