TOP 5 T20I Innings by Indian Cricketers
14 years have passed since T20s became recognized by the ICC and the format has come a long way from a mere experiment to arguably the format which will pave way for the global expansion of cricket. When the 2007 T20 world cup was announced no one took it seriously especially India which announced a second string squad and a captain with so little experience. But they ended up winning the world cup and Dhoni went from being a respected wicketkeeper to one of the most beloved cricketers in India.
In the early days of T20 cricket, Indian batsmen were considered to be unfit for this format as they relied on timing rather than muscle power. But the heroics of Yuvraj in 2007 T20 World cup such as his 12 balls half century changed the perception completely. Since then we have witnessed many special performances from the Indians and this article will give an account of the top 5 memorable innings by Indians in T20I.
Naturally, while picking top 5 knocks some great performances will miss out. KL Rahul’s century against West Indies, Raina’s century against South Africa and Gambhir’s 75 against Pakistan in 2007 World T20 final are some of the knocks which are on par with any great T20I innings but unfortunately they won’t have a place in this article because of their impact being a tad less compared to other knocks in the article.
#1 Yuvraj’s 58 off 16 vs ENG, ICC World Twenty20 at Durban, Sep 19, 2007.
In a must-win game for the Indian team, Dhoni won the toss and opted to bat. Gambhir and Sehwag combined for a mammoth opening partnership of 136 and the task of finishing the innings was given to Yuvraj. The manner in which he finished that innings remains unmatched to this day. He started by ducking a bouncer but that moment had no resemblance to the carnage that will follow. He scored two consecutive fours off Flintoff and moved to 14 from 6 balls.
After the end of that over, Flintoff mouthed a few words to Yuvraj probably hoping that it will put him off his concentration but instead he came to know what an angry Yuvraj is capable of doing.
The 1st ball of the next over bowled by Broad was dispatched over cow corner for a 111m monster by a visibly angry Yuvraj. The 2nd ball was nonchalantly flicked over square leg for another maximum. The next ball was brutally murdered over extra cover for the 3rd consecutive six. Broad was stunned by the onslaught and bowled a full toss and we all know the result, 4th six. All the England players surrounded broad and there was a discussion for 2 minutes. But that gap just gave some more energy to Yuvraj as he dismissed the ball from his presence yet again with a slog sweep. The camera zoomed in on Broad’s face and it was clear that he did not have a clue on where to bowl. The crowd started going wild realizing what they are about to witness and Yuvi did not disappoint as he hit a sixth consecutive maximum by lofting the ball over mid-on.
It still remains as the purest form of hitting ever witnessed in a cricket arena and made Yuvi the most feared T20 player in the world.