By The Numbers: Surprise team with highest win percentage in T20 World Cup history
The Netherlands had a déjà vu in their last game of the tournament, against Sri Lanka in Sharjah, when they were bowled out for 44 in 10 overs, the shortest ever all-out innings in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and the second-lowest score in the tournament's history. The previous shortest (10.3 overs) was also by the Netherlands against Sri Lanka at Chattogram in 2014. At that time Netherlands were bundled out for 39, which is the lowest score in the T20 World Cup.
Sri Lanka chased the target with 77 balls remaining in Sharjah, the second-biggest margin of victory in the tournament. The biggest, without any surprise, was also by Sri Lanka when they chased with 90 balls remaining after restricting the Dutch team to 39 in Chattogram.
The three lowest totals in the tournament's history have come at the hands of Sri Lanka’s bowlers. They also bowled out New Zealand for 60 in Chattogram during their tournament win in the 2014 edition.
Sri Lanka’s recent form in T20Is may not be at their best – they are currently at Number 10 in MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Rankings – but historically they have the highest win percentage in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and consolidated their record with three wins against Namibia, Ireland and Netherlands in the first round of this World Cup.
Sri Lanka have won 26 out of 38 matches in the tournament with a win percentage of 68.41 (the highest for any team) and are the only team to reach the final on three occasions (winners in 2014 and runners up in 2009 and 2012). India (65.63) have the second-highest win percentage in T20 World Cups followed by West Indies and South Africa (both 60.00).
Ireland had a disappointing campaign and failed to progress to the Super 12s but their bowler Mark Adair’s completion of 50 wickets during the tournament made him the second-fastest in Men’s T20Is to 50 wickets milestone, and the fastest among fast bowlers. Adair reached the milestone in only 28 T20Is, two fewer than Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis (26 matches).
Before Adair, the quickest to 50 wickets among seamers was Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman who reached this landmark in 33 T20Is. The 25-year-old bowler from Ireland finished the tournament with 5 wickets at an average of 11.20 and an economy of 5.79.
Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan with his 9 wickets in the tournament have equalled the record for most wickets in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Shakib, who is playing his seventh T20 World Cup and was player-of-the-match in Bangladesh’s two wins against Oman and Papua New Guinea, now has 39 wickets, the joint-most with Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi. He is also the second bowler, after Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal, to take three four-wicket hauls in the tournament.
Shakib has 675 runs to go with his 39 wickets in the tournament. With Bangladesh in Super 12s, where they will play five matches against Sri Lanka, England, West Indies, South Africa and Australia, Shakib might well become the first to 50 wickets in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and could also be close to do a double of 1000 runs and 50 wickets.
England made their men’s T20I debut in 2005 while Bangladesh did a year later in 2006 but they are yet to play against each other in T20 Internationals. It is set to change in this World Cup when the two teams will lock horns in Abu Dhabi on October 27. England have played T20Is against all Test-playing nations barring Bangladesh while Bangladesh have also taken on every Full Member team except England.
Bangladesh have some fond memories of playing against England in the ICC events. They have beaten them twice in the Cricket World Cup – in Adelaide in 2015 and Chattogram in 2011.
Scotland, who finished the previous ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with a win against Hong Kong in Nagpur, have started this year’s event with three wins in a row - against Bangladesh, PNG and Oman. They are the first Associate team to win four matches in a row in the tournament history.
Afghanistan, who did not have Test status during the previous edition of the tournament in India, are the only other Associate team to win three matches in a row in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Another Associate team that has impressed everyone is Namibia, who playing in their first-ever T20 World Cup, progressed to the Super 12s stage after defeating Ireland in the last group match in Sharjah. Both Namibia and Scotland will join India, Pakistan, New Zealand and Afghanistan in Group 2 in the Super 12s.
Five bowlers found themselves on hat-trick in the first round and one already in the Super 12 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. Ireland’s Curtis Campher, with four wickets in four balls against Netherlands in Abu Dhabi, was the only one who had success in converting the opportunity into a hat-trick.
Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman and Shakib Al Hasan (against Scotland and Oman respectively), Oman’s Fayyaz Butt against Bangladesh and Ireland’s Josh Little against Sri Lanka were the other bowlers who were on hat-trick.
In the second match of the Super 12, England's Adil Rashid found himself on a hat-trick against the West Indies.
PNG’s Kabua Morea also took two wickets in two balls against Scotland but those came off the last two deliveries of the innings therefore there wasn’t an opportunity to claim a hat-trick.
It is pertinent to mention here there have been only two hat-tricks in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup – by Campher in this tournament and Brett Lee against Bangladesh in Cape Town in 2007.