T20I Record Books Rewritten

During the first T20I match between Sri Lanka and Australia held in Pallekele, a new T20I record for the highest total was created alongside few other records.

The previous highest total by a team in T20Is was 260, by Sri Lanka against Kenya in the 2007 T20I World Cup. Australia bettered it today by scoring 263 for 3 in the just concluded match and thus broke the 9-year long record held by Sri Lanka. The hosts in reply, could manage to score only 179 in the designated 20 overs, thus falling 84 runs short of the target.

Australia’s middle order batsman and internationally reputed hard-hitter Glen Maxwell was promoted to open batting and he utilized the opportunity in a breathtaking manner by scoring 145 runs in just 65 balls. He smashed 9 sixes and 14 fours during his swashbuckling innings. Maxwell’s unbeaten 145 is the second best individual score in T20Is after Aaron Finch’s world record 156. Finch’s feat was witnessed against England in 2013.