A Twenty20 International (T20I) is a form of cricket, played between two of the international members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), in which each team faces a maximum of twenty overs. The matches have top-class status and are the highest T20 standard. The game is played under the rules of Twenty20 cricket.[1][2] The first Twenty20 International match between two men's sides was played on 17 February 2005, involving Pakistan and New Zealand. Wisden Cricketers' Almanack reported that "neither side took the game especially seriously",[3] and it was noted by ESPNcricinfo that but for a large score for Ricky Ponting, "the concept would have shuddered".[4] However, Ponting himself said "if it does become an international game then I'm sure the novelty won't be there all the time".[5]
This is a list of Pakistan Cricket team's Twenty20 International records. It is based on the List of Twenty20 International records, but concentrates solely on records dealing with the Pakistani cricket team. Pakistan played the first T20I in 2006.
Key
The top five records are listed for each category, except for the team wins, losses, draws and ties, all round records and the partnership records. Tied records for fifth place are also included. Explanations of the general symbols and cricketing terms used in the list are given below. Specific details are provided in each category where appropriate. All records include matches played for Pakistan only, and are correct as of December 2021[update].
Key
Symbol
Meaning
†
Player or umpire is currently active in T20I cricket
As of October 2023[update], Pakistan has played 224 T20I matches resulting in 135 victories, 80 defeats, 3 ties and 5 no results for an overall winning percentage of 63.02.[6]
A T20I match is won when one side has scored more runs than the runs scored by the opposing side during their innings. If both sides have completed both their allocated innings and the side that fielded last has the higher aggregate of runs, it is known as a win by runs. This indicates the number of runs that they had scored more than the opposing side. If the side batting last wins the match, it is known as a win by wickets, indicating the number of wickets that were still to fall.[26]
Greatest win margins (by runs)
The greatest winning margin by runs in T20Is was Czech Republic's victory over Turkey by 257 runs in the sixth match of the 2019 Continental Cup.[12] The largest victory recorded by Pakistan was during the 2022 Asia Cup against Hong Kong by 155 runs.[27]
The greatest winning margin by balls remaining in T20Is was Austria's victory over Turkey by 104 balls remaining in the ninth match of the 2019 Continental Cup.[29] The largest victory recorded by Pakistan is during the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 against New Zealand when they won by 6 wickets with 41 balls remaining.[30]
Australia holds the record for the highest successful run chase which they achieved when they scored 245/5 in response to New Zealand's 243/6.[31] The largest target chased by Pakistan was against Australia in the final of the 2018 Zimbabwe Tri-Nation Series[32]
The narrowest run margin victory is by 1 run which has been achieved in 15 T20I's. Pakistan has not won a game by such margin. The smallest has been by 2 runs.[33][34]
The narrowest winning margin by balls remaining in T20Is is by winning of the last ball which has been achieved 27 times. Pakistan has achieve victory of the last ball on two occasions.[35]
A tie can occur when the scores of both teams are equal at the conclusion of play, provided that the side batting last has completed their innings.[26]
There have been 19 ties in T20Is history with Pakistan involved in two such game.[6]
A run is the basic means of scoring in cricket. A run is scored when the batsman hits the ball with his bat and with his partner runs the length of 22 yards (20 m) of the pitch.[40]Martin Guptill (New Zealand) has scored the most runs in T20Is with Aggregate of 3299 runs. Followed by India's Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma respectively with 3227 and 3197 runs. Babar Azam is the leading Pakistani batsman on this list.[41]
A half-century is a score of between 50 and 99 runs. Statistically, once a batsman's score reaches 100, it is no longer considered a half-century but a century.
Virat Kohli of India has scored the most half-centuries in T20Is with 34. He is followed by India's Rohit Sharma with 32 and Pakistan's Babar Azam with 33 half-centuries. Babar Azam also has the most fifties among Pakistani batsmen.[85]
Ravija Sandaruwan of Kuwait holds the record for highest strike rate, with minimum 250 balls faced qualification, with 165.80.[91]Shahid Afridi is the Pakistani with the highest strike rate.
Qualification= 500 balls faced. Last Updated: 24 September 2022[92]
Highest strike rates in an inning
Dwayne Smith of West Indies strike rate of 414.28 during his 29 off 7 balls against Bangladesh during 2007 ICC World Twenty20 is the world record for highest strike rate in an innings. Afridi with his innings of 25 off 7 balls against South Africa in October 2010 during the 2010 T20I series holds the top position for a Pakistan player in this list.[93]
A duck refers to a batsman being dismissed without scoring a run.[99]Tillakaratne Dilshan of Sri Lanka, Pakistan's Umar Akmal and Ireland's Kevin O'Brien has scored the equal highest number of ducks in T20Is with 10 such knocks.[100]
Bowling figures refers to the number of the wickets a bowler has taken and the number of runs conceded.[122]
India's Deepak Chahar holds the world record for best figures in an innings when he took 6/7 against Bangladesh in November 2019 at Nagpur. Umar Gul holds the Pakistani record for best bowling figures.[123]
Qualification: 500 balls. Last Updated: 27 March 2023[126]
Best career economy rate
A bowler's economy rate is the total number of runs they have conceded divided by the number of overs they have bowled.[99]
New Zealand's Daniel Vettori, holds the T20I record for the best career economy rate with 5.70. Imad Wasim is the highest Pakistani on the list.[127]
Qualification: 500 balls. Last Updated: 16 December 2021[128]
Best career strike rate
A bowler's strike rate is the total number of balls they have bowled divided by the number of wickets they have taken.[99]
The top bowler with the best T20I career strike rate is Rashid Khan of Afghanistan with 12.3 balls per wicket strike rate. Umar Gul is the Pakistani bowler with the lowest strike rate.[129]
Qualification: 12 balls bowled. Last Updated: 31 July 2021[134]
Best strike rates in an inning
The best strike rate in an inning, when a minimum of 4 wickets are taken by the player, is by Steve Tikolo of Kenya during his spell of 4/2 in 1.2 overs against Scotland during the 2013 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier at ICC Academy, Dubai, UAE. Umar Gul has the lowest strike rate in an inning among Pakistani bowlers.[135]
Kasun Rajitha also holds the dubious distinction of most runs conceded in a T20I during the aforementioned match. Usman Shnwari in the above-mentioned spell conceded the most runs for Pakistani bowler.[140]
In cricket, a hat-trick occurs when a bowler takes three wickets with consecutive deliveries. The deliveries may be interrupted by an over bowled by another bowler from the other end of the pitch or the other team's innings, but must be three consecutive deliveries by the individual bowler in the same match. Only wickets attributed to the bowler count towards a hat-trick; run outs do not count.
