The T20I format demands that every player put their lives on the line. And a captain has to go above and beyond that to bring the best out of their unit.
Sometimes, they also need to step up and pull their team out of a tough situation or push their team total by storming the bowlers across the park.
Here are the top 10 instances of captains hammering the highest scores in T20Is.
Highest Scores by a Captain in T20Is
| Player | Team | Score (Balls) | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Finch | Australia | 172 (76) | Zimbabwe | Harare | 03 Jul 2018 |
| Sikandar Raza | Zimbabwe | 133* (43) | Gambia | Nairobi | 23 Oct 2024 |
| Shaheryar Butt | Belgium | 125* (50) | Czech Republic | Walferdange | 29 Aug 2020 |
| Shane Watson | Australia | 124* (71) | India | Sydney | 31 Jan 2016 |
| Babar Azam | Pakistan | 122 (59) | South Africa | Centurion | 14 Apr 2021 |
| Aritra Dutta | Singapore | 122 (63) | Japan | Bangkok | 11 Feb 2024 |
| Rohit Sharma | India | 121* (69) | Afghanistan | Bengaluru | 17 Jan 2024 |
| Faf du Plessis | South Africa | 119 (56) | West Indies | Johannesburg | 11 Jan 2015 |
| Rohit Sharma | India | 118 (43) | Sri Lanka | Indore | 22 Dec 2017 |
| Izaz Ali | Slovenia | 118 (45) | Serbia | Belgrade | 7 Jun 2025 |
Key Insights on Record-Breaking Batting by T20I Captains
All-Time Highest Individual Scores and Fastest T20I Centuries by Skippers
Australia’s Aaron Finch has slammed the highest individual score as a captain in T20I cricket. He scored a wonderful 172 runs from 76 balls against Zimbabwe in 2018. This is also the highest score by any batter in T20Is.
Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza has hammered the fastest century as a captain in T20Is. He was on a roll against Gambia and brought up the 100-run mark in 33 balls.
Raza’s rapid knock propelled Zimbabwe to a massive total of 344 for 4, the highest team total in T20Is.
Career Records and Run Accumulation by T20I Captains
Pakistan’s Babar Azam and India’s Rohit Sharma have scored the joint-most triple-digit knocks in T20Is as a captain. Both smashed three centuries each while leading their teams in the shortest format.
Babar also leads the run charts among the skippers in the 20-over format, with 2642 runs in 78 innings as Pakistan’s captain.
Babar has also smashed the most fifty-plus scores as a captain, crossing the 50-run mark 26 times in T20Is.
Highest Scores in Chases and Losses by T20I Captains
Shane Watson’s unbeaten 124 against India in the 2016 Sydney T20I is the highest score by a captain on home soil in this format.
Watson’s 124 is also the highest individual score by a captain in a T20I loss. While his knock powered Australia to 197 for 5, India chased it down on the last ball.
Babar and Aritra Dutta (Singapore) share the highest score as captains in a successful T20I run chase. Both smashed 122 each against South Africa in 2021 (Centurion) and Japan in 2024 (Bangkok), respectively.
Babar is the only captain to score two centuries in successful run chases in T20I cricket.
Read Next | Instances of 3 centuries in an ODI innings
