Despite amassing the highest ever score in T20 cricket, the Kenyan cricket team will not have the record registered in its name due to new ICC rules not being put into effect yet.
Kenya scored a mind-boggling 270/6 in their allotted 20 overs against a hapless Rwanda cricket team in a World T20 qualifying match at the Gahanga Cricket Stadium in Kigali, hitting as many as 20 sixes and four of their batsmen scoring half-centuries.
However, according to cricket.com.au, the record will not be in Kenya’s name in spite of the ICC expanding the T20 umbrella from 18 to 104 countries, announcing that all T20 games played between member nations will be recognised as T20 Internationals (T20Is).
But those changes come into effect starting January 1, 2019, and hence, Kenya will not be having their name entering the record books in T20 cricket. A global rankings system will also be introduced with this change. However, for women’s matches, all games would be considered included under the T20I status starting July 1.
The report added that the matches played at the African World T20 qualifiers are also not granted T20 status — one below the T20I status — either.
Chris Gayle’s 66-ball 175 — the highest T20 score ever studded with 17 sixes and 16 fours — against Pune Warriors India (PWI) in IPL 2013 saw RCB scoring 263/5 in 20 overs.
Australia went agonisingly close to better it when they amassed 263/3 against Sri Lanka at Kandy in 2016, with Glenn Maxwell scoring 65-ball 145 not out, smacking nine sixes and 14 fours.
Kenya, meanwhile, are unbeaten in their two matches at the ICC tournament. The top two teams — with Tanzania, hosts Rwanda and Uganda being the other sides — will earn qualification for the African regional finals.
The top two teams from those finals will then proceed to ICC World T20 Qualifier, which will give the participating countries a chance to make it to the ICC World T20 2020 to be played in Australia.
Prasanta Patnaik 
amfnews