Unlike other formats of cricket, T20I matches do not need those long and tedious innings from a player. What T20I matches need are quick and blistering knocks around the ground. High scoring in this format is not as easy as in others due to the limited time. This is the reason why only a few prominent batsmen could hit a century here. West Indies too, have registered only two centuries in the T20I World Cups, both coming from the bat of Chris Gayle. In this article, we will take a look on the biggest knocks by West Indian batters in T20I World Cups. So, let’s dive into it!
1. Chris Gayle Vs South Africa
On the first place, is Chris Gayle’s knock of 117 runs against South Africa in the inaugural 2007 T20I World Cup in the opposition’s home ground, Johannesburg. Sticking to his name, Gayle played with a tremendous strike rate of 205.26, hitting seven fours and ten sixes in just 57 balls.
2. Chris Gayle Vs England
On number two, is the 100 not out against England from Chris Gayle. Playing in the Wankhede ground of Mumbai, Gayle hit five fours and eleven sixes in 48 balls to register a strike rate of 208.33. West Indies went on to win the T20I World Cup title in this 2016 tournament.
3. Chris Gayle Vs India
In 2010, Chris Gayle played a knock of 98 runs against India in Bridgetown. He played with a strike rate of 148.48 to record this score in just 66 balls. He hit five fours and seven sixes in this innings West Indies won this match by 14 runs.
4. Chris Gayle Vs Australia
Making it to the fourth spot, is once again Chris Gayle. He scored 88 runs against Australia in the 2009 T20I World Cup. He hit six fours and six sixes in just 50 balls and had a strike rate of 176.00. West Indies chased down the target of 170 runs in just 15.5 overs to register a win by seven wickets.
5. Marlon Samuels Vs England
Next up is Marlon Samuels unbeaten knock of 85 runs against England. While playing in the Eden Gardens, Kolkata, Samuels hit nine fours and two sixes in 66 balls to record a strike rate of 128.78 runs. West Indies was able to chase down the target of 156 runs and won the game by 4 wickets.
6. Andre Fletcher Vs Sri Lanka
In the same tournament of 2016, Andre Fletcher played a knock of 84* in Bengaluru with a strike rate of 131.25. His knock comprised of six sixes and five fours in 64 balls. It was another successful chase for the West Indies as they won by 7 wickets after chasing down Sri Lanka’s puny total of 122 runs.
7. Johnson Charles Vs England
With a strike rate of 150.00, Johnson Charles scored 84 runs in 56 balls against England in the 2012 T20I World Cup. He hit a total of 13 boundaries, ten fours and three sixes, in his innings. While batting first, Charles was able to steer his team to a decent total of 179 runs which the English batsmen failed to reach.
8. Lendl Simmons Vs India
Playing one of the best knocks of his career, Lendl Simmons scored an unbeaten 82 runs against India in just 51 balls. He had a strike rate of 160.78. He hit seven fours and five sixes and broke hope for local fans at Wankhede. West Indies was able to chase down India’s decent total of 192 runs with ease.
9. Shimron Hetmyer Vs Sri Lanka
In one of the recent encounters, in 2021, Shimron Hetmyer played a knock of 81* against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi. Playing with a strike rate of 150.00, he hit eight fours and four sixes in his 54-ball inning. Despite his brilliant batting display, he could not guide his team to victory and they had to face defeat by 20 runs.
10. Marlon Samuels Vs Sri Lanka
Th final knock to make it to this list, is Marlon Samuels’ 78 against Sri Lanka in the 2012 T20I World Cup. He hit three fours and six sixes to register a strike rate of 139.28. The other batsmen could not support Samuels and they ended up scoring only 137 runs in the allotted 20 overs. However, a brilliant bowling display ensured West Indies’ victory.
