Mumbai: If 2026 proved anything, it is that no T20I target is safe anymore. From World Cup knockout pressure to bilateral thrillers, this was the year of the chase. Here are the greatest successful pursuits of the year, ranked.
1. India 199/5 vs West Indies, Eden Gardens — March 1
The gold standard. Chasing 196 in a T20 World Cup knockout at a heaving Eden Gardens, India were powered by Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 97 off 50 balls — 12 fours and four sixes of pure timing. It was India’s highest successful chase in T20 World Cup history and the highest T20I chase ever at the venue, sealing a semi-final berth in style.
2. South Africa 225/3 vs West Indies, Centurion — January 29
Chasing 224, the Proteas got home with 15 balls to spare in a display of ruthless power-hitting. At 12.85 runs per over, it remains one of the most commanding chases of the year — a statement that South Africa’s batting depth is the envy of world cricket.
3. India 164/0 vs New Zealand, Guwahati — January 26
The most astonishing chase by one measure: India gunned down 164 in just 10 overs — 60 balls remaining, a record for chases of 150-plus. Abhishek Sharma’s assault left New Zealand shell-shocked and set the tone for India’s dominant year.
4. Punjab Kings 265 vs Delhi Capitals — IPL 2026
Not a T20I but impossible to ignore: the highest successful chase in IPL history, and a symbol of the season where 200 stopped being a defendable total.
5. RCB 202 in 15.4 overs vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — IPL 2026
The fastest successful chase of a 200-plus target in IPL history — 202 gunned down with more than four overs to spare, as Bengaluru’s batters made a mockery of what was once considered a daunting total.
How 2026 compares to history
For context, the all-time T20I record remains South Africa’s 259/4 against West Indies at Centurion in 2023 — Quinton de Kock’s 44-ball hundred headlining a chase of 259. Australia’s 245/5 against New Zealand in Auckland in 2018 still ranks among the great pursuits. But 2026 showed the gap between the extraordinary and the routine is shrinking fast, with 200-plus chases becoming almost commonplace.
Even the T20 World Cup record books were rewritten: India’s 196 against West Indies joined England’s 230 (2016) and South Africa’s 206 (2007) among the tournament’s greatest chases, alongside USA’s 196 against Canada in 2024.
