India recorded their highest-ever T20 World Cup total as the Men in Blue demolished Zimbabwe for 256/4 in a crucial Super 8 clash at the M Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday. Coming into the clash with a pressure of keeping their semifinal hopes alive, the Indian batters went berserk from the onset to register their fifth 250-plus total in T20Is.

After four failures at the top including three consecutive ducks, Abhishek Sharma finally came back to form with a 30-ball 55. The Indian opener took his time in the middle and played his shots with a calculative approach. Earlier, Sanju Samson entertained the crowd with a 15-ball 24.

Abhishek forged a 72 run-stand off just 42 balls with Kishan, to take the game away from Zimbabwe in the middle before Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma added 84 runs for the fifth wicket in just 31 balls to take India register their highest-ever total in the tournament.

India’s previous highest total in T20 World Cups came back in 2007 against England when the Men in Blue scored 218/4. It was the same game wheere Yuvraj Singh smashed Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over to record the then fastesr T20I fifty in just 12 balls.

The record of highest-ever total in T20 World Cups still belongs to Sri Lanka – 260/6 against Kenya in the 2007 edition. India’s 256/4 is also this edition’s highest, surpassing West Indies’ 254/6 against Zimbabwe a few days back.