Cricket
Most Expensive Over in T20I Cricket (Updated 2024)
If any cricket format embodies the ‘every ball counts’ mentality, it is T20, where players have to maximise their time on the field.With international stars headlining domestic and global matches, the shortest format has seen some truly destructive batting. In T20Is, where a single over can shape a match, some bowlers in history have found themselves a helpless target. As the game continues to evolve, the 20-over format has redefined records with costly overs that are sometimes beyond belief.
SportsBoom has looked at the most expensive overs in T20I, the settings of these records, and who holds the highest score.
Most Expensive Over in T20I Cricket: Updated List
In an Over
| Players | Match | Venue | Runs | Date | Over Summary |
| Darius Visser | Samoa vs Vanuatu | Apia (No 2) | 39 | 20/08/2024 | 6 6 6 nb 6 nb nb 6 6 |
| Yuvraj Singh | India vs England | Durban | 36 | 19/09/2007 | 6 6 6 6 6 6 |
| Kieron Pollard | West Indies vs Sri Lanka | Antigua | 36 | 03/03/2021 | 6 6 6 6 6 6 |
| Rohit Sharma, Rinku Singh | India vs Afghanistan | Bengaluru | 36 | 07/01/2024 | 4 nb 6 6 1 6 6 6 |
| Dipendra Singh Airee | Nepal vs Qatar | Al Amerat | 36 | 13/04/2024 | 6 6 6 6 6 6 |
| Nicholas Pooran | West Indies vs Afghanistan | Gros Islet | 36 | 17/06/2024 | 6 nb 4 wd 4 lb 4 4 6 6 |
| Tim Seifert, Ross Taylor | New Zealand vs India | Mount 34 Maunganui | 34 | 02/02/2020 | 6 6 4 1, nb 4 6 6 |
| Ryan Burl | Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh | Harare | 34 | 02/08/2022 | 6 6 6 6 4 6 |
| Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali | England vs South Africa | Bristol | 33 | 27/07/2022 | 6 6 wd wd 1, 6 6 6 |
| Zubaidi Zulkifle, Syed Aziz | Malaysia vs Hong Kong | Kuala Lumpur | 33 | 19/09/2023 | 1 nb 1 4 nb 1, wd 2 6 wd wd 1 lb 4 6 |
Most Expensive Over in T20I Cricket: Updated List
Darius Visser: 39
On August 20, 2024, the Samoan batsman etched his name in history with a record-setting over against Vanuatu’s Nalin Nipiko in a T20 World Cup Qualifier.
Visser smashed three consecutive sixes off the first three balls, which was followed by a no-ball before another massive strike that cleared the boundary rope.
Nipiko mustered a dot ball before two successive no-balls, the second of which the Samoan batsman sent zooming away with a lightning-quick pull shot.
Visser completed his Herculean scoring feat with yet another brutal maximum, proving that T20 cricket can be just as exciting for teams not in the rankings.
His score of 39 in the over set a new record for 20-over international cricket and he went on to score 132 runs from 62 balls, guiding Samoa to a slim win.
Yuvraj Singh: 36 runs
India's Yuvraj Singh hits six sixes off Stuart Broad of England in one over for his 58 runs
Arguably the most iconic scoring effort took place during the T20 World Cup on September 19, 2007, elevating Yuvraj Singh to legendary status.
Dismantling English great Stuart Broad, the Indian all-rounder smashed the first ball leg-side into the stands, then flicked the ball square for six #2.
The third delivery sailed over long on, with a full toss then sliced away square over the ropes and the fifth hoisted all the way for a fifth maximum.
Yuvraj completed his record-setting over with another leg-side clubbing blow, with his bench celebrating as England watched on in disbelief.
India went on to win the game by 18 runs, with Broad later admitting that being humbled by the perfect over helped shape his bowling career.
Kieron Pollard: 36 runs
Kieron Pollard/Getty Images
In March 2021 in Antigua, Kieron Pollard emulated the perfect over with six sixes off the bowling of Sri Lanka’s spin bowler, Akila Dananjaya.
