Who has the highest T20I powerplay scores? England smash 100 vs South Africa to join all-time top 10 list

Saurav Goyal

Who has the highest T20I powerplay scores? England smash 100 vs South Africa to join all-time top 10 list image

England gave fans a thrilling start in Manchester when they went all-out attack against South Africa in the second T20I of their series in September 2025.

Their openers went crazy in the first six overs and the scoreboard was flying. By the time Powerplay ended, England had already touched 100 runs, something very few teams have done in T20 cricket.

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How did England reach 100 in just six overs?

Jos Buttler and Phil Salt opened the innings and did not give the South African bowlers even a moment to settle. Every ball was attacked, and the crowd was treated to one of the fastest starts in T20I history.

Buttler in particular was unstoppable, hammering a half-century in only 18 balls. He went on to score 83 from just 30 balls before getting out, but by then the damage was already done.

Salt also played his part perfectly, rotating and finding boundaries. Their 100-run partnership in six overs is now England’s best Powerplay score ever.

Where does this stand among the all-time T20I Powerplay scores?

This 100-run Powerplay is not just England’s best, it also went into the record books as the third-highest ever in T20 internationals.

The top spot still belongs to Australia, when Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh blasted 113 against Scotland in Edinburgh in 2024.

South Africa are second with 102 runs against West Indies in Centurion in 2023. England now sit in third place with their 100 in Manchester against South Africa.

On January 25, 2026, India scored 94 runs in the powerplay in their third T20I against New Zealand thanks to a blistering innings from Abhishek Sharma, who hit the second fastest T20I 50 for an Indian batter as he achieved the milestone in just 14 balls.

MORE: Abhishek show in Guwahati: Indians with fastest T20I fifties

What are the top 10 biggest Powerplay scores in T20I cricket?

Here’s the list of teams with the highest scores in the first six overs of a T20I match:

RankTeamScoreOppositionVenueYear
1Australia113ScotlandEdinburgh2024
2South Africa102West IndiesCenturion2023
3England100South AfricaManchester2025
4West Indies98Sri LankaCoolidge2021
5India95EnglandMumbai2025
6India94New ZealandGuwahati2024
7Ireland93West IndiesSt George's2020
8West Indies92AfghanistanGros Islet2024
9New Zealand92PakistanWellington2025
10Netherlands91IrelandSylhet2014

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