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3 min readUpdated: Feb 26, 2026 08:54 PM IST
India recorded their highest ever T20 World Cup total. (PHOTO: AP)
India recorded the second-highest ever T20 World Cup total when they posted 256/4 in a must-win clash against Zimbabwe during the Super 8 Group 1 game of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.
256 is also India’s highest total in the T20 World Cup as the Men in Blue bettered their 19-year-old record, with the previous highest total of 218 coming in the 2007 World Cup against England.
In a do-or-die game to stay alive in the semifinal race, India went with a different opening combination, with Sanju Samson partnering Abhishek Sharma. The duo provided India with a brisk start, adding 48 runs in just 22 balls before Samson was dismissed for a 15-ball 24. Abhishek kept playing with the same tempo and slammed his maiden T20 World Cup half-century. He was dismissed for 55 off 30. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma provided the finishing touch, taking India past the 250-run mark.
FOLLOW LIVE | INDIA VS ZIMBABWE T20 WORLD CUP 2026 SUPER 8 MATCH
India’s highest total in T20 internationals is 297, which they scored against Bangladesh in 2024 in Hyderabad.
The highest-ever team total in the T20 World Cup was etched way back in the inaugural edition of the World Cup in 2007, where Sri Lanka unleashed carnage on Kenya at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. Led by Sanath Jayasuriya’s 44-ball 88, Sri Lanka racked up a whopping 260/5 before bundling the opposition out for a paltry 88, winning by 172 runs.
Highest team scores in T20 World Cup – Full List
| Team | Score | Opposition | Ground | Match Date |
| Sri Lanka | 260/6 | v Kenya | Johannesburg | 14 Sep 2007 |
| India | 256/4 | v Zimbabwe | Chennai | 26 Feb 2026 |
| West Indies | 254/6 | v Zimbabwe | Wankhede | 23 Feb 2026 |
| Ireland | 235/5 | v Oman | Colombo (SSC) | 14 Feb 2026 |
| England | 230/8 | v South Africa | Wankhede | 18 Mar 2016 |
| South Africa | 229/4 | v England | Wankhede | 18 Mar 2016 |
| Sri Lanka | 225/5 | v Oman | Pallekele | 12 Feb 2026 |
| India | 218/4 | v England | Durban | 19 Sep 2007 |
| West Indies | 218/5 | v Afghanistan | Gros Islet | 17 Jun 2024 |
| South Africa | 213/4 | v Canada | Ahmedabad | 9 Feb 2026 |
| South Africa | 211/5 | v Scotland | The Oval | 7 Jun 2009 |
| India | 210/2 | v Afghanistan | Abu Dhabi | 3 Nov 2021 |
| South Africa | 209/5 | v Afghanistan | Wankhede | 20 Mar 2016 |
| India | 209/9 | v Namibia | Delhi | 12 Feb 2026 |
| South Africa | 208/2 | v West Indies | Johannesburg | 11 Sep 2007 |
| Scotland | 207/4 | v Italy | Eden Gardens | 9 Feb 2026 |
| West Indies | 205/6 | v South Africa | Johannesburg | 11 Sep 2007 |
| West Indies | 205/4 | v Australia | Colombo (RPS) | 5 Oct 2012 |
| South Africa | 205/5 | v Bangladesh | Sydney | 27 Oct 2022 |
| India | 205/5 | v Australia | Gros Islet | 24 Jun 2024 |
| England | 202/7 | v Italy | Eden Gardens | 16 Feb 2026 |
| Pakistan | 201/5 | v Bangladesh | Eden Gardens | 16 Mar 2016 |
| Australia | 201/7 | v England | Bridgetown | 8 Jun 2024 |
| Sri Lanka | 201/6 | v Netherlands | Gros Islet | 16 Jun 2024 |
| England | 200/6 | v India | Durban | 19 Sep 2007 |
| New Zealand | 200/3 | v Australia | Sydney | 22 Oct 2022 |
| Afghanistan | 200/4 | v Canada | Chennai | 19 Feb 2026 |
(Table updated after India vs Zimbabwe T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 match)
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