Sunil Gavaskar has questioned men’s T20I records involving Associate nations, proposing separate categories to account for differences in playing standards.
IMAGE: Chasing 197, Mongolia were bowled out for just 13 at the T20 World Cup Asian Qualifier against Thailand, October 9, 2026. It was the 5th lowest score in Men’s T20I innings. Photograph: ICC/X
Key Points
- Sunil Gavaskar advocates for separate T20I record divisions, similar to football leagues, to differentiate achievements between Full Member and Associate nations.
- He argues that equating records set against vastly different standards, such as Mongolia’s 13 all out, is ‘simply not fair’ and distorts statistical relevance.
- Gavaskar highlights that many current T20I records are held by Associate nation players, often against weaker opponents, making them less comparable to those set by established cricketing nations.
- The debate extends to records like the fastest T20I fifty, where Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee broke Yuvraj Singh’s record against Mongolia, raising questions about the weight of such achievements.
- He suggests a system where matches involving Full Members and World Cup-qualifying Associate Members are ‘internationals,’ while others are ‘Division A’ or ‘Division B internationals.’
Zimbabwe hold the record for the highest total in men’s T20 Internationals, having smashed 344 for four against Gambia. They also boast the biggest victory by runs, thrashing the same opponents by a staggering 290 runs.
The lowest total in the format is Ivory Coast’s seven all out in 7.3 overs.
Spain hold the record for the most consecutive wins in men’s T20Is, with 24 victories between February 2023 and August 2026.
Bhutan’s Sonam Yeshey, meanwhile, boasts the best bowling figures, having claimed eight wickets for just seven runs against Myanmar.
The Associate Nation Conundrum
These records have one thing in common: They were all achieved in matches involving Associate nations, countries that do not have full-member status with the International Cricket Council.
Seeing this, Sunil Gavaskar believes cricket stats-keeping, especially in T20Is played by Associate nations needs to change. The former India captain has questioned whether records set in matches between teams with
vastly different standards should be measured on the same footing as those achieved in contests involving established cricketing nations. His comments come after Mongolia were bowled out for just 13 in a T20I a few days ago. Remarkably, even that score did not set the record for the lowest total in men’s T20I history.
Drawing Parallels with Football
Gavaskar suggested that cricket could take a cue from football, where leagues are divided into tiers and records are recognised within those divisions.
‘In the football leagues there are divisions where there”s a promotion and relegation at the end of a season. So whatever records are set they are mentioned as being in the Divisions, in which they have been achieved in,’ Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-day.
‘Maybe something similar should be thought of where depending on the division in which countries are playing the differentiation is clear to everybody.
‘So even while full member countries and those Associate member countries, who qualify for the ICC World cup, can be called internationals when they play against each other, maybe for the others it can be called Division A international or Division B international,’ he added.
Fairness in Statistics
‘When a team is dismissed for such paltry scores, the bowlers stats can only be bettered when the emerging ICC Associate member countries play against each other. To equate it with the stats when full member country teams play against each other is simply not fair,’ Gavaskar wrote.
‘The glaring difference in standards means that records will belong to players who most of the cricketing world has never heard of before and perhaps likely to never hear of again,’ he added.
The Fastest Fifty Debate
The debate puts the spotlight on the record for the fastest fifty in men’s T20Is.
India great Yuvraj Singh held the mark after reaching his half-century off just 12 balls against England. That record was later broken by Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee, who needed only nine deliveries against Mongolia.
Gavaskar acknowledged that Nepal have made significant progress, but he questioned whether a record achieved against a much weaker Associate opponent should carry the same weight.
‘Make no mistake, Nepal is making rapid strides as we saw in the T20 World Cup in India earlier in the year when they almost beat England. So, it’s no surprise when its batters and bowlers pulverise the other Associate country teams. But should that count for a record?’