India’s top 5 highest scores in T20Is

India beat New Zealand in the third and final T20I in Ahmedabad on Wednesday to clinch the three-match series 2-1. The Men in Blue won by a mammoth 168 runs as they bundled out the Kiwis for just 66 after setting a daunting target of 235. Several records were broken during the course of the game, including the highest margin of victory by runs in T20Is between full members of the ICC.

India have a brilliant record in bilateral T20Is over the years - winning 88 and losing 45. They have crossed a score of 200 or more 26 times in T20Is - by far the most by any team.

In this piece, let's take a look at the top five scores registered by India in the shortest format.

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Top 5 T20I scores by India

#1 260/5 vs Sri Lanka, Indore 2017

India were put in to bat on a belter in the second match of the three-match series. Rohit Sharma was the captain in the absence of Virat Kohli. He opened the batting with KL Rahul - adding 165 runs for the opening partnership in just 12.4 overs.

Rohit scored a blistering century off just 35 deliveries. He did not spare the bowlers and looked all set to bring up his own double-hundred and the team's 300 at the pace he was batting. However, he was dismissed in the 13th over, leaving the fans disappointed. Rahul also batted brilliantly for his scorching 89 off 49 balls. India won the match comfortably by 88 runs and sealed the series.

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#2 244/4 vs West Indies, Lauderhill 2016

India won the toss and opted to field first in the one-off T20I against the world champions. They were asked to chase a humungous target of 246, thanks to a 49-ball hundred from Evin Lewis and 33-ball 79 from Johnson Charles. The middle order also chipped in with useful cameos.

In response, India did not surrender. They came out all guns blazing. Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli were dismissed for low scores, while Rohit Sharma was in impeccable form at the other end. KL Rahul joined him in the fifth over of the innings.

The two had a crucial partnership of 89 runs off just 43 balls, after which Rohit was dismissed after a brilliant 62 off just 27 balls. The onus was now on the well-set Rahul and captain MS Dhoni. Despite Rahul's hundred and Dhoni's 43, India failed to cross the line. They failed to chase eight in the last over, losing the game by just one run.

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#3 240/3 vs West Indies, Wankhede 2019

India won the toss and decided to bat first in the decider at Wankhede. KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma opened the innings. The destructive duo scored 72 runs in the Powerplay. Rohit brought up his half-century off just 22 deliveries in the eighth over of the innings, while Rahul reached the milestone off 29 deliveries in the 10th over.

They added 135 runs for the first wicket in just 11.4 overs with Rohit perishing after scoring 70 runs off 34 balls. Captain Virat Kohli decided to promote the hard-hitting Rishabh Pant to number three. However, the experiment failed as he was dismissed for a duck. Kohli walked into bat when the team needed to score briskly in the final eight overs of the innings.

KL and Kohli added 95 runs off 44 balls, absolutely destroying the West Indian bowling attack. The skipper adopted an attacking approach from the start of the innings and ended up playing one of his best T20I knocks - 70*(29).

Rahul played the second fiddle and he still ended up with a wonderful 91 off 57 balls. India won the match by 67 runs and sealed the series 2-1.

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#4 237/3 vs South Africa, Guwahati 2022

India won the toss and decided to bat first in the second T20I in Guwahati. KL Rahul was in sensational touch for the first time in a while. He played the role of the aggressor from the start of the innings. Meanwhile, captain Rohit Sharma struggled to score quickly at the other end.

They added 96 runs for the first wicket in 9.5 overs, after which Rohit was dismissed for a scratchy 43 off 37 balls.

Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav had a match-winning partnership after KL Rahul (57 off 28 balls) was dismissed. The duo added 102 runs in just 40 deliveries. Surya was batting like a man possessed - he hit five fours and five sixes in his 22-ball stay at the crease.

He scored 61 runs before being run out in the penultimate over of the innings. Kohli also scored a brisk 49 off 28 balls after being watchful in the first half of his innings.

Although India won the match by 16 runs, South Africa's batting in the run chase deserves praise. David Miller played a freak knock which could have ended in a winning cause if the top-order had not been dismissed cheaply.

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#5 234/4 vs New Zealand, Ahmedabad 2023

India won the toss and decided to bat first in the decider at Ahmedabad. Ishan Kishan was dismissed in the second over of the innings. However, that did not stop Shubman Gill and Rahul Tripathi from batting aggressively. They made the most of the Powerplay, scoring 58 runs.

They maintained a quick scoring rate in the middle overs. Tripathi continued to bat aggressively until he was dismissed for 44 off 22 balls. Suryakumar Yadav also scored a brisk 24 off 13 balls. Shubman Gill slowed down a bit in the middle and brought up his half-century off 36 balls.

However, Gill went berserk after the milestone. He demolished the opposition pacers in the final eight overs of the innings and brought up his next 50 runs off just 18 balls. Captain Hardik Pandya scored a vital 30 off 17 balls at the back end of the innings to give the team a flourish in the final overs.