3 min readUpdated: Feb 26, 2026 08:54 PM IST 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.
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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)