In T20Is history there have been just 13 hat-tricks, the first achieved by Brett Lee for Australia against Bangladesh in 2007 ICC World Twenty20.[146]
The wicket-keeper is a specialist fielder who stands behind the stumps being guarded by the batsman on strike and is the only member of the fielding side allowed to wear gloves and leg pads.[149]
Most career dismissals
A wicket-keeper can be credited with the dismissal of a batsman in two ways, caught or stumped. A fair catch is taken when the ball is caught fully within the field of play without it bouncing after the ball has touched the striker's bat or glove holding the bat,[150][151] Laws 5.6.2.2 and 5.6.2.3 state that the hand or the glove holding the bat shall be regarded as the ball striking or touching the bat while a stumping occurs when the wicket-keeper puts down the wicket while the batsman is out of his ground and not attempting a run.[152]Kamran Akmal is the highest ranked Pakistani wicket keeper in the all-time list of taking most dismissals in T20Is as a designated wicket-keeper, which is headed by India's MS Dhoni and West Indian Denesh Ramdin.[153]
Four wicket-keepers on four occasions have taken five dismissals in a single innings in a T20I.[159]
The feat of taking 4 dismissals in an innings has been achieved by 19 wicket-keepers on 26 occasions with Kamran Akmal being the only Pakistani wicket-keeper.[160]
Netherlands wicket-keeper Scott Edwards holds the T20Is record for the most dismissals taken by a wicket-keeper in a series. He made 13 dismissals during the 2019 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier. Pakistani record is held by Kamran Akmal when he made 9 dismissals during the 2010 ICC World Twenty20.[162]
Caught is one of the nine methods a batsman can be dismissed in cricket.[a] The majority of catches are caught in the slips, located behind the batsman, next to the wicket-keeper, on the off side of the field. Most slip fielders are top order batsmen.[165][166]
South Africa's David Miller holds the record for the most catches in T20Is by a non-wicket-keeper with 57, followed by Shoaib Malik of Pakistan on 50 and New Zealand's Martin Guptill with 47.[167]
The feat of taking 4 catches in an innings has been achieved by 14 fielders on 14 occasions.[169] No Pakistani fielder has achieved this feat. The most is three catches on nine occasions.[170]
Pakistan's Shoaib Malik holds the record for the most T20I matches played with 123, followed by team-mate Mohammad Hafeez with 119 games and then Rohit Sharma of India with 119.[175]
MS Dhoni, who led the Indian cricket team from 2007 to 2016, holds the record for the most matches played as captain in T20Is with 72. Babar Azam has led Pakistan in 52 matches, the most for any player from his country.[178]
In cricket, two batsmen are always present at the crease batting together in a partnership. This partnership will continue until one of them is dismissed, retires or the innings comes to a close.
Highest partnerships by wicket
A wicket partnership describes the number of runs scored before each wicket falls. The first wicket partnership is between the opening batsmen and continues until the first wicket falls. The second wicket partnership then commences between the not out batsman and the number three batsman. This partnership continues until the second wicket falls. The third wicket partnership then commences between the not out batsman and the new batsman. This continues down to the tenth wicket partnership. When the tenth wicket has fallen, there is no batsman left to partner so the innings is closed.
An asterisk (*) signifies an unbroken partnership (i.e. neither of the batsmen was dismissed before either the end of the allotted overs or the required score being reached). Last updated: 15 April 2023[195]
Umpiring records
Most matches umpired
An umpire in cricket is a person who officiates the match according to the Laws of Cricket. Two umpires adjudicate the match on the field, whilst a third umpire has access to video replays, and a fourth umpire looks after the match balls and other duties. The records below are only for on-field umpires.
Aleem Dar of Pakistan holds the record for the most T20I matches umpired with 60.[196]
Afghanistan
Australia
Bangladesh
England
India
Ireland
New Zealand
South Africa
Sri Lanka
West Indies
Zimbabwe
Canada
Hong Kong
Kenya
Namibia
Netherlands
Scotland
United Arab Emirates
Pakistan at Hagley Oval, 21 January 2024.[7][8]
