Top 10 Greatest T20 Cricket World Cup Matches

Playing on home turf and with momentum on their side, the Indian team’s spot in the final was all but secured. However, they ran into a mercurial West Indian lineup that blew them away. The home team’s batting couldn’t have gone any better. In contrast, the West Indies’ innings couldn’t have been worse, as heavy hitters like Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels were dismissed cheaply. Unfortunately for the crowd, this was as far as they would celebrate. Rallying in ways India could never anticipate, the West Indian batsman proceeded to clobber the ball all around the ground. It didn’t matter what the field setting was, as Lendl Simmons and company shellshocked the hosts out of the tournament and landed straight into the finals.

Much like India in the previous entry, their archrivals Pakistan suffered an astonishing defeat in 2010. Defying expectations, Pakistan wracked up a huge target against much-fancied Australia. At the time, no team had ever chased a larger target against the Pakistanis, and a third consecutive final was in sight. With most of their team in the dugout, the Australians seemed done and dusted. And just then, Michael Hussey decided to unleash his fury. No matter which delivery he faced, Hussey found the boundary time and again. Pakistan never recovered from the shift in momentum, particularly in the last over. Try as he might, bowler Saeed Ajmal had no answer for Hussey, who scored an incredible 23 off 5 deliveries to see his side home.

Matches that go down the wire are always exciting – even more so when a spot in the semis is on the line. Both teams needed a win to remain in contention, bringing all they had to go the distance. India put up a respectable total with the bat, which their bowlers were geared up to defend. The target seemed all too big for the Lankans after losing early wickets. But cricket isn’t a see-saw game for nothing, and the team came roaring back in the last five overs. Thanks to a spectacular partnership between Angelo Matthews and Chamara Kapugedera, Sri Lanka seized control out of nowhere. The wild scenes in the match’s final overs are still memorable, as the Lankans simultaneously entered the semis and sent India packing.

In arguably the biggest David vs. Goliath match in T20 World Cup history, the Netherlands proved that anything is possible. No one gave the Dutch a shot, yet they ran away with the most professional of chases the tournament has seen. The English innings began as expected, with the openers setting a solid platform. Although the team lost its way a bit to score 162, it looked well past the Netherlands’ grasp. However, the latter made their bid for victory without ever being intimidated. Rather than employing a do-or-die model, the Dutch batsmen cut away at the target by rotating the strike. It didn’t seem possible until it was, as the Netherlands created history at the expense of their European neighbors.

On their day, Pakistan can bring down any team in the world. Fortunately for them, they brought their world-beating mentality in the 2009 semi-final. Facing undefeated South Africa, Pakistan tapped into their bowling ability to stifle the opposition out of the tournament. With their varied pace and spin attack, Pakistan denied South Africa any chance to get the run rate going. Halfway through, the target began looking like an insurmountable climb. Still, the battle between the Proteas’ solid lineup and Pakistan’s unpredictability went into the final over. Although South Africa briefly threatened to flip the script, their opponents rode too high on their winning momentum. Another semi-final, another South Africa defeat, yet they became part of one of the most memorable knockout matches in the tournament’s history.

During the 2010s, Bangladesh and India engaged in multiple classics. This match is arguably the best of the bunch. Having come close to beating their rivals before, it looked like Bangladesh was finally going to win – until the last three deliveries. The topsy-turvy affair swung in both teams’ favor several times, leaving no clear victor in sight. In the last over, though, Bangladesh unsettled India with consecutive boundaries that put them in the driver’s seat. Too bad this is when the wheels came off. With batsmen looking for the glory shot – and because of MS Dhoni’s impeccable field setting – the Bangladeshis fell agonizingly short by one run. Neither the winners nor losers could believe it, but it was the Indians who went home happy.

There’s nothing quite like a low-scoring thriller. With little to separate the teams, New Zealand and West Indies delivered just that. The Windies’ innings never got going, with none of the batsmen converting their starts. For New Zealand, Ross Taylor was the lone wolf who nearly saw things through. But you can never write the West Indians off, especially during moments of pressure. Despite wickets in the bag, the Kiwis succumbed to Sunil Narine and company, as the match went into a Super Over. Despite racking up 17 runs, the Kiwis couldn’t handle the Windies’ ruthless aggression, as Darren Sammy’s men steamrolled through the target and finished the match in raptures. In retrospect, the win hinted at the title run that the Windies would eventually complete.

India has famously dominated Pakistan in World Cups. However, the latter side has come within inches of success. In this Super 12s match, Pakistan were in the driver’s seat. After putting up an impressive total, the bowlers dismantled India’s top order with ease. A surprisingly clinical Pakistan win was on the cards, but Virat Kohli had other plans. The champion batsman kept his cool while his teammates fell – before going on the attack in the final overs. Even so, Pakistan remained in the game, as either side could have stolen a win. It came down to the team that held its nerve, and India’s winning runs put the finishing touches to an absolute thriller.

The West Indies might not usually reach the finals, but they’re an absolute force when they do. In a match that England clawed their way back multiple times, the Windies had an answer for everything. After braving through some tight bowling, England managed to turn the tables on their opponents. Marlon Samuels’ one-man show guided the Windies into the last over. But if there’s one player who completely changed the game, it was Carlos Brathwaite. With clean-hitting that delivered the knockout punch to England, Brathwaite pummeled each ball for a six. Fittingly, a match that turned up one surprise after another had the biggest one waiting for fans’ entertainment.

The T20 game would never have reached the heights it has without this match. After crashing out of the 50-over World Cup, India and Pakistan made the inaugural World T20 one for the ages. After starting with a burst, the Indian team was subdued to an average total by Pakistan’s bowlers. In response, the Pakistanis capitulated to MS Dhoni’s tactics, which instigated a spectacular collapse. Batsman Misbah-ul-Haq nearly plucked victory from the jaws of defeat, single-handedly leading Pakistan within inches of the target. Unfortunately, his mistimed scoop spelled doom for his team, as the final wicket fell to crown India the first-ever T20 champions. There may have been one official winner, but a match of this quality ensured that the T20 format was here to stay.



Do you have any other awesome T20 World Cup matches in mind? Let us know in the comments.