The first edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup took place in South Africa in 2007 where 12 teams competed for the elusive title. Since then, seven editions of the tournament have been played and the cricket fraternity had a lot to enjoy throughout the period.
The ninth edition of the T20 World Cup will be played in the United States and West Indies from June 1 and for the first time in the tournament’s history, 20 teams will compete including the likes of Uganda qualifying for the event for the first time in history.
As we get closer to the World Cup, it’s time to take a trip down the memory lane and look at all the past winners.
T20 World Cup 2007 — India
The inaugural T20 World Cup 2007 witnessed some of the most memorable moments that were etched in the history books forever. From the iconic India vs Pakistan bowl-out in a group stage match to Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes in an over to Stuart Broad, there was much to remember from that World Cup.
But it was the final, between the arch-rivals and two of the finest cricketing nations in the world, that had the world on the ropes. Pakistan and India locked horns in the final, where the Blues emerged winners and claimed the first-ever World Cup. The final was decided in the last over with Joginder Sharma removing Misbah-ul-Haq and winning it for India by five runs.
T20 World Cup 2009 — Pakistan
After coming close in 2007, Pakistan made it their mission to lift the title this time and that is exactly what they did. The Green Shirts, led by newly-appointed captain Younis Khan, toppled the experienced Sri Lankan side in the final to win the trophy.
Shahid Afridi was the Player of the Match in the final at Lord’s Cricket Ground for his match-winning 54 off 40 balls and bowling figures of 1/20. He was the MVP in the semi-final against South Africa.
T20 World Cup 2010 — England
Despite not even making it to the semi-final in the previous editions, the England cricket team made a remarkable comeback and breached all the barriers in their pursuit of the T20 World Cup trophy in 2010. The English side led by Paul Collingwood defeated the runner-ups of the last edition, Sri Lanka, in the semi-final to book a final against Australia, who made their way by beating the defending champions, Pakistan.
England did not have many troubles in defeating Australia, who chased down a 192-run target in the semi-final. The Aussies were restricted to 147/6 in 20 overs, and the English side comfortably chased the target.
T20 World Cup 2012 — West Indies
Another heartbreak was waiting down the line for Sri Lanka as despite playing in their home ground, the Islanders were defeated by West Indies in the final, their second T20 World Cup final defeat since 2009. Marlon Samuels was West Indies’ best performer with the bat as he scored 78 on 56 balls and steered them to a 137-run total.
Dominant with the ball, West Indies bundled the entire Sri Lankan time out for 101 runs and bagged their first-ever T20 World Cup.
T20 World Cup 2014 — Sri Lanka
After losing two finals and one semi-final in the four previous editions, Sri Lanka finally managed to turn their fortunes around as they went all the way to lift the T20 World Cup trophy in Mirpur on April 6, 2014, beating India in the final.
On a slow pitch, India’s Virat Kohli, who was named Player of the Tournament, managed to score 77 runs but it could only lead India to a 130-run total, which was comfortably chased by Sri Lanka with Kumar Sangakkara scoring 52 off 35 and ultimately being named the Player of the Match.
T20 World Cup 2016 — West Indies
History was created in the 2016 T20 World Cup as West Indies became just the first team to win the tournament two times in history. After toppling the dominant Indian side in the semi-final, the WIndies, led by Darren Sammy lifted the title at the Eden Gardens.
The credit of West Indies’ triumph was all Carlos Brathwaite, who hit four sixes in a row to England’s Ben Stokes and made his side the champions for one more time.
T20 World Cup 2021 — Australia
The T20 World Cup returned after a long five-year wait in 2021 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Most of the teams had completely different squads from the last edition and names like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and others had emerged as the best players in their respective positions.
While there were eyes on Babar Azam-led Pakistan and Virat Kohli-led India, Australia, known for their dominance in ICC tournaments, claimed their first-ever T20 World Cup by beating New Zealand in the final at Dubai. David Warner was named the Player of the Tournament for his impeccable display throughout the event.
T20 World Cup 2022 — England
Ben Stokes, England’s hero in the 2019 World Cup, once again stood for them as the English team equalled the West Indies’ record of winning the T20 World Cup twice. Led by Jos Buttler, England defeated Pakistan in the final at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
They made their way to the final after handing India a humiliating 10-wicket loss as the opening pair of Alex Hales and Buttler chased the 169-run target in just 16 overs.
