One great thing about T20 cricket is that it always has an element of unexpectedness associated with it. It is proportionate to free-style cricket, and the players take the field intending to maximise the output. A format that batters have dominated since its inception knows no constraints, and over the years, it has only upheld this assertion. Run-scoring has become a cakewalk, and bowlers' lives have turned into a mayhem. With the usage of modern-day batting equipment, coupled with smaller ground boundary dimensions and field restrictions, the sky is the limit for the batting sides. Team totals have exceeded all predictions, normalcies, and their highest aggregation is the only and safest way to play the game. 

In a recent incident, the latest of all and one of a kind, the iconic Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England, became witness to a record-breaking and beast run scoring by the English team. England have been hosting South Africa for a T20 International (T20I) series, and in the second game played out on a chilly Mancunian evening (12th September 2025), the former went berserk. Scaling new T20I peaks, their batters splurted explosives on the Proteas, taking the attack to the opposition, and eventually went on to score 304 runs for the loss of just 2 wickets. This total became the third instance of a team passing 300 in T20Is, the third highest score of all time, and the first such time achieved against an International Cricket Council (ICC) full member side, the previous highest being India's 297/6 against Bangladesh at Hyderabad in 2024. 

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Some statistical narratives from England's run fest are firsts in the circuit of the shortest format of our beautiful sport. Phil Salt, 141 runs unbeaten off 60 balls, and Jos Buttler, 83 runs off 30 balls, hammered the rainbow nation's bowlers to all corners of the ground, on their way towards establishing an opening partnership of 126 runs in mere 47 deliveries. Also, since the records have been kept, 166/1 by England at the halfway stage is the highest ever total struck at the end of the 10th over in a T20I fixture. Moreover, 12.1 overs taken by them to reach the 200 mark is the earliest a team has got to that milestone across all the T20 games. Last but not least, the terrific first wicket stand between the Lancashire pair at a run-rate of 16.06 is the highest ever for a century-plus opening partnership in a T20I by a full member nation.

Well that was something else 👏

We post our highest ever Men's IT20 innings score! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/2Pve5QwYtl

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 12, 2025

 A look at the highest team totals smashed in T20I history

Joe Root has changed the narrative on excellence in English cricket, being the highest run-scorer in both Tests and ODIs for the country. Root's standards of consistency and class throughout his career in all conditions and formats have led to the label of England’s greatest batter. From his debut in 2012 to his commanding presence today, Root has led England’s batting resurgence with poise and unmatched skill.

Root has played 153 Test matches and scored 13,006 runs at a magnificent average of 50.80, with an unparalleled 262 as his highest innings and 36 centuries, putting him among the elite in world cricket. He has also scored 65 half-centuries and has a strike rate of 57.51, combining comfort in waiting for the right ball and then seizing it longest highlights and spins in England as well as on turning tracks across Asia. He has 279 innings and totals, small statistics in many ways, but they illustrate the impact of what Root has persisted on to the game. 

In ODIs, Root has consequently run an imposing, statistical 6,916 runs from 178 matches at a gorgeous 48.02 average. He has also scored 17 centuries and 42 fifties and a highest score of 133*. His strike rate of 87.03 reflects Root's ability to keep up with the demands of modern white-ball cricket while also being the reliability of England's middle order. Root’s reliability has made him the backbone of England’s 50-over success, especially during their transformation into a dominant ODI force.

Master of All Formats

What distinguishes Joe Root is his mastery in all formats and across eras. With more than 19,900 international runs to his name, he has consistently produced no matter the opposition or venue played at. He is one of the few specialists who engages at the highest level in both red- and white-ball cricket, where he can adapt without jeopardizing the fact that he remains a classical batter. His contribution to England's rise in global cricketts as the largest after 2015.

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Joe Root's numbers tell the truth; however, his legacy is not entirely about the numbers. He has injected calm into a niggling environment, introduced elegance to aggressive cricket, and authority into a new era. As the leading run scorer for England in both Tests and ODIs, Joe Root stands tall as the best batter England has ever produced.