Top-5 Performances in World T20 history

Who knew that a format like T20 Cricket, originally played by most countries as a breather after gruelling Test series, would soon have them battling it out for a coveted prize like the World Cup?

5. Alex Hales, 116 not off 64 balls, England v Sri Lanka, Chittagong, 2014

Hales then steadied the ship with maturity as he completed his 50 in 38 balls. And then when things were under control, he unleashed the beast and scored his next 66 runs off just 26 balls. Undoubtedly, this was one of the best innings during a chase in World T20 history.

Batting at number three, losing both the openers for a paltry score of 14 when playing against the home side in the finals of the World T20 finals on what was not the best pitch to bat on, if the author could have written a more difficult script we could almost have termed it as criminal.

But the stage was set for a certain Marlon Samuels to arrive and show the world why T20 is not just about slogging and chipping the ball in the air. Samuels displayed tremendous grit as he batted sensibly countering difficult conditions against prime bowlers.

3. Dale Steyn, 4 for 17, South Africa v New Zealand, Chittagong, 2014

Dale Steyn got Luke Ronchi dismissed off the first ball of the final over thanks to a tremendous diving catch by wicket-keeper De Kock and from that point onwards you just knew Steyn was in his zone. There are not many sights more dangerous in world Cricket than an intense Dale Steyn expressly running at you and bowling at over 145 kmph.

Steyn finished the final over of the innings by taking 3 wickets and giving away just 4 runs in the process, completing one of the most unlikely of comebacks in World T20 history.

2. Yuvraj Singh, 70 off 30 balls, India v Australia, semi-final, Durban, 2007

When people speak of Yuvraj Singh and the 2007 T20 World Cup, it is usually for the 6 sixers that he hit against England off Stuart Broad. Although, that is one of the greatest moments in T20 cricket it was Yuvraj’s 70 runs off 30 balls against Australia which guaranteed India a spot in the final of the first-ever World T20 final.

The southpaw took the game by the scruff of the neck and accelerated the innings at a rate of over 10 runs per over eventually taking India to 188. The Blues won the match by 15 runs and went on to lift the T20 World Cup in the finals against Pakistan.

At 105-5 after 12.3 overs, chasing a target of 191, Michael Hussey walked-in to bat when things looked very bleak for the Australian side against a well-drilled Pakistani bowling line-up. Things got worse as Hussey lost partners Cameron White and Steve Smith leaving him stranded with 48 runs needed off the last 17 balls.

There are usually two types of players in the world - the ones that succumb to pressure and those who stand up and face adversity in the face to make a fist of it. And then there is the third kind that takes the bull by its horns, tickles it for fun and tosses it out of the arena!