Double century in T20 cricket: Players who achieved the impossible
While West Indies hard-hitter Rahkeem Cornwall is the most recent global name to have scored 200 runs while playing in the Atlanta Open T20 League in 2022, the other three known double centurions in the shorter format of the game are, interestingly, all from Indian origin.
Image Credits: Randy Brooks/CPL T20 via Getty Images
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Scoring a double century in T20 cricket still seems an impossible feat. When an entire team is allotted just 120 balls to set or chase a target, an individual scoring 200 runs in this format is unfathomable for obvious reasons. However, this feat is nothing new as the first batsman to score a double century in T20 cricket was Sagar Kulkarni, way back in 2008.
While West Indies hard-hitter Rahkeem Cornwall is the most recent global name to have scored 200 runs while playing in the Atlanta Open T20 League in 2022, the other three known double centurions in the shorter format of the game are, interestingly, all from Indian origin.
Double century in T20 cricket: Full List
Double century in T20 cricket: Full List
| Player | Runs | Balls | Team | Year |
| Prince Alapatt | 200 | 75 | Octopals Cricket Club | 2024 |
| Rahkeem Cornwall | 205* | 77 | Atlanta Fire | 2022 |
| Subodh Bharti | 205* | 79 | Delhi XI New | 2021 |
| Sagar Kulkarni | 219 | 56 | Marina Club | 2008 |
Prince Alapatt smashes 200 in Thrissur’s Division League
The 35-year-old cricketer is the most recent player to achieve his phenomenal feat, which reportedly came in April 2024. The milestone came during a Thrissur District 'B' Division League match between Octopals Cricket Club and Udbhav Sports Club.
In one of the most outstanding performances in the short format of white ball cricket, Prince hammered a blistering 200 runs in just 73 balls. In the process, Alapatt hit a mind-boggling 23 fours and 15 sixes as his side eventually won by a mammoth 122 runs.
Prince is quite popular in Kerala’s local T20 circuits and is a cricket trainer at Thrissur’s Devamatha Public School apart from playing professional cricket.
Rahkeem Cornwall stuns cricketing circuit with heroic stunt
The giant West Indies batsman pulled off this astonishing feat during the US-based T20 League Atlanta Open 2022, where he played for the team - Atlanta Fire.
An international cricketer for the Men in Maroon, who came into prominence for his unbeaten 73 against Sri Lanka in Test cricket, Cornwall turned up the heat by hammering 205 runs in just 77 deliveries against another Atlanta Open side Square Drive.
Image Credits: @knewstrust (X Accounts)
Batting first, a six and half feet Cornwall took on the bowlers from the very beginning by hitting 17 boundaries and 22 sixes with a strike rate of 266.23. Though the standard of the US-based T20 league was below par, Cornwall’s relentless hitting displayed the Antiguan’s otherworldly stamina and focus. Unfortunately, his historic feat won’t be registered in cricket’s history books as the tournament isn’t officially recognised by the ICC (International Cricket Council).
His brilliant batting was further complemented by Steven Taylor’s 53 and Sami Aslam's unbeaten knock of another 53 runs. Eventually, Atlanta Fire ended up posting an impossible target of 327 runs in 20 overs.
The match was very much over before the second innings started and Square Drive could muster a middling total of 154/8 in their 20 overs, enabling Cornwall’s side to register a 172-run victory.
Image Credits: @YashMatta03 (X Account)
Rahkeem Cornwall last turned out for the West Indies on July 14, 2023, when he was a regular in Test cricket. The all-rounder has tallied 261 runs and 35 wickets in the 10 Tests that he has played so far.
Sagar Kulkarni became the first batsman to hit 200 in T20 cricket
The very first batsman known to have scored a double century in T20 cricket is Singapore’s Sagar Kulkarni. He achieved this milestone while playing for Marina Club, for whom he hammered 219 runs in 56 balls as the team posted a monstrous total of 368/3 in 20 overs.
Subodh Bharti - First Indian to hammer a T20 double-century
Delhi lad Subodh Bharti became the first Indian batsman to hit a T20 double century in 2021 when he remained unbeaten on 205 runs from 79 balls while turning up for Delhi XI against Simba during an inter-club T20 match.
The all-rounder’s marvellous double century saw his side post yet another huge total of 256/1 in their 20 overs before Delhi XI bowled out their opponent for 199 in the 18th over.
Though the legendary likes of Rohit Sharna, Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and more have never matched this record during their exceptional careers over the last two decades, a double century in an official T20 match seems just around the corner given the way the format has evolved over the years.
FAQs
Former Indian T20 cricket team captain who led the side to the 2024 T20 World Cup title, Rohit Sharma has the most 100s in T20 history with his tally being five.
The opening batsman hung up his boots following the recently concluded T20 World Cup after playing in 159 T20Is and accumulating 4231 runs.
An M.A. in English Literature, Subhayan is an experienced journalist and sports writer. Having worked as a journalist at Hindustan Times, Subhayan covered diverse beats including sports, education, and health, showcasing his versatility and in-depth understanding of various subjects.