As we build up to the 2021 IPL and with the T20 World Cup also coming up later this year, here is our countdown of the five best T20 matches of all time.
1) World T20 Final 2007 – India v Pakistan
The first World T20 final saw the biggest rivals in cricket go head-to-head, as India and Pakistan clashed at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.
After winning the toss, India elected to bat first and opener Gautam Gambhir smashed 75 off 54 balls, which included eight fours and two sixes.
Rohit Sharma chipped in with late runs, with 30 off 16 balls, as they reached 157-5 in their 20 overs.
Pakistan looked to be heading for a heavy defeat when they were reduced to 77-6 after 12 overs, with Misbah-ul-Haq holding the innings together with 43.
Having got to within six runs of victory, Misbah was caught at fine leg by Sreesanth and India celebrated success in the first T20 tournament.
2) World T20 Final 2016 – West Indies v England
The 2016 World T20 final saw the two previous winners meet at Eden Gardens, looking to become the first two-time winner of the event.
Despite losing both openers in the first two overs, England managed to set a score of 155-9, mainly with the help of a half-century from Joe Root.
Eoin Morgan’s men claimed the prize scalp of Chris Gayle for just four, leaving the Windies on 5-2. They were then reduced to 104-5 with just five overs remaining.
Marlon Samuels established himself as the wickets fell and eventually finished with an unbeaten 85 off 66 ball, but it was his team-mate Carlos Brathwaite who took the headlines.
Needing 19 off the final over, the all-rounder smash four consecutive sixes off the first four balls from Ben Stokes and the Windies – 9/1 to win 2021 World T20 tournament – celebrated in style.
3) West Indies v South Africa – January 2015
The Wanderers was again the venue for this fantastic match, which was the second game of a three-match series between South Africa and West Indies.
Having lost the first match, the Proteas looked nailed on to level the series after smashing an outstanding 231-7 in their 20 overs.
Faf du Plessis was the shining light for the hosts, as he led the way with 119 runs off just 56 to help set what looked like an unbeatable total.
The Windies, specifically Chris Gayle, had other ideas as the tourists produced a record-breaking T20 run chase.
Gayle hit 90 off 41 balls – with nine fours and seven sixes – and Marlon Samuels chipped in with 60 off 39, as the Windies reached 236-6 with four balls to spare.
4) India v West Indies – August 2016
West Indies appear again after this time setting a mammoth total of their open and just denying a remarkable run chase from India.
Without Chris Gayle, the Windies were big underdogs going into this 20-over clash in Florida, but they showed their metal by posting 245-6.
Openers Johnson Charles and Evin Lewis stepped up in the absence of Gayle, hitting 79 and 100 respectively.
With opener Rohit Sharma smashing a quickfire 62, India got off to a fast start and, batting at four, KL Rahul – 7/1 to be the 2021 IPL Top Batsman – went on to fire an unbeaten T20 century (110 not out).
But the Windies hung on to record a one-run victory, with the game in the record books as the highest aggregate run total in a single match – 489 runs.
5) New Zealand v Australia – February 2010
This is the only match on the list to go to a Super Over, after both sides finished level after their 20 overs in Christchurch.
An unbeaten 116 from limited-overs expert Brendan McCullum put the Black Caps in pole position, as New Zealand, 8/1 to win the T20 World Cup later this year, made 214-6.
With Australia staying close to two-runs a ball through the chase, the match looked to have slipped from their grasp when Michael Clarke was run out for 67.
The Aussies needed 125 from the final 60 deliveries and Cameron White got them to within touching distance, before an impressive final over from Tim Southee led to the scores finishing level.
Southee then restricted Australia to 6-1 in their Super Over, before the hosts scored nine of four balls to seal a dramatic win.
*All odds correct at time of writing
