5 best knocks in Men’s T20 World Cup finals ft. Marlon Samuels
India and South Africa are set to face each other in the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup. This mega clash will be played on June 29 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. Both teams have been unbeaten in the tournament, and fans expect a mouth-watering clash between these two sides.
South Africa defeated Afghanistan in the first semi-final by nine wickets. The Proteas bowlers were ruthless as they bowled out the Afghan team for a paltry 56. The chase was very easy, as they won with 67 balls remaining, qualifying for their first final in ICC World Cup events.
Meanwhile, the Men in Blue defeated the defending champions, England. After being asked to bat, Rohit Sharma (57) and Suryakumar Yadav (47) led the way for India, as the Men in Blue put up a decent total of 171.
In response, England's batters struggled big time. Indian spinners Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav were on fire, picking up three wickets each. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah bagged two wickets as India comfortably won by 68 runs, reaching their first T20 World Cup final since 2014.
As fans wait to witness the mega contest in this article, we will look at the top five knocks in the men’s T20 World Cup finals.
#5 Virat Kohli (India vs Sri Lanka 2014)
Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl first in the final of the 2014 T20 World Cup played at Sher-e-Bangla Stadium. India lost Ajinkya Rahane (3) cheaply, but a 60-run partnership between Rohit Sharma (29) and Virat Kohli followed next.
However, Indian batters struggled to score runs at a quick pace as Sri Lankan bowlers bowled at great lines and lengths. But Virat Kohli was not one of them. He scored 77 runs off 58 balls, hitting five fours and four sixes as the Men in Blue put up a below-par total of 130 runs.
In response, Kumar Sangakkara led the way with his 52-run unbeaten knock as Sri Lanka won the match by six wickets, with 13 balls remaining.
#4 Gautam Gambhir (India vs Pakistan 2007)
Men in Blue faced arch-rivals Pakistan in the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in 2007 in Johannesburg. India won the toss and chose to bat first; however, they lost Yusuf Pathan (15) and Robin Uthappa (8) early. The semi-final game hero Yuvraj Singh (14) was also dismissed cheaply, but it was Gautam Gambhir who stood up when his team needed him the most.
The left-handed player scored 75 runs off 54 balls and struck eight fours and two sixes. A 30-run cameo by Rohit Sharma in the end helped India put up a decent total of 157 on the scoreboard.
In response, Imran Nazir took Pakistan to a flyer as he scored 33 off 14 balls. However, the Men in Green kept losing wickets at regular intervals. It came down to the last over, with 13 runs needed and Misabh-ul-Haq on strike. However, it was Joginder Sharma who became the hero by taking the wicket of the Pakistani batter and helping India win the first T20 World Cup by five runs.
#3 Marlon Samuels (Sri Lanka vs West Indies 2012)
The West Indies faced host Sri Lanka in the final of the 2012 T20 World Cup in Colombo. The West Indies won the toss and chose to bat first. However, Sri Lankan bowlers were on fire as Johnson Charles (0) and Chris Gayle (3) were dismissed within the powerplay.
The Windies batters were having a hard time on a pitch that was helping spinners. It was Marlon Samuels who rose to the occasion and played a match-winning knock of 78 runs off 56 balls. The batting all-rounder hit three fours and six sixes as the West Indies scored 137 runs in their 20 overs.
In response, Mahela Jayawardene (33) and Kumar Sangakkara (22) started well but couldn’t convert them into big ones as other batters failed. Sunil Narine took three wickets as Sri Lanka fell short by 36 runs, and Darren Sammy led the West Indies to their first T20 title.
#2 Mitchell Marsh (Australia vs New Zealand 2021)
Australia won the toss and asked New Zealand to bat first in the 2021 T20 World Cup final played at the Dubai International Stadium. Captain Kane Williamson led the charge for the Black Caps with his brilliant innings of 85 runs in 48 balls as New Zealand put a decent total of 172 on the scoreboard.
In response, Australia lost Aaron Finch early, but David Warner (53) and Mitchell Marsh stitched a 92-run stand for the second wicket. Aussie all-rounder Marsh was at his best on the night of the final. He remained unbeaten on 77 off 50 balls and smashed six fours and four sixes as the Men in Yellow won by eight wickets with seven balls remaining.
#1 Marlon Samuels (West Indies vs England 2016)
The West Indies won the toss and asked England to bat first in the final of the 2016 T20 World Cup played at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Thanks to decent innings from Joe Root (54) and Jos Buttler (36), England scored 155 runs in their 20 overs.
In response, England started well and took three wickets in the powerplay. After that, Marlon Samuels and Dwayne Bravo (25) stitched a 75-run partnership for the fourth wicket to bring the West Indies back in the game. It came to the last over, with the West Indies needing 19 to win with Carlos Braithwaite on strike. The all-rounder hit four consecutive sixes off Ben Stokes to bring glory to the West Indies.
However, the real hero for the West Indian side was Marlon Samuels, who remained unbeaten on 85 off 66 balls. He hit nine fours and two sixes and played a major role in helping the West Indies win their second T20 World Cup trophy.