Top 5 Matches in ICC T20 World Cup History!

The ICC T20 World Cup, a whirlwind of cricketing madness, has produced countless moments of brilliance and drama etched forever in our memories. From batting pitches to low-scoring encounters to the biggest upsets in the game, we’ve seen them all in the 20-over version of the cricket world cup.

Choosing just five ‘best’ matches is a near-impossible task in such a scenario, but the Read Scoops team has tried their best to pick and choose our top few matches. Keep reading below to see some encounters that had fans glued to their seats, hearts pounding with every ball, and those we would call our best games in the T20 World Cup history.

Best matches in T20 World Cup history

1) 2007 Final: India vs Pakistan (Johannesburg, South Africa)

The inaugural T20 World Cup final. The stage was set in Johannesburg, with arch-rivals India and Pakistan facing off. MS Dhoni, the young Indian captain, took a bold gamble, promoting an unknown finisher, Joginder Sharma, to finish off and bowl the final over. The gamble paid off in spectacular fashion eventually. Pakistan and their new captain Misbah-ul-Haq fought valiantly, but India held their nerve to clinch a historic victory by 5 runs, marking the birth of T20 cricket’s love affair with India. Sreesanth was the man who held on to the final catch, looking quite nervous as he did it!

2) 2009 Group Stage: England vs Netherlands (Lord’s, England)

This nail-biting group stage encounter at Lord’s witnessed a Dutch fight for the ages. England posted a seemingly comfortable total of 162/5 in their 20 overs. In reply, the Netherlands, inspired by a brilliant 49 runs in 30 balls from Tom de Grooth and a quickfire 22* from Ryan ten Doeschate, stunned the crowd.

#OnThisDay in 2009, the T20 World Cup got off to a stunning start at Lord’s, with 🇳🇱 completing a famous win over hosts 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🙌https://t.co/ZOD75P5xUa pic.twitter.com/J53aiDLtrp
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 5, 2021

The match went down to the wire, with Netherlands eventually scraping through by a narrow margin of 4 wickets, on the last ball. This game perfectly exemplified the unpredictability of T20 cricket, where even underdogs can take down giants, as Stuart Broad missed the stumps on multiple occasions, trying to inflict run outs in the final over.

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3) 2016 Group Stage: India vs Bangladesh (Bangalore, India)

This group stage match in Bangalore was a low-scoring thriller. Suresh Raina, the southpaw, top scored in the innings with 30(23) as India only managed 146/7 in their 20 overs. In reply, Bangladesh batter Tamim Iqbal (35) threatened to pull off an upset. Eventually, Bangladesh needed 11 runs to win in the final over and after conceding 9 runs in the first 3 balls, Hardik Pandya stuck to his plans to get 3 wickets in 3 balls, restricting them to 145 and handing India a narrow 1-run victory. This match showcased the importance of bowling at the death in the T20 format, and cool heads in pressure situations.

4) 2022 Group Stage: Netherlands vs South Africa (Adelaide Oval, Australia)

In a stunning upset, the 2022 group stage clash between Netherlands and South Africa witnessed a giant fall. Batting first, the Dutch, led by Colin Ackermann’s unbeaten 41, put on a fighting total of 158/4. South Africa, boasting a formidable batting line-up, were expected to chase it down comfortably. However, the Netherlands bowlers had other plans. They rattled the Proteas’ batting order, restricting them to a mere 145/8. This incredible victory by the Netherlands is a testament to the never-say-die spirit in T20 cricket, with Brandon Glover picking up 3/9 in his 2 overs.

5) 2016 Final: West Indies vs England (Eden Gardens, India)

This high-octane final in Kolkata was a game to remember, for cricket fans across the globe. West Indies came into the match with immense confidence and were set to chase 156 in their 20 overs. Marlon Samuels anchored the innings with 85* but it was Carlos Brathwaite who ended up as the hero of the 2016 final. No one gave him a chance when he needed 19 runs in the final over but he smashed four sixes on the trot, off the bowling of Ben Stokes, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat for West Indies. England, heartbroken after coming so close yet again, were left to rue their missed opportunity, as Stokes sat down in disbelief on the pitch. This final perfectly captured the drama and unpredictability that T20 cricket is known for.

#OnThisDay in 2016, Carlos Brathwaite went 6,6,6,6 in the final over against Ben Stokes to win the T20 World Cup for West Indies #T20WorldCup #FromTheArchives pic.twitter.com/e9Z8lX4meT
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) April 3, 2024