Top 5 T20Is of 2017

Another year has passed us by and the T20 game has continued to evolve. Like in recent years, we’ve had some thrilling T20 games this season as well.

Even though the Sri Lankan team managed to beat South Africa (2-1) and Australia (2-1), both away from home, they won only five out of the 15 T20Is they played this year. India hosted a couple of closely-contested series, while the Windies continued to enjoy the shortest format. However, teams like Australia and England had an indifferent year in the T20I format.

Here, we look at some of the best T20 international games that took place this year.

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#5 India vs England – Nagpur

After consecutive victories in the first two ODIs (in Pune and Cuttack), England got some momentum back with back-to-back wins in the third ODI (in Kolkata) and the first T20I (in Kanpur). The hosts needed a win in the Nagpur T20I to keep the series alive.

After being put in to bat, India got off to a solid start, cruising to 30/0 in 4 overs. However, wickets at regular intervals halted their charge as they reached 69/3 in the 11th over. The pitch looked sluggish and a score of about 150-160 would’ve been competitive. KL Rahul batted beautifully, compiling 71 to put the ‘Men in Blue’ back on track. But, his dismissal in the 18th over took away all the momentum they had gained as India could only manage 20 runs in the last 3 overs.

Chasing 145, England lost two wickets in two balls (to Ashish Nehra) in the 4th over and were reduced to 22/2. Contributions from Joe Root (38), Eoin Morgan (17) and Ben Stokes (38) put England ahead in the run chase. But timely wickets kept India in the hunt.

With 8 required in the final over, England looked firm favourites to seal the series. But death-specialist Jasprit Bumrah produced a magical over. He first removed the well-set Root and cleaned up the dangerous Jos Buttler to seal the game for the hosts. Bumrah gave away just two runs in his final over and picked up two wickets to earn the Man of the Match award.

This 5-run win helped India level the series 1-1.

Brief Scores: India 144 for 8 (Rahul 71, Pandey 30, Jordan 3-22, Ali 1/20) beat England 139 for 6 (Stokes 38, Root 38, Nehra 3-28, Bumrah 2/20)

#4 Pakistan vs Sri Lanka – Abu Dhabi

Shadab was brilliant in the final over of the game

Sri Lanka weren’t at full strength in the series in question as players opted out of playing the final match at Lahore citing security issues.

In addition to that, the Lankan team were in a rut, having struggled in the limited-overs formats of late. After a historic Test series win in the UAE, they lost the ODI series 5-0 to Pakistan. They were also 1-0 down in the 3-match T20I series but started the 2nd game well, moving to 106/1 in 16 overs. However, a dramatic collapse meant the Islanders could manage only 124 in their 20 overs as they lost their last 8 wickets for 18 runs.

After a good start, Pakistan lost wickets at regular intervals and slipped to 113/7. With 12 needed off the final over and 3 wickets in hand, the game was heading towards a tight finish. Rookie Vikum Sanjaya was given the final over and he repaid the faith showed in him with a wicket off the first ball. However, a drop off the third ball followed by a six and a two (struck by Shadab Khan) sealed the game and series for Pakistan.

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 124 for 9 (Gunathilaka 51, Samarawickrama 32, Faheem 3-16, Hasan Ali 2/31) lost to Pakistan 125 for 8 (Sarfraz 28, Shehzad 27, Shadab Khan 16*, Thisara 3-24)

#3 Pakistan vs World XI – Lahore

Thisara Perera and Hashim Amla batted beautifully to help World XI level the series

International cricket returned to Pakistan after a gap of about 8 years. With the hosts set to face off against a World XI team comprising some top stars, fans thronged the stadium. Pakistan celebrated the occasion with a win in the first T20I.

After scoring 197 in the first game, the hosts opted to bat first in the second T20I as well after winning the toss. Ahmed Shehzad (43) and Fakhar Zaman (21) gave them a good start before it was consolidated by Babar Azam (45). Pakistan though found themselves at 135/3 in the 17th over and it looked as though they would finish with an under-par score. But the experienced Shoaib Malik’s cameo (23-ball 39) propelled Pakistan to 174.

Chasing a big total, World XI got off to a good start as they reached 48/1 in 6 overs. However, Pakistan's spinners (Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan and Mohammed Nawaz) bowled well to apply the breaks whilst also scalping a couple of crucial wickets.

Only Hashim Amla was able to find the gaps, scoring freely but without any support from the other end. Hence, Thisara Perera got a promotion and walked in at No. 5 with 69 needed off 6 overs. With a required run-rate of more than 12, World XI needed to put their foot on the pedal to stay alive in the series and Perera did just that.

With Amla looking solid at one end, Perera decided to tee off once he got his eye in. With 33 needed of the final two overs, the Sri Lankan all-rounder hit three sixes in the 19th over to fetch 20 runs (the over also included a dropped chance). The equation reduced to 13 runs from the final over. Rumman Raees was entrusted with the responsibility of bowling the final over and his first four deliveries were decent as he conceded 7 runs to bring it down to 6 off the last two balls. But Perera struck a magnificent six to seal the game on the penultimate ball.

