The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup returns in October 2022, following a brief hiatus after the 2021 edition saw Australia (men’s national team) eventually claim the trophy for the first time. The defending champions will also serve as hosts in 2022, when the World Cup kicks off on Sunday, October 16. Ahead of the latest edition of the T20 World Cup, here’s a walk through the history of the T20 Cricket World Cup, including former champs and some of the most memorable moments. 

As any cricketing enthusiast worth his/her salt will know, you can always look to the past to predict the future. So if you’re planning to bet on the T20 World Cup in 2022, there’s no better place to begin than by considering past performances, and have some background info on the format itself.

The history of T20 cricket

New Zealand’s former Test batsman Martin Crowe created a shortened version of the game in the 1990s called Cricket Max. However, the official regulations for T20 were written by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the inaugural tournament was contested by English county sides in 2003.

When the Benson & Hedges Cup was discontinued in 2002, the ECB began searching for a new one-day tournament to host. As cricket saw falling numbers and sponsorship, officials sought ways to increase the sport’s appeal among young people. Its goal was to attract new cricket enthusiasts who might be turned off by the longer versions of the game. ECB’s marketing manager, Stuart Robertson, suggested a 20-over-per-innings game to county chairmen in 2001, and the proposal was approved by a vote of 11-7. And thus was born the global phenomenon that changed the face of cricket and ensured its popularity for decades to come. 

Did you know that at first, India weren’t too keen to participate in T20 internationals because they felt that they devalued the more valuable 50-over version?  

Although India had only played one 20-over international in the three years prior to the first ICC World T20 in South Africa in 2008, the country’s five-run victory over arch rivals Pakistan in the tournament’s final ignited a love affair with the game that has only grown since then. 

What went down in the first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and how India won

Even though it was only 13 days long, the inaugural ICC Men’s T20 World Cup was packed with incredible moments. Chris Gayle’s historic first T20I hundred, hit with 10 sixes at the Wanderers in the opening match, set the tone. But even with 14 balls to spare, the home team’s chase of 205 led by Herschelle Gibbs fell short.

Yuvraj Singh hit England’s Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over, making headlines in a high-scoring event. India, led by Yuvraj, made history by bowling out Pakistan in the group stage, and when the two bitter rivals met again in the championship game, the conclusion was the same, albeit less dramatic. Pakistan needed six runs off four balls, but Joginder Sharma didn’t flinch, and MS Dhoni’s team won by five runs because of Sharma’s outstanding bowling performance.

Before we delve further, here’s the list of T20 Cricket World Cup winners from 2007 to 2021. 

ICC T20 World Cup Winners

Year	Winner	Runner-up
2007	India	Pakistan
2009	Pakistan	Sri Lanka
2010	England	Australia
2012	West Indies	Sri Lanka
2014	Sri Lanka	India
2016	West Indies	England
2021	Australia	New Zealand

How Afridi powered Pakistan to win the 2009 T20 World Cup

Pakistan went from despair to triumph after beating Sri Lanka at Lord’s courtesy a Player of the Match effort from Shahid Afridi. Afridi, who had a match-winning 50 off just 34 balls and two wickets for 16 in the semi-final, led the way with an unbeaten 54 as Pakistan cruised to an eight-wicket victory at the home of cricket. 

This edition also saw one major upset. In the opening game of the competition, the Netherlands chased down 162 and beat England with one ball remaining. 

Umar Gul’s five-for, the first in T20Is, helped Pakistan beat NZ and advance to the semi-finals, and the team eventually won its first major tournament in 17 years in the same venue.

England beat Australia in 2010 to win their first ICC men’s tournament

England, led by Paul Collingwood, overcame a sluggish start to their season and eventually won the tournament in Bridgetown despite the fact that they were the underdog. They lost their first game by eight wickets to the home team, and they were unable to score more than 120 runs when batting first against Ireland.

Because of the rain delay, England moved to the final at the cost of Ireland on the basis of the net run rate, where they would face their long-time rivals Australia. Collingwood won the match with three overs left, and Kevin Pietersen, who made 47 runs in the championship game, was the Player of the Tournament. 

When the West Indies surprised Sri Lanka and won the T20 World Cup in 2012

West Indies won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup for the first time thanks to a match-winning 78 from Marlon Samuels in Colombo.

In many ways, the team’s journey to the championship game mirrored that of England two years prior. The Windies are currently in second place in the group on net run rate after dropping their opening match to Australia and then had their scheduled match against Ireland be postponed due to rain.

They lost badly to Sri Lanka in the Super 8 round, but a Super Over victory over New Zealand got them to the quarter finals.

The Windies got their own back on the home team in the championship game, beating them by a score of 36 runs thanks to some fantastic batting from Marlon Samuels and some impressive bowling from Sunil Narine (three wickets).

Sangakkara ensures Sri Lankan victory in 2014

As a result of the heartbreak of losing on home soil, Sri Lanka improved upon their performance by winning in Bangladesh.

Group 1 champions, the Lions’ bowling assault was unstoppable, resulting in the dismissal of the Netherlands for 39 and New Zealand for 60.

After beating the West Indies in the semi-final, Sri Lanka will face India in a rematch of the 2016 final, which will be the last T20I for two legends.

Virat Kohli’s tournament-high 77 runs were in vain as Mahela Jayawardene became the first batsman to score 1000 runs in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup before Kumar Sangakkara brought his side home with an undefeated half-century.

Brathwaite’s onslaught seals a thrilling win for the West Indies in 2016 

Carlos Brathwaite created the stuff of legends as he hit four consecutive sixes in the final over to help West Indies win their second ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Brathwaite, who had earlier taken three wickets with the ball, easily knocked off the 19 runs that West Indies required off the final six balls against England, with Ben Stokes taking the loss.

Although other Windies hitters rose to the occasion during the tournament, it was Samuels who once again demonstrated he was a man for the big event by scoring an undefeated 85 and was named Player of the Match.

Gayle scored a 47-ball century in a group stage match against England, Andre Fletcher’s unbeaten 84 sparked a seven-wicket triumph over defending champion Sri Lanka, and Lendl Simmons smashed 82 not out from 51 balls in a semi-final win over India.

Australia finally bag their ICC T20 World Cup in 2021

Australia has won more ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups than any other country, but they have yet to make their impact in the shorter format until arriving in the United Arab Emirates.

After advancing through the group stage, Aaron Finch’s squad kept their best for the playoffs and ultimately eliminated Pakistan, who had been undefeated up until that point. Australia faced off against archrivals New Zealand in the final, with Kane Williamson scoring 85 in New Zealand’s 172 for 4 total.

It wasn’t enough to beat an in-form batting line up, as Mitchell Marsh’s unbeaten 77 off 50 balls led Australia to an eight-wicket victory. Australia now hopes to make history by defending their championship this year.

To sum up

Thanks to their 2012 and 2016 victories, the West Indies can be considered the most successful team in the history of the Twenty20 World Cup. Sri Lanka is one of the teams that have made it to the T20 World Cup finals on multiple occasions, but they have only ever won the tournament once. Australia, England, Pakistan, and India have all made it to the T20 WC finals and won once. However, New Zealand are the only team to have reached the final of the ICC T20 World cup, but not win it.

Read More : Will India Win the World Cup 2022? T20 World Cup Betting Tips

T20 World Cup betting

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