T20I matches are full of thrill and cricket fans have witnessed last-minute drama multiple times. However, the excitement increases tenfold when such last-minute drama happens in the World T20 Cup. Throughout its history, the biggest T20I tournament has witnessed various such matches. So, today, we’ll look at the most iconic World T20 Cup matches of all time.
In this list, we’ll take a look at the matches between the teams that immortalised themselves with their once-in-a-lifetime performances.
5. India vs Pakistan – 2007, group stage
The inaugural World T20 Cup happened in 2007. When the tournament started, T20 was still a new concept for traditional cricketers. However, the cricket fans were eagerly waiting for the drama that was about to unfold.
India and Pakistan met each other for the first time in the group stage of the 2007 World T20 Cup. The first match between these two titans was a tie. However, instead of opting to super-over to decide a winner, the official turned towards the method of a ‘bowl-out’.
In the end, team India won the bowl-out by 3-0. This was the only time when the bowl-out method was used in the history of the World T20 Cup to determine the winner of a match. And India beating Pakistan in the only bowl-out is an iconic moment in itself.
4. Australia vs Zimbabwe – 2007, group stage
In 2007, Zimbabwe created history when they defeat the four-time world champion, Australia. Moving into the 2007 World T20 Cup, the Zimbabwe team was not considered to be a threat because of their past performances.
Batting first, the mighty Australians struggled with the medium pacers of the Zimbabwe team. A. Symonds and B. Hodge were the only batters who managed to score more than 30 runs. In the end, Zimbabwe won the match by 5 wickets, shocking the whole world!
3. India vs Bangladesh – 2016, group stage
In 2016, the cricket world witnessed the biggest robbery in the history of the World T20 Cup. Team India won the match against Bangladesh in one of the most intense run chases of the World T20 Cup. After scoring just 146 runs, the Men in Blue found themselves in a sticky situation.
Seeing such an easy total, Bangladesh took the match for granted. T. Iqbal, S. Rahman and S. Hasan tried to hit big shots, only to find themselves walking back to the dressing room. In the end, Bangladesh needed two runs off the last ball. Pandya bowled the ball and S. Hom ran to steal a bye to tie the game, eventually, Dhoni sprinted to the stumps to effect the run-out.
2. West Indies vs England – 2016, final
West Indies won the 2016 World T20 Cup in a dramatic fashion. It was the might of C. Brathwaite, who hit 4 massive sixes in the 20th over at the Eden Gardens stadium to win the World T20 Cup for the second time. Legendary cricketer, I. Bishop famously said, “Brathwaite, remember the name!”.
Batting first, the English Lions managed to score just 155 runs, which was below par, given the batting conditions in Kolkata. But, the English bowlers bowled brilliantly till the 19th over. The Caribbeans needed 19 runs off the final overs. Everyone in the crowd had given up on West indies winning the match. However, Brathwaite had other ideas. He hit 4 maximums to B. Stokes to snatch the 2016 World T20 Cup from England.
1. India vs Pakistan – 2007, final
The most bitter rivals in cricket fittingly met in the finals of the 2007 World T20 Cup. It was the match that perhaps turned the fate of T20I matches and elevated the then-new format to new heights.
The two teams met for the second time in the finals. The Men in Blu found themselves in a tough situation after scoring just 157 runs. Although G. Gambhir displayed a classic innings with the bat and the rest of the players failed to capitalise.
In retaliation, the Men in Blue bowled brilliant overs but couldn’t stop M. Haq. In the end, J. Sharma bowled the final which made the Indian fans more agitated. Eventually, the Men in Blue won the match when M. Haq was caught by S. Sreesanth, becoming the first team to win the World T20 Cup.
So these are the most iconic World T20 Cup matches of all time. From underdog teams turning the tables to last-over thrillers, the fans have seen it all. Now, you can grab ‘iconic’ winnings on MyTeam11 by making your teams in this World T20 Cup! So no more waiting! Create your teams and win big now!