KP smashed the first maximum over long-on, the second straight over the top, the third over long-off, and a fourth struck over the midwicket region.
As Dananjaya watched with a grimace, the West Indies big man looked utterly composed, with Sri Lanka even attempting to disrupt him with a delay.
However, Pollard then destroyed the spinner’s fifth delivery with a monster hit that went a mile, and ended his over with a final strike over midwicket.
Fortunately for Dananjaya, he had taken a hat-trick earlier in the innings but the destructive over he conceded saw West Indies claim a convincing win.
Rohit Sharma and Rinku Singh: 36 runs
Rohit Sharma and Rinku Singh/Getty Images
The first combination entry on the list came during India’s down-to-the-wire victory against Afghanistan in January 2024.
Rohit Sharma ramped the ball for four, clubbed a no-ball delivery over long-on for six, then smacked a free hit all the way.
After a single to bring the left-hander on strike, Rinku Singh scored a maximum over square leg and his second over long-on.
Karim Janat was the unfortunate victim of the onslaught in Bengaluru, with the game decided by two nail-biting Super Overs.
India went on to win the T20I series 3-0, although Sharma and Singh’s record-equalling 36-run over hogged the headlines.
Dipendra Singh Airee: 36 Runs
Dipendra Singh/Getty Images
The third cricketer to score a perfect over, before Darius Visser’s 39, was Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee, who equalled Yuvraj’s record in April 2024.
Facing Qatar’s Kamran Khan in the final over of an ACC Men’s Premier Cup clash, he scored a six over midwicket and a second over backward point.
Airee’s third six went over midwicket, his fourth over deep point to mark his half-century (in just 19 balls), and the fifth soaring over deep square leg.
He completed the perfect over with a towering maximum over midwicket on the final ball of the innings, with Nepal claiming a crucial 32-run victory.
Nicholas Pooran: 36 runs
A few months later, Nicholas Pooran joined the elite after a ruthless display against Afghanistan in Trinidad in the T20 World Cup in July 2024.
Azmatullah Omarzai, despite his growing reputation, was no match for the destructive West Indies wicketkeeper-batsman during the game.
After something of a mis-hit that went all the way, the Afghani bowled a no-ball that was slapped for four and then a wide that raced to the ropes.
Pooran then fluffed the free hit, but made up for that with a four that deflected off his pads and another four that he cut away to the boundary.
As Omarzai struggled to keep his cool, Pooran smashed a six over midwicket and then crushed a slower ball straight over the bowler’s head.
How Are 36+ Run Overs Possible in T20s?
Some might question how, when six sixes are the most runs possible in an over, some bowlers manage to concede even more.
As in the case of Visser versus Nipiko, it came down to extras, with no-balls and wides adding runs and even more balls to face.
In the case of Pooran versus Omarzai, a ball was hit for four and then determined to be a front-foot no-ball, totalling five runs.
Why Big Overs Are Becoming More Common
There is a growing opinion that T20 cricket favours the batsman, and the increase in record tallies certainly seems to prove this.
New batting techniques, the rise of big striking players and new regulations like the powerplay sessions contribute to major scores.
In the face of improved bat technology and pitch conditions, T20 bowlers who stand out in the shortest cricket format are special.
Conclusion
With factors seemingly tilted in the batting order’s favour, it’s almost certain that the T20 most expensive over record will be eclipsed.
As it stands, four of the entries on the top 10 list were added in 2024 and perhaps even more will be added to these rankings in 2025.
Bowlers will continue to face pressure from the elite batsmen of the world and T20 will continue with many more unforgettable moments.
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Dillip has over two decades of experience in creating sports content. As the Sports Editor of SportsBoom, Dillip brings in a wealth of experience and expertise to the role. Dillip has worked with leading sports broadcasters and sports web content portals in Asia. He is an adept storyteller and has a special liking for data stories. He has a keen interest in data analysis and uncovering insights from large datasets. He loves to tell the story with rich and compelling data visualisation.