Unlike Test cricket where “Nervous Nineties” are a psychological hurdle, in T20s, the 90s are often dictated by the 120-ball limit.
Over 65% of the players on this list finished Not Out. They didn’t “miss” a century due to nerves; they simply ran out of balls or reached the target. In T20 history, 90* is often more valuable than a 100 in a losing cause.
The “90s” Club: Clinical Excellence in T20 World Cup History (2007–2026)
| EDITION | PLAYER | SCORE (BALLS) | SR | OPPONENT | VENUE | 6s | % OF TEAM SCORE | RESULT | THE “STORY” |
| 2007 | Herschelle Gibbs | 90* (55) | 163.6 | v West Indies | Johannesburg | 2 | 43% | Won | Opened the first-ever WC with a record chase of 205. |
| 2009 | Tillakaratne Dilshan | 96* (57) | 168.4 | v West Indies | The Oval | 2 | 61% | Won | The “Dil-scoop” era; he carried the entire SL lineup. |
| 2010 | Mahela Jayawardene | 98* (56) | 175.0 | v West Indies | Bridgetown | 4 | 50% | Won | Masterful placement; ran out of balls 2 runs short. |
| 2010 | Chris Gayle | 98 (66) | 148.4 | v India | Bridgetown | 7 | 58% | Won | Heartbreaking run-out in the final over of the innings. |
| 2012 | Luke Wright | 99* (55) | 180.0 | v Afghanistan | Colombo (RPS) | 6 | 50% | Won | Closest anyone has ever come without a century. |
| 2014 | Umar Akmal | 94 (54) | 174.0 | v Australia | Mirpur | 4 | 49% | Won | A blistering counter-attack that stunned the Aussies. |
| 2021 | Martin Guptill | 93 (56) | 166.0 | v Scotland | Dubai | 7 | 54% | Won | Fought extreme heat; fell caught in the 19th over. |
| 2021 | Rassie van der Dussen | 94* (60) | 156.6 | v England | Sharjah | 6 | 50% | Won | A lone warrior effort that ended England’s win streak. |
| 2022 | Devon Conway | 92* (58) | 158.6 | v Australia | Sydney (SCG) | 2 | 46% | Won | Clinical “anchor” knock that silenced the hosts. |
| 2024 | Aaron Jones | 94* (40) | 235.0 | v Canada | Dallas | 10 | 48% | Won | Power Record: Most sixes (10) in a 90s score. |
| 2024 | Nicholas Pooran | 98 (53) | 184.9 | v Afghanistan | St Lucia | 8 | 45% | Won | Joined Gayle in the “Run-out on 98” club. |
| 2024 | Rohit Sharma | 92 (41) | 224.3 | v Australia | St Lucia | 8 | 45% | Won | The Blitz: 2nd Fastest to reach 90+ (only 41 balls). |
| 2026 | Lorcan Tucker | 94* (51) | 184.3 | v Oman | Colombo (SSC) | 4 | 51% | Won | Saved Ireland from 47/3 to post a massive 235. |
| 2026 | Ibrahim Zadran | 95* (56) | 169.6 | v Canada | Chennai | 5 | 52% | Won | Clinical chase-masterclass on a spinning track. |
| 2026 | Brian Bennett | 97* (59) | 164.4 | v India | Chennai | 6 | 53% | Lost | The Only Loss: Scored 97* in a massive chase of 257. |
| 2026 | Sanju Samson | 97* (50) | 194.0 | v West Indies | Eden Gardens | 4 | 47% | Won | The Kolkata Hero: Iced the chase to reach the SFs. |
Key Insights – What You Need To Know
A 90-run score generally falls into two tactical categories: the Carrier and the Finisher.
- The Carrier: Players like Tillakaratne Dilshan or Ibrahim Zadran who score >50% of the team’s total. They anchor the innings from start to finish.
- The Blitzer: Players like Rohit Sharma or Aaron Jones who strike at 220+. For them, the 90s are just a byproduct of a high-speed assault where the milestone is irrelevant compared to the damage done to the opposition’s morale.
Sanju Samson (97), Aaron Jones (94), and Luke Wright (99) “ended” their innings in the 90s only because the game was won.
In nearly 20 years of tournament history, only once has a player scored 90+ and still lost the match (Brian Bennett, 2026). Every other instance resulted in a win, proving that a “90” is effectively a “Match-Winning” score.
Open, high-scoring grounds like Bridgetown (Barbados), Gros Islet (St Lucia), and recently Chepauk (Chennai) are the hotspots for these scores. Happened Twice!
Tillakaratne Dilshan (2009) scored 61% of Sri Lanka’s runs in his match, the highest percentage on this list. It shows how much he carried the team.
Only two players have ever been run out while in the 90s. Remarkably, they were both West Indians, and they were both dismissed on exactly 98: Chris Gayle (2010 vs India) and Nicholas Pooran (2024 vs Afghanistan).
See which player has been dismissed by running out most times in T20I cricket here.
We’ve seen four 90+ scores in the 2026 edition alone, showing that batters are getting closer to centuries more frequently than ever before.
While these players represent the elite “near-misses,” it is important to note that Chris Gayle, Mahela Jayawardene, Alex Hales, Jos Buttler, and Pathum Nissanka belong to an even more exclusive circle, as they each have a century to their name in this prestigious tournament in addition to these 90-run innings.
If you want to see who managed to go all the way and reach the triple digits, you can check out my other deep dive here: The Ultimate List of Centuries in T20 World Cup History (2007–2026)