Last Updated on 3 years by Charbel Coorey
Cricket News: List of highest T20I scores by South Africa | What is South Africa’s highest ever T20I score?
South Africa have provided us with many thrills over the years, including the famous chase of 438 against Australia in 2006 and numerous memorable performances across both white-ball formats.
With youngsters such at Tristan Stubbs and Dewald Brevis coming through the ranks, the Proteas are well placed to produce bigger totals in ODIs and T20Is in the future. For now, it was the experienced Rilee Rossouw who hit a memorable century against India to help South Africa reach one of their highest T20I totals of all time.
Highest scores by South Africa in T20Is
With that in mind, here is a look at South Africa’s top five totals in T20 Internationals, with some of the all-time greats at the forefront of those efforts.
241/6 vs England, Centurion, 2009
Graeme Smith (88 off 44 balls) and Loots Bosman (94 off 45 balls) went on a rampage, smashing 170 in 13 overs for the first wicket. The fact the Proteas scored 71 in the last 41 balls at a still terrific run rate of 10 per over looks minuscule in comparison.
England were never in the hunt, crawling to 157/8 against the likes of Dale Steyn and Albie Morkel.
231/7 vs West Indies, Johannesburg, 2015
2015 is known as the year that AB de Villiers took West Indies apart. He smashed the fastest ODI century in January that year, and followed it up with a 66-ball 162 in February in the World Cup.
In T20Is, South Africa also went big, hitting 231/7 courtesy of Faf du Plessis’ 119 off 56 balls. Incredibly, he wasn’t player of the match, as Chris Gayle (90 off 41 balls) led the way as West Indies chased down the huge target with four balls to spare.
229/4 vs England, Mumbai, 2016
Speaking of mammoth chases, England did the same in one of the all-time classics in the 2016 T20 World Cup. South Africa’s 229/4 at the Wankhede looked odds on to result in victory, but Jason Roy (43 off 16 balls) and Joe Root (83 off 44 balls) had other ideas.
For South Africa, Hashim Amla (58 off 31), Quinton de Kock (52 off 24) and JP Duminy (54* off 28) struck half-centuries in a terrific batting display.
227/3 vs India, Indore, 2022
Rilee Rossouw came into this match having scored three ducks in his previous three T20Is in India. After a bit of a slow start in the powerplay, South Africa then shifted gears courtesy of Rossouw and Quinton de Kock, who put on 90 in eight overs together.
Rossouw went on to hit an unbeaten 100 off just 48 balls as the Proteas won by a very comfortable 49 runs, following on from David Miller’s hundred in the previous game.
224/4 vs Bangladesh, Potchefstroom, 2017
Speaking of David Miller, the left-hander had one of his most memorable days in 2017 against Bangladesh. The Tigers’ bowling attack, who are often used to slower, lower wickets back home, had no answers as Miller went ballistic en route a 36-ball 101*. His innings was so good that Hashim Amla’s 51-ball 85 is almost forgotten, and South Africa ended up winning by a very comfortable margin of 83 runs.
