Top 5 underrated knocks of 2024 T20 World Cup ft. Monank Patel vs Pakistan
The 2024 T20 World Cup is in the books, with India emerging as the winners after a hard-fought final against South Africa. Virat Kohli was adjudged the Player of the Final for his highest score of the tournament, a knock in which he scored more runs than in all previous hits combined.
There were a lot of sensational innings played at the 2024 T20 World Cup. Rohit Sharma blasted a 92 against Australia that knocked them out of the competition, while the likes of Nicholas Pooran, Aaron Jones, Sherfane Rutherford and Andries Gous played knocks that will be talked about for a long time.
At the same time, however, there were a few that flew under the radar. They were either overshadowed by better performances in the same game or played by names who don't belong to the high-profile teams.
On that note, here are the top five underrated knocks of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
#5 Axar Patel vs South Africa
Virat Kohli was the Player of the Match, and it was Jasprit Bumrah's spell that turned the game on its head, but Axar Patel had a vital role to play in India's victory over South Africa in the final.
Coming in at No. 5, with the Men in Blue having lost three wickets early, Axar needed to steady the ship while also ensuring that a par score was in sights. With Kohli meandering along at the other end, the southpaw took the onus upon himself to be the attacking partner.
Axar hit four fours and a six in an invaluable 47 that helped India recover from the early setback and worm their way back into the contest.
#4 Nicholas Kirton vs Ireland
A left-hander with flair from Trinidad named Nicholas, but not the one who immediately jumps to mind. Canada's Nicholas Kirton played a splendid hand that helped his team beat a fancied Ireland side in New York.
The Nassau County International Stadium threw up another poor pitch, but Kirton was a class apart. He was the only batter from Canada to score at a strike rate above 130, making 49 runs in 35 balls to take his side to a defendable total.
Canada's bowlers did their job, and Ireland fell 12 runs short despite a late blitz from Mark Adair.
#3 Michael Jones vs England
This game ended without a result, with rain having the final say. However, for the 10 overs it was on, Michael Jones treated fans to a spectacle, giving Scotland a real chance of upsetting eventual semifinalists England.
Jones hammered four fours and two sixes, playing some terrific shots against England's premier bowlers. By the time rain came, Scotland were placed at 90/0 in 10 overs and were on course to force Jos Buttler and Co. into a tricky chase. Had it not been a rain-shortened game, their chances would've been even higher.
#2 Roston Chase vs South Africa
Roston Chase played a couple of crucial knocks for the West Indies in the 2024 T20 World Cup, and one of them came against South Africa. While it may not have been talked about much since it went in vain, the right-hander was in his element.
Only Kyle Mayers and Chase scored more than 15 runs for the Windies on a tough track in Antigua. With the spinners finding purchase, Chase needed to get stuck in. He did just that, hitting three fours and two sixes during his 42-ball stay at the crease that yielded 52 runs.
South Africa chased the total down in the final over, but Chase, who put the team on his back by constantly reinventing himself as a cricketer, deserves to be recognized for his effort.
#1 Monank Patel vs Pakistan
This seems like a long time ago. The United States of America did a lot of memorable things after beating Pakistan, and in that, it's easy to forget how they entered the limelight in the first place.
Batting in a tricky chase of 160 against one of the best bowling attacks in the competition, USA captain Monank Patel had to anchor his side. He performed his role to perfection, hitting seven fours and a six while keeping one end ticking.
Andries Gous and Aaron Jones played their part as the USA tied the score off the last ball and won the resulting Super Over, paving the way for them to qualify for the Super 8 stage. Monank, who didn't feature after that in the competition owing to an injury, played an invaluable hand in a historic day for America.