T20 World Cup: Top 10 memorable moments from previous editions
What's the story
The ICC T20 World Cup has witnessed some thrilling displays over its past 10 editions. From Yuvraj Singh's six sixes in an over to Carlos Braithwaite's magic in the 2016 final, the competition has produced some of cricket's most thrilling and dramatic encounters. Ahead of the 2026 T20 WC, let's take a look at 10 of the most memorable moments from past editions of this prestigious tournament.
#1
Maiden hundred of T20I cricket
In the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, West Indies's Chris Gayle scored the format's first-ever century. He smashed a 57-ball 117 with 10 sixes and seven fours against hosts South Africa in Johannesburg. However, his team couldn't defend the 205-run total as Herschelle Gibbs and Justin Kemp helped SA chase it down with ease. Gibbs scored a quickfire 90 while Kemp contributed with a brisk 46 off just 22 balls.
#2
Six sixes in an over for Yuvraj
Another iconic moment from the 2007 edition was Yuvraj Singh hitting England's Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over in Durban. Enraged after a war of words from the then-English skipper Andrew Flintoff, Yuvraj unleashed mayhem in the 19th over of the game. He went on to complete his fifty off just 12 balls - still the fastest against a full-member nation. Yuvraj ended up scoring 58 runs off 16 balls as India posted a match-winning 218/4.
#3
The bowl-out drama
India's first-ever T20 World Cup match in 2007, against Pakistan, witnessed history. India crawled to 141/9 before restricting Pakistan (141/7) to the same score in Durban. The match was eventually decided through a historic bowl-out, which was deemded equivalent to football's penalty shootouts. The Men in Blue won 3-0 as none of the Pakistan bowlers could hit the stumps. Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, and Robin Uthappa hit the stumps successfully for India.
#4
Misbah's scoop and Joginder's final over
The final match of the inaugural T20 World Cup saw India beat Pakistan in a nail-biting contest in Johannesburg. Misbah-ul-Haq's late heroics brought the match down to the wire with 13 runs needed off the final over. Joginder Sharma was handed the ball by MS Dhoni. Despite conceding a six, Misbah's scoop was caught by Sreesanth at short fine-leg as India won by five runs.
#5
When Netherlands stunned England
The Netherlands created a lot of buzz in the 2009 T20 World Cup when they defeated favorites England at the Lord's. It was a major shock for many cricket fans as the Dutch chased down 163. England batted first and posted 162/5. In reply, Tom de Grooth (49), Ryan ten Doeschate (22), and Peter Borren's (30) cameos helped the Netherlands cross the line. Notably, Netherlands completed two runs off the final ball to seal an incredible win.
#6
When MS Dhoni channelized inner Usain Bolt
India looked down and out in the must-win 2016 T20 World Cup affair against Bangladesh in Bengaluru. The equation came down to the Tigers needing two runs off the last three deliveries. Hardik Pandya then dismissed Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim off successive deliveries as both batters mistimed big shots. On the last ball, skipper and wicket-keeper MS Dhoni ran at lightning speed to run Mustafizur Rahman out at the striker's end, restricting the Bangladesh batters from stealing a bye.
#7
Remember the name - Carlos Braithwaite
The 2016 T20 WC final in Kolkata saw West Indies needing 19 runs off the final over against England. With the half-centurion Marlon Samuels being on the non-striker's end, the Brits looked firm favorites at this point. However, Carlos Braithwaite had other plans as he smashed Ben Stokes for sixes in each of the first four balls. As a result, WI prevailed with two balls to spare as commentator Ian Bishop famously shouted - "Carlos Brathwaite! Remember the name!"
#8
When Wade ruined Pakistan's dream
Pakistan suffered an agonizing defeat against Australia in the 2021 T20 WC semi-final in Dubai. Matthew Wade was Pakistan's nemesis on the day. With 22 needed off 12 balls, the in-form Shaheen Afridi called in to bowl the penultimate over. Afridi started well as he created an opportunity to dismiss Wade on the third ball. However, Hasan Ali dropped the catch. Wade rubbed salt on Pakistan's wounds by hammering Afridi's last six balls for maximums. Australia eventually crossed the line.
#9
SA choke again but this time against Netherlands
In one of the biggest upsets of the T20 WC history, South Africa were handed a 13-run defeat by the Netherlands in 2022. The Proteas side failed to chase down 159 in a must-win game in Adelaide and subsequently got eliminated from the semi-final race. With figures of 3/9, Brandon Glover was the stand-out performer for the Dutch. South Africa were restricted to 145/8.
#10
The iconic SYK catch
Suryakumar Yadav's exceptional catch in the 2024 T20 WC final against SA was pivotal to India's triumph. Needing 16 off the final over, David Miller went for a big shot on the first ball bowled by Hardik Pandya. In a remarkable display of athleticism, SKY caught the ball near the boundary rope, tossed it in the air as he crossed the rope, and swiftly returned inside to complete the catch. Miller was dismissed as South Africa fell short.