T20 WORLD CUP: LOOKING BACK AT SIX EDITIONS OF SMART CRICKET AT ITS BEST
The T20 World Cup may have seen only six editions, but it has certainly come a long way from being an ambitious experiment of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2007 in South Africa.
The seventh edition is well and truly under way and it’s worth taking a look at some of the memorable moments from past editions - be it Carlos Brathwaite hammering four sixes in the final over for the West Indies in the 2016 edition, Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes off Stuart Broad or Umar Gul taking five for six.
Five different teams have lifted the trophy and the West Indies alone can boast of two titles. As the duels in the desert will give rise to more extraordinary cricketing feats over the next month, it’s also time for a quick recap of the last six events:
2007 (Winners: India)
The first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup began in South Africa with Chris Gayle striking the first-ever international T20 century in the opening game. Gayle plundered 10 sixes against the hosts in a brutal 117 off 57 balls, in a partnership of 145 for the first wicket.
Two days later, Gayle fell for a third-ball duck and West Indies slipped to a shock defeat to Bangladesh, who chased down 165 with two overs to spare. Zimbabwe then stunned Australia to claim their first win over an ICC full member in four years.
Pakistan won all three of their games in the Super 8 stage as skipper Shoaib Malik led from the front and Gul was potent with the ball to down New Zealand and reach the final. Yuvraj Singh was the defining player of the tournament, starring with 70 from 30 balls in a semi-final win over Australia that set up a highstakes final that India won by just five runs.
Meanwhile, his six sixes in an over against England made Yuvraj an international superstar.
Yuvraj reached 50 in 12 balls and wrote a chapter of still unmatched T20 history.
2009 (Winners: Pakistan)
The second edition of the tournament moved to England, a country which gave birth to both the 50-overs game and then the T20 format.
Packed English crowds watched as Australia were beaten by a Kumar Sangakkarainspired Sri Lanka to fall at the first hurdle in the group stage.
The hosts claimed a thrilling three-run win over India in the Super 8s but finished third in their group to miss out on the final four.
All of the youngsters watching tried to recreate the ‘Dilscoop’ as Tillakaratne Dilshan lit up the event, making an unbeaten 96 to down West Indies in the semifinal, ending as top run scorer.
Shahid Afridi hit his straps with bat and ball in the knockout stages and made half-centuries in the semifinals and final as Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by eight wickets at Lord’s.
2010 (Winners: England)
England ended their long wait for a win in an ICC global limited-overs event as they dispatched arch rivals Australia to be crowned champions in the West Indies.
Kevin Pietersen was named the Man of the Tournament, finishing with 248 runs from six matches to help England claim their first major ICC title.
In the group stages, Paul Collingwood’s side progressed from Group D in second place behind the West Indies. But England came alive in the knockout stages, topping their group with victory over defending champs Pakistan.
On the other side of the draw, Australia also topped their group. Australia then won a thriller against Pakistan to reach the final where they came up short against England, who chased down 148 to take the title.
2012 (Winners: West Indies)
The first T20 World Cup to be held in an Asian country, Sri Lanka, delivered another first-time champion as the West Indies stunned the host nation to clinch their maiden title on a balmy evening in Colombo.
Darren Sammy’s men were consistent from start to finish as they ended an eight-year wait for global silverware following West Indies’ ICC Champions Trophy victory in 2004.
The West Indies turned on the style in their last-four encounter with Australia, with Gayle’s electrifying unbeaten 75 from 41 balls helping his side storm into the final with a 74-run victory.
However, it was Marlon Samuels who took centrestage in the title tilt, striking 78 from 56 balls in Colombo to fire Windies to a memorable 36-run success.
2014 (Winners: Sri Lanka)
Sri Lanka finally shed their tag as the nearly men by winning the 2014 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, beating India by six wickets in the final in Bangladesh. Since lifting the 1996 50-over World Cup, Sri Lanka had lost in the 2007 and 2011 finals while also finishing as runners-up in the 2009 and 2012 T20 editions,.
In the final, it was a superb exhibition of death bowling by Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara, who kept India to 130 for four, and an unbeaten 52 off 35 balls from Kumar Sangakkara that saw his side home.
Virat Kohli made a halfcentury of his own with 77 off 58 in India’s innings and finished as the leading run-scorer with 319 at an average of 106.33.
2016 (Winners: West Indies)
The West Indies became the first side to claim the title twice, in 2016 in India.
Marlon Samuels took his nation to glory in 2012 and he was at it again four years later, scoring 85 off just 66 balls to pick up his second Player of the Match gong in a T20 World Cup final after the four-wicket win over England. However, it was certainly Carlos Brathwaite’s night as he smoked Ben Stokes for four consecutive sixes in the final over at the Eden Gardens.
Afghanistan were the only Associate nation to make it to the Super 10s. Kohli was named Player of the Tournament with 273 runs at 136.50 in five innings.