postpe Greatest Moments: The final 8 disclosed
There are countless iconic moments from the six Men’s T20 World Cups so far but with your help we’ve managed to narrow it down to a final 8. Now it’s up to you to decide which is the best via a bracket system.
Check below to see what has happened so far and have a look at the upcoming match-ups.
Remember the name
On 3 April 2016, Carlos Brathwaite etched his name into West Indies and T20 World Cup history forever. A relative newcomer to international cricket playing just his eighth T20I, Brathwaite was the man charged with facing Ben Stokes in the last over of an epic final between England and the West Indies. Having only batted three times in a T20I before with a top score of 13, Brathwaite needed 19 runs to take West Indies home. He could have attempted to find a single to put the in-form Marlon Samuels on strike. Instead, he hit Stokes for four consecutive sixes, spurring those eternal words from Ian Bishop – ‘Carlos Brathwaite, remember the name.’
In 2016, Carlos Brathwaite hit England's Ben Stokes for four consecutive sixes to help the West Indies lift the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
Gul take 5/6 against New Zealand
Umar Gul was just about T20I cricket’s most dangerous bowler in its formative years and topped the wicket-taking charts in each of the first two men’s T20 World Cups with 13 scalps in each tournament. In 2009, on his way to winning the tournament with Pakistan, five of those wickets came for just six runs against New Zealand. Held back until the 13th over, Gul entered the attack when New Zealand were 72/4. Within six balls he reduced them to 74/6, removing Scott Styris and Peter McGlashan with back-to-back deliveries. He was duly withdrawn, returning in the 16th over where he struck again to remove Nathan McCullum. He struck twice more in his next over to round out his five-for. As things turned out, that was his final over with Abdul Razzaq picking up New Zealand’s final wicket in the following over. It was the first five-wicket haul in T20WC history.
Pakistan win the 2009 T20 World Cup trophy
In 2007, Pakistan’s players and supporters alike were left heartbroken as they lost a seesawing final against India, falling just five runs short. They did not have to wait too much longer to heal that wound, taking out the 2009 edition when they beat Sri Lanka by eight wickets at Lord’s. Sent out to field first, Pakistan kept Sri Lanka to 138/6 as Mohammad Amir set the perfect tone in the first over – a maiden that included the wicket of Player of the Tournament Tillakaratne Dilshan. Fittingly, Shahid Afridi led the charge in the chase, scoring an unbeaten 54 off 40, paving the way for captain Younis Khan to lift the trophy aloft in his final T20I.
Herath defends 119 with 5/3
Sri Lanka had to overcome New Zealand to cement their qualification for the semi-finals in 2014. Rangana Herath rescued them after their chances to win had become negligible. A hapless effort from the bat could only give the bowlers 119 to defend. Herath's immaculate performance in the match was kicked off by the run-out of Martin Guptill. In his first over, he bowled five consecutive dot balls that added the pressure on Brendon McCullum, who then stepped down the track to break the shackles. But Herath's flighted delivery spinning away from him outdid McCullum with Kumar Sangakkara completing the stumping. Herath followed this with another maiden over while removing Ross Taylor and Jimmy Neesham for ducks in consecutive deliveries. Luke Ronchi and Trent Boult became the final victims of Herath's torment that bundled New Zealand for 60 runs – their lowest T20I total.
India beat Pakistan in the Final
India held their nerves in the finals of the inaugural T20 World Cup against Pakistan. India posted a competitive total of 157/5 with Gautam Gambhir starring with the bat as he smashed 75 off 54 balls. To defend the target, India brought their A-game with the ball. Three-wicket hauls from each of RP Singh and Irfan Pathan dismantled Pakistan, but there was still one obstacle India needed to overcome – Misbah-ul-Haq. Misbah stood strong to take the game deep into the final over with Sohail Tanvir providing some muscle with a couple of sixes. MS Dhoni decided to throw the ball to Joginder Sharma in the final over, with Pakistan needing 13 runs to win with a wicket left. Sharma started with a nervous wide that pitched wide outside off-stump. On the second delivery, Misbah tonked him for a six but with fine-leg inside the circle, Misbah preempted a ramp shot the next ball. Sharma sent in a slower ball, Misbah miscued, and Sreesanth gobbled up the catch to send a nation into delirium.
Kohli’s masterful chase vs Australia
It was a masterclass in executing a chase from Virat Kohli. India needed 161 against Australia in the 2016 T20 World Cup group encounter. The hosts lost their openers, but Virat Kohli got off to a flier with a flick of the wrist. With style and grace, Kohli calculated the chase to perfection. In the 19th over, Kohli blazed four boundaries off Nathan Coulter-Nile's bowling to seal India's spot in the semi-finals. Kohli's expressive celebration was telling of what the feat meant to him.
Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes in an over
Before Stuart Broad came in to bowl the 19th over, Yuvraj Singh and Andrew Flintoff had a heated exchange that fired up the Indian batsman. Yuvraj started the over with a six in Durban that landed outside the ground. Then, on the next delivery, Yuvraj stood still and flicked the ball over backward square-leg for another six. Yuvraj completed the hat-trick of sixes with the ball swatted over extra cover and the fireworks were away. With nothing working for Broad, he decided to change the angle and come around the wicket, but to no avail – Yuvraj dispatched the juicy full-toss to backward point. On the fifth, Yuvraj went down on one knee to wallop one over midwicket. He sealed his place in history, clobbering one wide of mid-on to mark the first time six sixes were smashed in T20Is. In the process, he completed the fastest fifty in 12 balls.
Some banter from England's Andrew Flintoff triggered Yuvraj Singh into hitting Stuart Broad for six sixes in the 2007 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
India defeat Pakistan in a bowl-out
The first match-up between India and Pakistan in the T20 World Cup lived up to its expectations. India set a target of 142 for Pakistan with the help of Robin Uthappa's fifty, while Mohammad Asif returned with 4/18. In their chase, Pakistan were provided with the thrust by Misbah-ul-Haq, who scored an all-important fifty to keep them in the game. Pakistan required a run to win of the final ball, but a run-out initiated by Yuvraj resulted in the match being tied. The match was decided by a bowl-out – India edged out Pakistan.