5 famous cricketers who both lost and won a T20 World Cup final ft. Virat Kohli & Sophie Devine
New Zealand beat South Africa by 32 runs in the final of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, October 20.
The Kiwis batted first to put up a respectable total of 158/5 in their quota of 20 overs and then returned to restrict their opponents to a lowly 126/9. Amelia Kerr top-scored for New Zealand with a 38-ball 43.
Kerr also picked up 3/24 while bowling and combined with Rosemary Mair (3/25) to help guide her side home. The win, under the leadership of Sophie Devine, is extremely special for the Kiwis given how challenging their recent past had been.
After this win, Divine also entered the rare club of players who have both lost and won a T20 World Cup final. In this listicle, we take a look at five such famous cricketers who have managed to earn this accolade:
#1 Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is one of the biggest cricketers on this list. While he won the T20 World Cup earlier this year, he was a part of the side that lost the final in the 2014 edition to Sri Lanka. Held in Bangladesh, India appeared to be in cruise control throughout the tournament but faltered at the final stage.
Kohli was not a part of the 2007 T20 World Cup although he won the 2011 ODI World Cup under MS Dhoni's leadership. The Delhi batter was unlucky to miss out on winning another ODI World Cup in 2023.
However, he more than made up for it with his stunning performances in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
#2 Sophie Devine
New Zealand Women cricketer Sophie Devine is one of the biggest names in the world. While she won the T20 World Cup by helping her country beat South Africa Women in the final of the ongoing edition held in the UAE on Sunday, October 20, she has been a part of losing teams in the past.
The all-rounder, who is rated to be among the best in the business, was unfortunately on the losing side on two consecutive occasions in the Women's T20 World Cup. This happened in the 2009 and 2010 editions of the tournament, in which the Kiwis were beaten by England and Australia, respectively.
While Devine was a young Turk in those tournaments, she has now matured to become the leader for New Zealand both on and off the field. On Sunday, under her leadership, the Kiwis lifted the Women's T20 World Cup title for the first time, and one believes that it was an extremely proud moment for her.
#3 MS Dhoni
The legendary MD Dhoni was also a part of a winning and losing side in T20 World Cups. While he rose to high acclaim after leading India to the World Cup in its inaugural edition in South Africa in 2007, it was also under his captaincy that they lost in the final of the 2014 edition to Sri Lanka.
Dhoni will be most remembered for the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup titles, but the loss to Sri Lanka in 2014 will rankle deeply. However, India never seemed to be in the game on that occasion, piling up just 130 runs on the board and allowing their opponents to chase it down comfortably.
#4 Rohit Sharma
Indian captain Rohit Sharma, who announced his retirement from T20Is after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup earlier this year, has been a part of two T20 World Cup-winning sides. Interestingly, he was also a part of the Indian side that lost the 2014 final to Sri Lanka in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Sharma opened the innings with Ajinkya Rahane in that game and scored a tidy 26-ball 29. However, his inability to rotate the strike well and go after the bowlers on a sluggish surface caused harm to India as they could muster up just 130/4. Of course, Yuvraj Singh's 21-ball 11 did not help India's cause either.
#5 Shahid Afridi
The iconic Shahid Afridi, who was renowned for announcing and then reneging on retirement decisions, is also a part of this club. Afridi first lost a T20 World Cup final in 2007 when Misbah-ul-Haq's foot-in-mouth moment handed India their maiden trophy. However, the proud Pathan then won the tournament in its next edition.
Held at Lord's, Pakistan beat their neighbours Sri Lanka quite comfortably by eight wickets in the final of the 2009 edition. Having restricted the Lankans to 138/6 in 20 overs, Pakistan chased the target down comfortably, with Afridi top-scoring for them with a 40-ball 54 after coming in at number three.