The lowest total defended in ICC T20 World Cup history is 119 runs by Sri Lanka against the New Zealand team in 2014.
Here is a list of the five lowest scores successfully defended in the T20 World Cup matches where D/L method did not come into play.
| Sr. No. | Team | Total Defended | Opposition | Date |
| 1 | Sri Lanka | 119 | New Zealand | 31 March 2014 |
| 2 | Afghanistan | 123 | West Indies | 27 March 2016 |
| 3 | New Zealand | 126 | India | 15 March 2016 |
| 4 | South Africa | 128 | New Zealand | 9 June 2009 |
| 5 | South Africa | 130 | India | 16 June 2009 |
The seventh edition of the ICC T20 World Cup will take place in the Middle East from October 17 to November 14. For the first time ever, the United Arab Emirates and Oman will host the mega event.
The pitches in the UAE produced a few low-scoring encounters during the 2nd phase of the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League. Since Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai will play host to the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 matches as well, it should not be a surprise if fans witness more dominant performances from the bowlers than the batters.
Over the last six ICC T20 World Cup events, there has been only a solitary occasion of a team defending a total of less than 120 runs. Sri Lanka accomplished that feat in the 2014 edition of the ICC T20 World Cup in a group stage match against the New Zealand cricket team. It will be interesting to see if any team can break Sri Lanka’s record this year in the UAE and Oman.
Sri Lanka defended 119 runs against the New Zealand cricket team in 2014.
The Netherlands were bowled out for 39 against the Sri Lankan cricket team in 2014.
