Kenya denied the tag of record holders despite amassing the highest T20I score

Kenya scored 270 against Rwanda in a 2020 WT20 Qualification game.

2020 World T20 qualifying match at the brand new Gahanga Cricket Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda. (ICC)

Kenya Cricket team amassed the highest score in Twenty20 history but will not be awarded the official tag of being the holder of the record. This has unfortunately transpired because an important International Cricket Council rule is yet to take effect. 

In April, the ICC announced that all matches played between member countries will be recognised as 'T20 Internationals', increasing the number of teams with that status from 18 to 104. But those changes do not come into effect for the men's games until January 1, 2019. 

Playing in a 2020 World T20 qualifying match at the brand new Gahanga Cricket Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda, who are hosting the pathway qualification tournament, couldn't do much to stop Kenya from scoring a mountain looking 6-270 from their 20 overs on Sunday, July 8. 

The Kenyan team hit 20 sixes in their rampaging effort, and ran away with the game and clinched a 123-run victory. But, purely because of the rules and regulations of what constitutes a match as an International T20, Kenya's 270 will not go down in the books as T20 cricket's new high total. Basically, Kenya's brilliant effort came 6 months sooner. 

Kenya are undefeated after their two games in the ongoing competition, with the top two sides from the league (which also features Tanzania and Uganda) earning qualification for the African regional finals. 

The top two sides from those finals will then progress to another tournament, this one called the 'ICC World T20 Qualifier', which will give nations a chance to play the 2020 WT20 to be held in Australia. 

(Inputs from Cricket.com.au)

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 10 Jul, 2018

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