T20 World Cup 2021: Which team have won the title most times?
The 2021 T20 World Cup is set to begin on Sunday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman. The inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup was held in 2007, with India emerging champions under MS Dhoni's captaincy. This year will be the seventh edition of the marquee tournament.
The seventh edition was initially set to be held in 2020 in Australia, with India set to host the eighth in 2021. However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the International Cricket Council (ICC) calendar, forcing the abandonment of the tournament in 2020.
India were retained as hosts for the 2021 World Cup, with the next edition shifting to 2022 with Australia as hosts.
However, as the second wave of COVID-19 ravaged India, it was agreed that the tournament would be moved to the UAE and Oman, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) remaining the official hosts.
India also hosted the last edition in 2016.
The team with the most T20 World Cup titles
The West Indies have won the men's T20 World Cup the most number of times, with two titles to their name.
They are the defending champions, having won the T20 World Cup in 2016, thanks to Carlos Brathwaite's famous four sixes off Ben Stokes' bowling in the last over of the final against England. The Windies also won the 2012 edition, beating hosts Sri Lanka in the summit clash.
Led by Darren Sammy, the West Indies did not get off to the best of starts in the 2012 World Cup. They lost to Australia by the Duckworth-Lewis method in their first group stage match.
Their fixture against Ireland was then washed out, but the Windies qualified for the Super Eight stage due to having a better net run rate than the Irish.
They registered their first win of the tournament against England in the Super Eights, but lost to Sri Lanka, before edging out New Zealand to make it through to the semi-finals, where they faced Australia once again.
In the semis, Chris Gayle hit an unbeaten 71 off 45 deliveries and Kieron Pollard smashed 38 off 15 balls as the Windies posted 205/4. They then bowled out Australia for 131 to reach the final of a T20 World Cup for the first time.
In the final against hosts Sri Lanka, West Indies opted to bat first, but Ajantha Mendis put on a brilliant bowling display, taking four wickets for 12 runs. However, Marlon Samuels' brilliant 78-run knock off 56 balls helped the Windies to post 137/6.
He's been Player of the Match in not one, but two @WorldT20 finals! 🙌
Watch the best bits @MarlonSamuels7's 78 in the 2012 #WT20 final, #OnThisDay six years ago! 🏆 https://t.co/AgkwFBLiom
West Indies then bowled brilliantly, led by Sunil Narine, who picked up three wickets to bowl out Sri Lanka for 101 and win their first T20 World Cup title in the process.
In the 2016 edition in India, it was a more dominant performance from West Indies. They marched through the group stage with only one defeat.
In the semi-finals, they were up against India at the Wankhede stadium. Virat Kohli hit an unbeaten 89 off 47 deliveries to power the hosts to 192/2.
However, West Indies chased down the target with seven wickets and two deliveries to spare. While Johnson Charles and Lendl Simmons scored 52 off 36 balls and 82* off 51 deliveries respectively, Andre Russell played a brilliant 20-ball 43 cameo.
West Indies were chasing 156 for victory in the final against England.
Marlon Samuels scored another half-century in the summit clash, much like he had in 2014. But they were in a pickle after David Willey took two wickets in the 16th over.
Samuels carried on till the end, but England seemed to have one hand on the trophy, with West Indies needing 19 runs off the final over.
What followed was a moment that will forever be etched in the history of the T20 World Cup as Carlos Brathwaite smashed four consecutive sixes off Ben Stokes to seal a thrilling win at the Eden Gardens.
Watch the highlights of @westindies second men's #WT20 title win, sealed in dramatic fashion by Carlos Brathwaite's famous four sixes, two years ago today! https://t.co/Rmh42xmbzy
Apart from the West Indies, India, Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka have all won the T20 World Cup once each.
India won in 2007, followed by Pakistan in 2009. England won the trophy by beating Australia in the final in 2010. Sri Lanka won the 2014 edition, in between the Windies' triumphs.