7 Best Twenty20 Internationals games ever

Gayle started the tournament with a bang!

Some of the most exciting T20 gamesAlmost everyone in this world has a strange tendency to lean towards the best. This could be in a lot of ways. Some like or want to be the best, some want to make others the best and while some others like to debate on who or what is the best.For this article, I become the third type of person from the first kind that I am. In every field, we have a habit of compiling the list of the best in that aspect. Be it football or cricket or any sport in the world. In football, there are some never ending debates about Pele and Maradona or Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.While, in cricket, we are saved from such comparisons as in every generation there was only one player who stood out from the rest, like Sir Donald Bradman and Sachin Tendulkar. However, with the help of this list, we would like to number down the best matches ever played in the shortest international format of the game.

#1 South Africa v West Indies first ever World T20 match

Gayle started the tournament with a bang!

This might not be one of your nail-biting-last-over-clinching encounters, but this game really set up the tone for the audience about what T20 encounters are all about as it was the first ever World T20 game.

People, especially bowlers, might go on to argue how cricket is not a batsman’s game, but the truth is, at least in the shortest version of the game, that it is indeed a game where people come to watch big hits than reverse-swinging yorkers that shoot the stump off the ground.

So as West Indies posted a target of a mammoth 206 with the help of a rocking 117 runs in 57 balls innings from the greatest player of this format Chris Gayle, we knew that we were up for more onslaught on bowlers and more entertainment for us. And, oh boy, we weren’t disappointed by the Proteas.

A Herschelle Gibbs inspired South Africa chased down the total with relative ease as they finished the game in only 17.2 overs and only lost 2 wickets in the process.

#2 India v Pakistan 2007 T20 final

What a turnaround!

And then comes the final game of the tournament. India-Pakistan encounters are always highly anticipated as it is, let alone in a World Cup final - and even more so with the fact that it was the first time they faced each other in a final.

The previous game between them in the group stages of the same tournament produced an exhilarating match which needed bowl-out to decide its winner. Something of a similar sort was expected for the final and, even if bowl-out wasn’t needed, it sure did produced one hell of a game.

India posted a tricky total of 157 on a sticky pitch with Gambhir’s 75 in 54 balls being the pick of the innings among the batters. Pakistan started extremely well with Imran Nazir’s display of sheer wrath that got him to 33 in only 14 balls.

Many Indians had feared that their nation would finally lose its first World Cup game against Pakistan as Misbah was steering Pakistan to a fine win, but God had something else planned for that day.

Dhoni’s lucky charm, Joginder Sharma, was handed the ball and as Misbah tried to scoop him, the ball flew towards the hands of Sreesanth. Billions of hope-filled eyes were glued with terror to the hand of Sreesanth as the ball wobbled in them before finally resting in the cushion of his palms, giving India a historic T20 World Cup win.

#3 Australia v Pakistan 2010 T20 semi-final

Hussey ruined Pakistan’s hard work in minutes

This game will forever be remembered for the blazing fire that Michael Hussey spewed from his bat. After Pakistan posted a target of 192 for the Aussies to chase, they looked all but certain to win when the Kangaroos were reeling a 139 for 6.

Enter Michael Hussey, the one they call Mr. Cricket. He came in. Played 24 balls. Hit 6 sixes and 3 fours. Scored 60 runs. And won Australia the game in the most emphatic fashion possible.

The only thing that would have made him look cooler was if he was wearing a cowboy hat instead of a helmet and was puffing a cigar while slashing the ball all around the park. Pakistan didn’t know what hit them and became the subjects of yet another painful loss despite being outright favourites to win at point in the match.

#4 Sri Lanka v New Zealand tie match

Roller coaster ride

Everyone loves a tie match, more so in a World Cup. So when New Zealand managed to bring down Sri Lanka to a tie after being, at one point, all but certain to lose embarrassingly, it was some sort of an epic.

The pitch was a batsmen’s paradise, so New Zealand’s 174 was never really a formidable total given the circumstances. And Sri Lanka’s ruthless display of power hitting didn’t do anything but further proof that the pitch reporters were right.

And then a collapse ensued. From 119/1 in 12 overs to needing 6 off the last 2 balls, Sri Lanka completely bottled what they should have won easily even before going to the final over. What is more intriguing is the fact that the Lankans needed 8 runs off the last ball, but yet managed to grab just 7.

Sri Lanka, however, got their win in the super-over after successfully defending 13 runs. Talk about over-complicating matters.

#5 Netherlands v Ireland in Sylhet

Stephan Myburgh in action

While the Vedic scriptures laud about Lord Shiva’s all-consuming Tandava dance, the history pages of World T20s will hold Stephan Myburg’s performance against Ireland in the same regard when it comes to T20 games.

The Dutchman showed no mercy and smashed his way to a 17 ball 50, which was the second fastest in T20Is, and helped Netherland chase 190 in just 13.5 overs.

Netherlands’s hopes for qualifying for the World T20 2014 looked all but dismantled when Ireland posted a grand target of 190 which the Dutch had to chase down within 14.1 overs if they were to qualify for the World Cup.

And they were up to the task as each and every batsman came with only one intention mind, to hit, hit and hit. Ultimately, it worked as the baton of Myburgh’s onslaught was aptly carried and continued by Tom Cooper, who smacked a 15 ball 45 to carry his team over the line in 13.5 overs.

#6 West Indies v Sri Lanka 2012 World T20 Final

Caribbean party in the Lankan island

West Indies went to the World T20 2012 as the outright favourites to win the tournament. They had a squad that had star T20 players like Sunil Narine, Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard and so on. And they didn’t disappoint the expectations as they blazed their way into the final of the tournament in a dominant fashion.

However, once in the final, they seemed to lose their way as they found themselves staring at bleak at 87/5 in 15.2 overs. But then Marlon Samuels played an incredibly paced innings of 78 in 56 balls to steady the sinking ship and, with the help of a vehement 26 in 15 balls from Darren Sammy in the end, post a respectable target of 138 for the Lankans to chase.

The pitch, as it turned out, didn’t do any favours to the batsmen as Jayawardene and co. could muster up only 101 runs in answer West Indies’ sum total. It was the perfect ending to an incredible tournament for the Caribbeans.

#7 Netherlands v England 2010 World T20

When England got double dutched

England have had many dark hours in sports, but this one is perhaps their worst nightmare. Netherlands weren’t supposed to be a serious threat to England as they faced each other in the group phase of the 2014 World T20.

And it all looked set for a win for England as they had to chase a humble score of 134 runs. I still remember watching this game live in the stadium and what turned out after this will always have a fond place in my heart.

Mudassar Bukhari and van Beek led a surging attack on the Englishmen as they totally ripped their batting to shreds, taking 3 wickets each while conceding only 21 runs in 5.1 overs. In the end, England were humiliated as they could put only 88 runs on the board, making this one of the best T20I game to ever take place given its David and Goliath significance (although, likening England to Goliath is somewhat stretching it).

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Edited by Staff Editor