| Pos | Winner | Target | Margin | Opposition | Ground | Match Date |
| 1 | South Africa | 129 | 1 run | New Zealand | Lord's | 9 Jun 2009 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 134 | 1 run | Pakistan | Bridgetown | 8 May 2010 |
| 3 | India | 153 | 1 run | South Africa | Colombo (RPS) | 2 Oct 2012 |
| 4 | India | 147 | 1 run | Bangladesh | Bengaluru | 23 Mar 2016 |
| 5 | Zimbabwe | 131 | 1 run | Pakistan | Perth | 27 Oct 2022 |
| 6 | South Africa | 171 | 2 runs | New Zealand | Chattogram | 24 Mar 2014 |
| 7 | England | 154 | 3 runs | India | Lord's | 14 Jun 2009 |
| 8 | South Africa | 197 | 3 runs | England | Chattogram | 29 Mar 2014 |
| 9 | West Indies | 143 | 3 runs | Bangladesh | Sharjah | 29 Oct 2021 |
| 10 | India | 158 | 5 runs | Pakistan | Johannesburg | 24 Sep 2007 |
One of the biggest highs for any cricket team is wheni it defends a low total and manages to scrap a victory by the barest of margins. Over the course of the last eight editions of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, we have seen several teams snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat.
The Proteas hold the record for scripting the lowest-margin victory in the history of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The South Africans achieved the feat at Lord’s in 2009 when they successfully defended 129 runs and managed a one-run victory.
A year later, the Kiwis did the same, as they defended 134 against the then world champions Pakistan in Bridgetown and won by a run.
The Men in Blue have achieved one-run victory twice in T20 World Cups. The then MS Dhoni-led unit defended 153 against South Africa in 2012 and 147 against Bangladesh in 2016 to eke out one-run victories.
The Zimbabweans round-up the top five, thanks to their magical one-run heist over the eventual runners-up, Pakistan, at the Perth Stadium in 2022 T20 World Cup.
