Top 10 Innings in T20 World Cup
Since the time the T20 World Cup was started in 2007, there has been superb entertainment in every edition of the tournament, and there have been some superb innings played by the batsmen. Here are my collection of top ten T20 World Cup innings.
Number 10
Craig Keiswetter’s 63 runs of 49 balls at 2010 T20 WC final against Australia.
This sensible innings from Keiswetter enabled England to defeat Australia in the final and win their first major trophy. Chasing 147, Keiswetter, who opened the innings, played a good innings under pressure to secure England the Trophy.
Number 9
Chris Gayle’s century in the first match of the inaugural T20 WC against South Africa in 2007
Gayle showed the world his brutal force and power, and started off the first World Cup match on a high. He became the first person to score a century in T20 internationals. He made 117 off just 57 balls which included 10 monstrous sixes. This is an innings no cricket fan will ever forget – it gave the inaugural World Cup a blistering start.
Number 8
Herschelle Gibbs’s 90 against WI in the first match of Inaugural T20 WC in 2007
This superb innings by Gibbs came in the same match where Gayle scored a century. South Africa were the hosts of the WC, they were chasing a mammoth total of 205 under home crowd. There was huge pressure on them. But Gibbs’s innings won them the match easily. Gibbs blasted the West Indian bowlers all over the park. He hit 90 off just 55 balls with 14 fours and 2 sixes to shock the West Indies.
Number 7
Jayasuriya’s innings of 81 off 47 balls against West Indies in the group stage of T20 WC 2009
Sanath Jayasuriya, known for his blistering innings, played one against West Indies in the 2009 T20 WC. He hit 81 off just 47 balls with a superb strike rate of 172. He, along with another opener Tilakratne Dilshan, enabled Sri Lanka to score a huge total of 192 in 20 overs.
Number 6
Yuvraj’s fastest 50 off just 12 balls against England which also included 6s sixes in a single over
Yuvraj unleashed himself on England in the super eight match in the 2007 T20 WC. He scored 58 off 16 balls with a strike rate of 362. He also hit 6 sixes in an over bowled by Stuart board to become the first to do so in T20 cricket. He scored his 50 off just 12 balls, the fastest by a batsman in any format. His superb innings enabled India to post a huge total of 218, and India won the match easily.
Number 5
Kevin Pietersen‘s 73 against Pakistan in the group stage of 2010 T20 WC
Kevin Pietersen played a match-winning innings while chasing 147 against Pakistan. Pakistan had very good spinners, but Pietersen tackled them very well and scored a very good 73 not out off just 52 balls and steered England to victory. Pietersen was in superb form in the 2010 T20 WC. He scored a total of 248 runs and won the man of the series award.
Number 4
Chris Gayle’s 88 against Australia in group stage of 2009 T20 WC
Chris Gayle played another blistering innings, and this time the receiving team was Australia. Australia set a very good target of 170 for West Indies. Aussies had a very good bowling attack with Lee, Johnson and Bracken. But Gayle showed no mercy on any of them; he hit Lee for 27 off a single over. Lee ended up conceding 56 runs in his 4 overs. Gayle scored 88 off just 50 balls which included 6 sixes and helped West Indies win the match easily.
Now its time for the Top 3, and coincidentally, all the three innings came in the semis
Number 3
Dilshan’s 96* against West Indies in 2009 T20 WC semifinal
Dilshan produced a superb innings on a pitch that supported bowlers. On a pitch where all the other batsmen struggled to score runs Dilshan smashed 96 off just 57 balls which helped Sri Lanka reach the final. It was a very crucial and sensible innings by Dilshan. He played some innovative shots, one of them being his famous Dil-scoop. He won the man of the series award in that edition of the World Cup.
Number 2
Yuvraj’s 70 off 30 balls against Australia in 2007 T20 WC semi finals
Yuvraj provided another blistering innings in the World Cup following the fastest fifty in his previous match. This time he scored an attacking 70 off just 30 balls which included five sixes and five fours. He played the Aussie bowlers with ease. This was a superb innings in a crucial match against the world’s best bowling attack.
Number 1
Mike Hussey’s 60 off 24 balls against Pakistan in 2010 T20 WC semis
Chasing 191 in a 20-over match, that too in a semi final, is never easy. Australia needed 18 runs off the last over and Saeed Ajmal was bowling the over. Any other batsman other than Hussey would not have scored. But for Australia it was Hussey at that time on crease, who produced a sensational innings of 60 off just 24 balls and won the match for Australia. This is surely the best innings in T20 WC up to now because Hussey played this innings under pressure while chasing a mammoth total against a very good bowling attack.
Some more good innings that could not get into top 10 are Gautam Gambhir‘s innings of 75 against Pakistan in the final of 2007 T20 WC, Justin Kemp’s 89 off 56 balls against New Zealand in 2007 T20 WC, Suresh Raina‘s century against South Africa in 2010 T20 WC.