5 Slowest Knocks in T20 International History – Who Tops the List?

The T20 cricket format is all about bringing the heat – players gotta be ready to bring the explosiveness at all times, no ifs or buts about it. The pressure is on to be a real all-around superstar, with the agile fielding, the wicket-snatching bowling, and the big-time batting all needing to be on point.

Given how demanding this format is, you can bet that when a player isn’t bringing their A-game, people are gonna take notice.

Especially for the batters – you gotta be racking up the runs in a hurry, no time to mess around. But even the greats have their off days, and sometimes, they end up underperforming in this high-octane setting.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the top 5 slowest knocks in the history of T20 Internationals. These are the innings where the players just couldn’t seem to get going, despite the pressure to light things up.

5. Lendl Simmons – 16 (35)

Lendl Simmons is a cricketer from Trinidad who suits up for the West Indies. This team is no joke when it comes to the T20 format. Guys like Chris Gayle and Andre Russell are absolute beasts with the bat in their hands.

But then you’ve got Lendl Simmons, who managed to play one of the slowest innings in T20I history. We’re talking 16 runs off 35 deliveries – that’s a strike rate of just 45.71.

And get this, he didn’t even manage to find the boundary a single time during that knock against South Africa in Dubai during the 2021 T20 World Cup. Talk about a memorable innings… for all the wrong reasons!

4. Majid Haq – 14* (31)

A former Scottish off-spinner named Majid Haq really made a name for himself, and not in a good way. Back in the 2007 T20 World Cup in Durban, he stepped up to the crease and put on one of the most painfully slow innings you have ever seen.

He racked up a whopping 14 runs off 31 deliveries, with a strike rate that would make a snail look like Usain Bolt.

Needless to say, this innings became the stuff of legend – or rather, infamy. People were cracking jokes about Majid Haq and his glacial batting display for years afterward.

But you know what they say if you can’t bat, you gotta bowl, right? Well, Haq’s bowling wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire, either. In fact, the guy was clocked at a breezy 65 km/h, which is about really slow – historically slow.

3. Yuvraj Singh – 14 (32)

Yuvraj Singh, the man who once had the world in awe with his explosive performances, has now found his name etched in this rather unexpected list.

He was the epitome of power-hitting, the guy who had no qualms about smashing the ball to the moon. Remember those 6 sixes he hit off Stuart Broad in the 2007 T20 World Cup? That’s the Yuvraj we all know and love!

But even the greats have their off days, and this was certainly one of those for the legendary Indian all-rounder.

During the 2016 Asia Cup match against Pakistan in Dhaka, Yuvraj found himself in a bit of a rut, struggling to find the boundary and registering a rather pedestrian knock of 14* off 32 balls. That’s a far cry from his usual pyrotechnics, with a measly strike-rate of 43.75.

However, India managed to pull off the win that day, even if Yuvi didn’t quite live up to his reputation.

2. Alok Kapali – 14 (35)

Alok Kapali, the Bangladeshi all-rounder, was right up there with Majid Haq when it came to the slowest innings in the 2007 T20 World Cup.

The guy scored a measly 14 runs off 35 deliveries against South Africa in Cape Town – his strike rate was a paltry 40. Not exactly setting the world on fire.

But you know, back in the day, Alok was actually pretty promising. When he first burst onto the ODI scene in 2002, some fans were even throwing around comparisons to the legendary Brian Lara – The first Bangladeshi to take a Test hat-trick, too.

Shame his T20I career was such a short one, though – just 4 years from 2007 to 2011. Still, a pretty interesting character in the annals of Bangladeshi cricket.

1. Mahendra Singh Dhoni – 9 (27)

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the owner of the slowest T20I innings ever played. Back in 2008 during a match against Australia in Melbourne, Dhoni managed to score a whopping 9 runs off 27 balls, giving him a measly strike rate of 33.33.

Now, that’s not exactly the kind of record you’d expect from one of the best finishers the game has ever seen, but hey, even legends have their off days.

To make matters worse, the Indian team was absolutely demolished in that match, losing by 9 wickets with an astounding 52 balls to spare. Dhoni may have been the second-highest scorer for India that day, but when your top scorer only manages 26 runs, you know it’s been a tough one.

Now, before you start questioning Dhoni’s greatness, let’s not forget that the man’s resume speaks for itself.

He’s a cricketing legend, a master finisher, and one of the most successful captains the sport has ever seen. A single slow innings isn’t going to change any of that. After all, even the greats have their off days, and that’s just part of the game.

5 Slowest Knocks in T20 International History (Table Summary)

Summary

Just because a player has a bad game doesn’t mean they’re a bad player. We all have our ups and downs in this crazy and dynamic game.

Sure, those stats up there might not look too hot, but at least they can add another record to their name. Slowest or fastest, a record’s a record – you gotta take the good with the bad.