T20 World Cup: A World Cup event is the biggest stage that a team or a player dreams of for their country. Thus, every side wants to give their best when it comes to performing in ICC events. Thus, the pressure on such matches is immense and can make or break a real champion. We have seen many times that a team that enters the championship as an underdog goes on to win the title.
However, the best teams always dominate the other teams. That’s what we have seen over the years. However, with stiff competition, every side wants to win big because, in the end, their net run rate can have a big effect. So the margin of victory comes with some advantages. In this article, we will cover the biggest wins in T20 World Cup history by runs.
3. Afghanistan (130 runs) against Scotland in 2021
The third biggest win came in the 2021 T20 World Cup. It was the 17th match of the tournament between Afghanistan and Scotland at Sharjah. After winning the toss, Afghanistan chose to bat first. They had a really good start with a few good partnerships in the middle. But in the end, a cameo from Najibullah Zadran helped his team to reach a competitive total of 190/4. He scored 59 off 34 balls with five fours and three sixes.
It was a big target for the Scottish team to chase. However, they had a 28-run partnership for the opening wicket, but then, they lost their six wickets for just 10 runs. And after that, they couldn’t stop the cluster of wickets and got all out for just 60 runs. Thus, Afghanistan won that match by a big margin of 130 runs. Mujeeb Ur Rahman picked up 5/20, while Rashid Khan took 4/9.
2. South Africa (130 runs) against Scotland in 2009
Notably, the second and third largest wins in the T20 World Cup came against Scotland, both by 130 runs. It was the fifth match of the 2009 World Cup at The Oval between Scotland and South Africa. After winning the toss, the Scottish team decided to bowl first, and it wasn’t a good decision. South Africa had a good start, and all the batters played well. However, the destructive inning came from the bat of AB de Villiers.
He scored an unbeaten 79* off just 34 balls, with five fours and six sixes. Thus, South Africa ended up with a score of 211/5 runs. In reply, Scotland couldn’t do much against the likes of Dale Steyn, Parnell, Kallis, and Morkel. As a result, they got all out for just 81 runs in 15.4 overs, handing over a 130-run win to South Africa.
1. Sri Lanka (172 runs) against Kenya in 2007 T20 World Cup
The biggest T20 World Cup and fifty biggest overall wins came in the inaugural edition of the World Cup. It was the 8th match between Sri Lanka and Kenya at Johannesburg, which also saw the biggest total in the T20 World Cup. Kenya won the toss and elected to bowl first. Sri Lanka had a few decent partnerships and every batter came out with a attacking mindset. Sanath Jayasuriya scored 88 runs off 44 balls with 11 fours and four sixes.
Skipper Mahela Jayawardene made 65 off 27 balls with 9 fours and two sixes. But the assault came from the bat of Jehan Mubarak, who ended with a flourish. He made an unbeaten 46* off just 13 balls, with three fours and five sixes. Sri Lanka scored a mammoth total of 260/6. In reply, Kenya couldn’t manage to score as per the run rate and got all out for 88 runs. As a result, Sri Lanka registered the biggest win in the T20 World Cup by 172 runs.
List of Biggest Wins in T20 World Cup (Run Margin)
| Team | Target | Margin | Against | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | 261 | 172 runs | Kenya | Wanderers Stadium | 2007 |
| South Africa | 211 | 130 runs | Scotland | Kennington Oval | 2009 |
| Afghanistan | 191 | 130 runs | Scotland | Sharjah Cricket Stadium | 2021 |
| England | 197 | 116 runs | Afghanistan | R. Premadasa Stadium | 2012 |
| South Africa | 206 | 104 runs | Bangladesh | Sydney | 2022 |
| India | 171 | 90 runs | England | R. Premadasa Stadium | 2012 |
| West Indies | 167 | 84 runs | Pakistan | Dhaka | 2014 |
| Bangladesh | 182 | 84 runs | P.N.G. | Al Amerat | 2021 |
| New Zealand | 199 | 83 runs | Ireland | Nottingham | 2009 |
| Pakistan | 176 | 82 runs | Netherlands | Lord’s | 2009 |
| Sri Lanka | 183 | 82 runs | Zimbabwe | Hambantota | 2012 |