20-20 World Cup: Five shocking moments in tournament's history

Shocking incidents from 20-20 World Cup history (Image Source: Twitter)

The eighth edition of the 20-20 World Cup is set to get underway on October 16 and there have been several shocking incidents in the tournament’s history, which the fans talk about to this day. In fact, the first-ever match of the tournament between South Africa and West Indies in 2007 turned out to be a very eventful game as the Proteas chased down a whopping target of over 200. 

However, there have been many such shocking incidents and upsets over the years in the 20-20 World Cup history. Netherlands defeating England in the 2009 edition was another staggering game that is still cherished by the fans. 

Here are the five most shocking incidents from the history of the tournament:

1) South Africa’s epic chase - 2007

South Africa's epic chase (Image Source: Twitter)

This will go down as one of the most epic matches to have ever played in the tournament’s history. The first match in the 2007 20-20 World Cup turned out to be a cracker as South Africa managed to chase down a target of 206. 

With regard to the match, Chris Gayle scored an emphatic century and helped the Caribbean team post a total of 205 on the board. However, the Proteas bounced back in the second innings and chased the target down on the back of Herschelle Gibbs’ unbeaten 90. 

2) Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes - 2007

Yuvraj Singh's six sixes (Image Source: Twitter)

Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes incident remains one of the most iconic incidents in the history of the sport. The left-handed batter smashed six consecutive sixes off Stuart Broad’s over and also managed to register the fastest fifty off 12 balls in the history of international cricket. 

India eventually won the match by 18 runs and the momentum shifted towards the MS Dhoni-led team thereafter. Men in Blue ended up winning the tournament after defeating Pakistan by 5 runs in the epic final. The title win brought many changes in the Indian setup and it was the start of a new era under Dhoni. 

3) MS Dhoni - Virender Sehwag rumoured rift - 2009

MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag (Image Source: Twitter)

Before the start of the 2009 20-20 World Cup, a rumour rocked the Indian side. Many reports were claiming that Virender Sehwag and MS Dhoni were involved in a rift and the duo was not on talking terms. To comment more on the incident, Dhoni was reportedly unhappy with the opener informing him of his injury only after arriving in England.

When asked about the injury, the Indian skipper replied, “Maybe he will be fit for the next game, maybe for the 10th. I am not really sure. Maybe you should ask the (team) physio for a report”. However, both denied the rift later on and fans moved on from the incident as well. 

4) Dutch silence English crowd - 2009

England vs Netherlands (Image Source: Twitter)

The match between England and Netherlands in 2009 turned out to be a stunner as the latter came out on top silencing the home crowd. Chasing a target of 163, the team pulled off a stunning chase with 4 wickets to spare off the final ball. 

Post the win, Paul Collingwood, who was in awe of the opposition team’s performance, said that it was an unbelievable chase from Netherlands. “Give Holland a lot of credit. They knocked off a total that we thought was enough. They played exceptionally well; we expected to win but they put a major performance in,” Collingwood said after the match in the interview. 

5) India vs Bangladesh: The final over saga - 2016:

India vs Bangladesh (Image Source: Twitter)

India pulled a win from the jaws of defeat in the match against Bangladesh in 2016. After putting 146 runs on the board, the Indian bowlers struggled to contain the run flow and almost lost the match. With just two runs needed off the last three balls, Hardik Pandya, who bowled the final over, managed to pick two scalps in the next two balls. 

The Bangla Tigers required two runs off the final ball to make it home and they failed to do so on the back of a stupendous runout from MS Dhoni. India ended up winning the match by 1 run to keep their knockout stage hopes alive.