Shimron Hetmyer survived two dropped chances on Monday as his 85 off just 34 balls and brutal hitting from Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford powered West Indies to a mammoth 254/6 in 20 overs against Zimbabwe – the highest team total in the ongoing edition of the T20 World Cup. In the process, West Indies surpassed Ireland’s 235/5 against Oman.
West Indies’ 254/6 is also the second-highest team total in the T20 World Cups, with Sri Lanka holding the record with 260/6 against Kenya in Johannesburg in the 2007 edition.
Opting to bowl first, Zimbabwe have themselves to blame as Tashinga Musekiwa dropped Hetmyer twice on 9 and 70. As a result, the left-hander smashed seven sixes and as many fours for his 34-ball 85 to put Zimbabwe in backfoot. If Hetmyer’s innings wasn’t enough, Powell 35-bal 59 and Rutherford’s 13-ball 31 added more misery on Sikander Raza’s men.
West Indies could have registered a world record for highest team score in a T20 World Cup had Jason Holder not found Tony Munyonga off Blessing Muzarabani in the third ball of the final over after smashing two back-to-back maximums. It was also the highest score against Zimbabwe in T20Is, bettering India’s 234/2 in 2024 at Harare.
In fact the 19 sixes hit by West Indies is the joint-most in an innings of a T20 World Cup, alongside Netherlands’ 19 against Ireland at Sylhet in 2014. The innings also marked the third 250-plus total for West Indies in T20Is, tying them with Zimbabwe for the joint-second most.
Highest team total in T20 World Cups
| Score | By | Opponent | Year | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 260/6 | Sri Lanka | Kenya | 2007 | Johannesburg |
| 254/6 | West Indies | Zimbabwe | 2026 | Mumbai |
| 235/5 | Ireland | Oman | 2026 | Colombo |
| 230/8 | England | South Africa | 2016 | Mumbai |
| 229/4 | South Africa | England | 2016 | Mumbai |
| 225/5 | Sri Lanka | Oman | 2026 | Pallekele |
| 218/4 | India | India | England | Durban |
| 218/5 | West Indies | Afghanistan | St Lucia | 2024 |
| 213/4 | South Africa | Canada | Ahmedabad | 2026 |
| 211/5 | South Africa | Scotland | The Oval | 2009 |
‘We like Mumbai – we like Wankhede’
While Hetmyer laid the platform, Powell stepped up the gas towards the end. Praising Hetmyer, Powell said, “It was obviously a very good wicket. Credit has to be given to Hetmyer. When I was starting, he kind of eased the pressure off me with those good hits, which allowed me to get myself in. Once I got set, it was a good wicket to hit a few sixes.”
For the record, West India have never lost a T20I at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Talking about the advantage about playing at this venue, Powell stated, “we as Caribbean boys, we like Mumbai – we like Wankhede, so it’s definitely a place where we have confidence. It’s a place where we play good cricket. Coming back here to play against Zimbabwe, we knew that if we put pressure on them, they would feel it.”
Catch the live action of theT20 World Cup 2026 with the completeT20 World Cup 2026 Schedule, and theT20 World Cup 2026 Points Table. Also, know who are currently leading the charts for Most Runs in T20 World Cup 2026 and Most Wickets in T20 World Cup 2026.
