Austria had a historic day during their T20I match against Hungary on Sunday (28 June). While it was the last game of the three-match T20I series, the visitors Austria already secured the series by winning the first two games of the series. However, the third T20I became a global cricket headline for special reasons.
After Austria chose to bat first in the last game of the T20I series, they scored a massive 322/7 in 20 overs. While most of the top and middle-order Austrian batters were struggling, opener and captain Karanbir Singh smashed 164 off 57 balls with 18 fours and 12 sixes. Later, Abidullah Kotwal provided strong support with a firing 93 not out off just 26 balls with the help of two fours and 12 sixes. It was the only other knock of 15+ score in that innings.
In the 14th over, Kotwal smashed sixes in all the first five balls to Vinoth Ravindran and managed two runs on the final ball to count a total of 32 runs in that over.
In reply, Hungary were all out for 165 runs in 20 overs, after once battling at 66/7. Four Austrian bowlers got two wickets each, while the lower-order batters Robert Ainsworth (51*) and Gabor Torok (35) were the only Hungarian batters to manage the 20-run mark.
Karanbir Singh: 3rd Highest T20I Score
Austrian captain Karanbir Singh scored 164 runs.
Highest T20I scores
Aaron Finch (Australia): 172 vs Zimbabwe at Harare in 2018
Hamza Khan (Rwanda): 164* vs Ivory Coast at Gaborone (Oval 1) in 2026
Karanbir Singh (Austria): 164 vs Hungary at Szodliget in 2026
Karanbir Singh: Highest scores from boundaries in a T20I innings
With 18 fours and 12 sixes, Karanbir Singh scored 144 out of his 164 runs from boundaries.
It is the record number of runs from boundaries in a T20I match by a batter. The previous record was 140 runs (11 fours and 16 sixes) by Afghanistan cricketer Hazratullah Zazai when he scored 162 runs against Ireland in 2019.
Karanbir Singh: Breaks Rohit Sharma's Record of Most T20I Sixes
Karanbir Singh has hit 207 T20I sixes.
Surpassing Indian star Rohit Sharma, Karanbir Singh holds the record for most T20I sixes by a batter. Rohit hit 205 T20I sixes before retiring from the format.
Austria: 2nd Highest T20I Total
Austria scored 322/7 in 20 overs.
It was the second-highest T20I total. The record is 344/4 by Zimbabwe against Gambia in 2024.
