TEN Defining moments of the ICC world T20

As India and Sri Lanka get ready to co-host the 10th edition of the T20 World Cup in February- March, I list down the 10 defining moments that has had this tournament gain immense popularity amongst fans. These are moments that not only had the cricketing fraternity stand up and applaud but also extended the sport beyond the regular playing nations as countries like Italy and Spain have now started to play cricket…. So… here we go…. 

10 : England stunned by the Dutch…. TWICE 

The 2009 T20 world cup saw one of the biggest upsets of the game. More so, it was at the home of cricket, LORDS. After Ravi Bopara and Luke Wright got them to a respectable 162, the hosts thought that they had enough to defend it, but the Netherlands had other ideas. After a harakiri last over from Stuart Broad ensured that the men in orange got home despite a 4fer from James Anderson. A couple of editions later in Mirpur, they did it again, with that one being even more comprehensible. The English had a new nemesis and orange was indeed the new black.

9 : Umar Gul runs riot against the Kiwis

Pakistan  producing lethal fast bowlers is as common as saying that the sky is blue. One of their finds over the years has been Umar Gul. The lanky fast bowler always troubled the batsmen with his pin point yorkers and in the 2009 edition in England, it was the Kiwis who faced them. New Zealand were shot out for 99 as Gul claimed astonishing figures of 5 for 6.  Pakistan knocked the runs off comfortably and eventually won the world cup as they paid their tributes to their late coach Bob Woolmer and made up for the 2007 heartbreak.

8 : The T20 World Cup arrives…. And so does Chris Gayle… and then Herschelle Gibbs.

After a rather sub-standard end to the 50 over world cup in Barbados earlier that year, all eyes were on how the T20 world cup would pan out. And boy did the opening day deliver. Chris Gayle, was in the groove and smashed a riveting117 as the crowd in Johannesburg were taken aback by this slam bang cricket. An innings after the Gayle storm hit the Wanderers, local boy Herschelle Gibbs, who had smashed a magnificent 175 at the same venue last year, enthralled the crowd further as he scored a scintillating 90 and helped the hosts chase down a massive target of 205. The ball was set rolling.

7:  A Hussey special pips Pakistan in the last over.

Australia vs Pakistan has always been a fascinating rivalry and this game was no less. The 2010 semi final was one hell of a contest. Twin 50’s from Kamran and Umar Akmal helped Pakistan to score a competitive 191. In the chase, Australia were rocked back as wickets continued to fall but Mr consistent Mike Hussey stood firm at one end. With 18 required of 6, Johnson took a single and watched the drama for the ages at the other, as Hussey took a liking to Saeed Ajmal and struck 3 sixes and a four to take Australia to yet another ICC final, leaving the Pakistan fans high and dry once again.

6:  Remember the name….. CARLOS BRATHWAITE

3 days before the ICC world T20 in 2016 final, the West Indies shell shocked a capacity crowd at the Wankhede stadium as Lendl Simmons and Andre Russell were the wreckers in chief. In the final, an unusual final, wickets kept falling as England huffed and puffed to a modest total of 155. In reply, Marlon Samuels held one end, as he did in the 2012 final but it was a Carlos Brathwaite special that took the game away from England by smashing 4 consecutive sixes off Ben Stokes etching his name into cricketing history forever….

5 : Kohli, Australia and a Mohali classic.

Virat Kohli and run chases is a love story for the ages. And if it's against Australia, where the stakes are higher, it makes every run special. In a must win game against Australia, India needed 160 to knock the kangaroos out of the world cup. India won a thriller against Bangladesh and somehow managed to hang in the competition, but this game was a straight shootout. It was either India or Australia. And Kohli, with the knock for the ages left the Aussies shell shocked. The taking down of James Faulkner and Nathan Coulter Nile was the highlight and even though he played a similar knock against Pakistan at the G in 2022, this will always be special as it was an Aussie attack that was sharp, if not lethal

4 : New Zealand stun India in their own backyard 

The debate of India choking to spin isn’t new. In their opening game of the 2016 edition, India bowled out New Zealand for a modest 125. Little did India know Mitchell Santner, a slow loopy left armer was waiting to clip Indian wings. He took a stunning 4/11 as India were wiped off for 79 leaving the fans shell shocked. Santner then was to become New Zealand's mainstay for almost a decade as he was more than effective in ICC tournaments.

3 : Yuvraj Singh is Kingsmead’s king

India’ glorious T20 history is incomplete without the mention of Yuvraj Singh. The swashbuckling southpaw had a dream run in the inaugural edition and took a particular liking for Kingsmead. After India lost to New Zealand in the opening game of the super 8, he was instrumental in India beating England as he struck 6 sixes off Stuart Broad scoring the fastest 50 by an Indian, a record that still stands. A few days later, he scored a whirlwind 70 off 30 against a top quality Australian attack as India beat Australia in a knock out after 2000. 

2 : Meet Ben Stokes, the redemption King.

Carlos Barathwaites’ last over heroics had left Ben Stokes hurt, hurt for a long time. Although he had his moment and led England to 50 over glory in 2019, one final push was needed in the shortest format. And that moment did arrive. After walloping India in a one sided semi final, England were made to work hard in a tough final against a riveting Pakistan bowling attack, but Stokes stood like a rock and ultimately powered England to their second title in 4 years. 

1 : Joginder, Misbah and the INFAMOUS scoop.

April 2007. Tillakratne Dilshan takes the last wicket of Munaf Patel and breaks every Indian's hearts. A round robin exit for India meant that Rahul Dravid had to let go of captaincy, Sourav Chandidas Ganguly had to retire without a world cup and Anil Kumble was left out of the ODI set up and the team needed a revamp. A few months later, India lost the ODI series in England as well. Then the World T20. A young long haired captain led a young team as they played the most thrilling cricket. Be it the bowl out against Pakistan, the calculator game against South Africa or the six sixes against England, MS Dhoni’s India made up for the heartbreak in April as they flipped the script around and reached the final against Pakistan. Then Misbah-ul- Haq threatened to take the game away but Dhoni, the cool calm MS Dhoni, made his move. Giving Joginder Sharma the final over was a stroke of genius as Misbah, after hitting the previous ball for a six, played one of the most infamous scoops in Pakistan’s cricketing history as S Shreesanth completed a rather important catch giving India its first trophy in 24 years. The success of this tournament gave way to the IPL and cricket was now re-born in a different format.