Top 5 Performances by Indians in T20 World Cup

Team India has had some fond memories in the the ICC T20 World Cup over the years. Few individuals have stood out and made the highlight reel for their impeccable display. As it is the season T20 World Cup fever riles up, let’s take a look at the five most influential performances from Team India’s outfit.

Yuvraj Singh versus England (2007)

One of the most iconic displays in T20I history which will be extremely difficult to replicate. In the first ever edition of the ICC World T20, it was India taking on England in what was a crucial game for the Men In Blue in order to stay alive in the tournament. India had lost Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa as Yuvraj Singh came into the crease.

England’s premier all-rounder Andrew Flintoff tried getting under the skin of Yuvi through a few verbal insults but ended up making a huge mistake. Stuart Broad was the next bowler in and he was about to bowl to a fired up Yuvraj Singh. The result was astounding as the southpaw went berserk and smashed Broad all over the park for six sixes in one over. Yuvi ultimately scored a 12 ball 50 which is the quickest ever half-century in T20 cricket and ingrained his knock in the memories of plenty that night.

Gautam Gambhir versus Pakistan (2007)

Gautam Gambhir has always been a feisty customer but his ability to turn up in the pressure games is what made him a vital member of the Indian cricket team. The final of the ICC T20 World Cup of 2007 was against Pakistan and it couldn’t get bigger than that.

With Virender Sehwag missing out on the finals due to injury the onus was on Gambhir and he didn’t disappoint. The specialist opener scored a pivotal 75 runs from 54 balls which was half the runs Team India complied as they got to 157 for the loss of five by the end of 20 overs. The Men in Blue were crowned champions that day and it was Irfan Pathan who got the ‘player of the match’ award due to his three wickets. However, it was Gautam Gambhir who once again turned out to be the unsung hero and played one of the most significant parts in creating cricketing history for India.

Virat Kohli against South Africa (2014)

Virat Kohli was steadily making his claim to be the best batsman in modern day cricket. His impeccable knock versus the Proteas in the semi-final of the ICC World T20 added further detail to his brilliance during a run chase. The South African side had posted score of 172 which could feel daunting to any team in the knockout stages.

However, Virat Kohli was in no mood to give the opponents any sense of hope as he went in there and took apart every bowler with calculated stroke play. Kohli ended up with a match winning innings of 72 from 44 deliveries through just five boundaries and two sixes, which also signified his ability to deal in quick ones and twos. Virat Kohli struck Dale Steyn for the winning runs and got India through to their second finals in the mega event.

RP Singh against South Africa (2007)

For India to qualify to the semis of the ICC World T20 of 2007, they had to beat one of the favorites of the tournament and the hosts South Africa. Team India got to a respectable total of 153 and defending the target against a power packed batting was quite a task.

However, left-arm pacer RP Singh was lethal that night as he ripped into the lineup. Singh got the early wickets of the dangerous opening pair of Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs and returned in the second spell to dismiss Shaun Pollaock and Albie Morkel who are known for their big hitting abilities. RP Singh scalped four wickets for just 13 runs in that four over spell and played a big role in winning that match for India by 37 runs.

Virat Kohli against Australia (2016)

This has to go down as one of the most accomplished knocks in T20I cricket. It was a virtual quarter final between two heavyweights India and Australia at Mohali. The Aussies, batting first set a target of 161 from the 20 overs. The hosts didn’t start off well as they lost Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan early. Suresh Raina didn’t have much to offer either, while Yuvraj Singh didn’t look in the best of forms and got dismissed as well.

With India teetering at 94 for 4 in 14 overs, it was up to Virat Kohli to guide his team to glory. That being said, Kohli played the waiting game for a while as India needed over 40 runs from the last three overs. But it was at that moment Virat Kohli displayed his brilliant best and smashed seven boundaries in a span a few balls to bag India a resounding win. What was most admirable about those final three overs was that, Kohli’s boundaries were all textbook shots that found the gaps with precision. His emotions by the end of the game emphasized on how special that knock was to him personally.