Amla finished with an unbeaten 72 but it was Perera who took the World XI side home with a 19-ball 47 which included 5 sixes.

Brief Scores: Pakistan 174 for 6 (Babar Azam 45, Ahmed Shehzad 43, Shoaib Malik 39, Thisara Perera 2-23) lost to World XI 175 for 3 (Amla 72*, Thisara Perera 47*, Imad Wasim 1/27)

#2 India vs New Zealand – Thiruvananthapuram

Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson before the match

New Zealand toured India for a short limited-overs series (3 ODIs and 3 T20Is). They played exceptionally well, running India close in the ODI series which they lost 2-1. Then, after suffering a defeat in the first T20I, they came storming back to level the series 1-1 with a crushing 40-run victory.

The decider was to be played at Thiruvananthapuram. Rain though decided to play spoilsport and reduced the game to an 8-over affair. The Blackcaps won a crucial toss and opted to field first, bowling superbly to keep India down to 67/5 in their allotted 8 overs. None of the Indian batsmen got going as they tried to hit out from the first ball on a rather sticky pitch.

A target of 68 in 8 overs wasn’t a huge one, but it was a tricky surface to bat on as the ball was holding up. The Kiwis could only get to 26/2 in the first 4 overs. However, things turned drastically when India got two wickets off two balls – first, Kane Williamson was run-out and then the well-set Glenn Phillips followed him to the hut and suddenly the Kiwis were 28/4.

But Colin de Grandhomme kept the visitors in the hunt with crucial boundaries. With 32 required off 3 overs, Yuzvendra Chahal bowled a brilliant over, conceding only 3 runs. Bumrah gave away 10 runs in the penultimate over to bring it down to 19 off the final over. Hardik Pandya was entrusted with bowling the last six balls. He started off well by giving only 1 run off his first two deliveries, but a six (by de Grandhomme) and a wide put the pressure back on India (bringing the equation down to 11 off 3).

However, Pandya held his nerve and India completed a 2-1 series win (their first over New Zealand in T20Is) with a 6-run victory. Jasprit Bumrah was awarded the Man of the Match for his splendid bowling performance.

Brief Scores: India 67 for 5 (Manish Pandey 17, Hardik Pandya 14, Southee 2-13, Ish Sodhi 2/23) beat New Zealand 61 for 6 (de Grandhomme 17*, Jasprit Bumrah 2-9, Kuldeep Yadav 1/10)

#1 Australia vs Sri Lanka – Geelong

Asela Gunaratne was brilliant in the 3-match series

The 3-match T20I series between Australia and Sri Lanka drew a lot of criticism for its scheduling. With Australia slated to play India (in India) on the 22nd of February (1st Test), this series started on the 17th of February. Thus, with the Test team already in India, the Australian selectors picked a second string for the T20I series against Sri Lanka.

Despite all the criticism the series got, it produced one of the best T20I matches this year. Sri Lanka managed to sneak a win on the last ball (chasing 169) at the MCG in the first T20I to gain a 1-0 lead.

They then opted to field first after winning the toss and managed to get skipper Aaron Finch out early. Michael Klinger (43) and Ben Dunk (32) ensured the hosts got off to a solid start. However, Sri Lanka managed to claw their way back into the game, picking wickets at regular intervals. But Moises Henriques held one end firm and scored a brilliant 37-ball 56 to help the Aussies reach 173 in their 20 overs.

Chasing 174, the visitors got off to a disastrous start, slipping to 40/5 in the 5th over. The game seemed almost over at that stage. But Asela Gunaratne, who had scored a match-winning 52 in the first game, joined hands with the experienced Chamara Kapugedera. They got Sri Lanka’s innings back on track with a 52-run stand.

But Kapugedera’s dismissal for a run-a-ball 32 opened the floodgates. At 119/7 with 55 needed off 28 balls, the game seemed done and dusted. But Gunaratne put his head down and started finding the fence to keep the scoreboard moving.

36 runs were required off the final two overs. The 31-year-old all-rounder from Kandy then took a chance which paid off. Henriques bowled the penultimate over and was taken for 22 runs by Gunaratne (which included 2 fours and 2 sixes) and the equation reduced to 14 off the final over.

In the last over, the visitors lost a wicket off the first delivery but Gunaratne managed to get 10 runs (a four and a six), reducing the equation to 4 off 3 balls. Gunaratne and Malinga then managed to eke out two singles. With two required off the final delivery, there was tension all around, but Gunaratne held his nerve and struck a boundary to give Sri Lanka a memorable series win.

Brief Scores: Australia 173 (Henriques 56, Klinger 43, Kulasekara 4-31, Malinga 2/31) lost to Sri Lanka 8 for 176 (Gunaratne 84*, Kapugedera 32, Tye 3-37, Faulkner 2/32)