India successfully defended their title in the T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad by crushing New Zealand on Sunday.
Here are a few standout narratives from the tournament:
India vs Pakistan:
The marquee event was preceded by a contentious and tumultuous events. In support of Bangladesh, who declined to play in India and hence did not participate in the championship, Pakistan promised to boycott their group match against bitter rivals India.
At the last minute, Scotland took Bangladesh’s position. The Pakistan government changed its mind after intense talks with the International Cricket Council, and the highly anticipated game in Colombo proceeded.
Although India defeated Pakistan, there were no handshakes between the two captains and teams, and the game was tense on the field.
Drama of two super-overs:
To determine the winner of their exciting group match, South Africa and Afghanistan played out a stalemate before the first-ever double super over in a T20 World Cup. The drama started when Afghanistan responded to South Africa’s 187/6 in Ahmedabad with 187 all out.
After a tense first super over, the teams were tied once more. However, South Africa prevailed on the last ball of a thrilling second sudden-death match. In the second super over, Afghanistan’s batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz needed four sixes off four balls to win, but he only achieved three before being dismissed.
Australia’s stunning elimination:
In a group match, the tournament’s surprise packages, Zimbabwe, shocked former champions Australia by dismissing them for 146 when chasing 170 to win. Australia’s campaign was in jeopardy after suffering another loss to Sri Lanka in the absence of injured fast bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.
For the second time in the event’s history, Australia were eliminated after Zimbabwe’s rained-off match against Ireland. The 2021 winners did not advance to the second phase. Oman were thrashed as Australia signed off, but captain Mitchell Marsh remarked, “It’s a bitterly disappointed changing room.”
Sanju Samson’s redemption:
In a winner-take-all match against the West Indies, Sanju Samson made amends by helping the co-hosts chase down 196 and advance to the semi-finals with an undefeated 97. Samson was not initially a part of the playing XI, but the wicketkeeper-batter returned for the Super Eights due to Abhishek Sharma’s decline in form and the necessity to break a left-handed combo at the top.
India relied on Samson’s 50-ball knock, which included 12 fours and four sixes, at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens after his brisk knock against Zimbabwe. After hitting the winning boundary and another game-winning knock of 89 against England in the semi-final, Samson shone again in the final and was named Player of the Tournament.
Fastest T20 World Cup hundred:
In the first semi-final match against South Africa, New Zealand opener Finn Allen dominated the stage with the fastest-ever century in the tournament, off 33 balls. Allen’s assault, which included ten fours and eight sixes, caused South Africa, who had not lost before the knockout stage, to crumble.
New Zealand reached the victory target of 170 with 7.1 overs to spare. In a vicious display of power hitting, Allen broke the previous record for the fastest century, set by Chris Gayle of the West Indies in 2016, in 47 balls.
