The very first T20 World Cup, played in South Africa, saw 12 teams take part for the honour of being crowned the inaugural champions.

Still a relatively new format of the sport, it gave opportunities for games which were able to be changed in an instant as the world began to fall in love with the new shortest format of cricket.

The IPL would be born the following year, with much of its success put down to the holding of this first World Cup tournament, which took the sub-continent by storm in particular.

Other T20 World Cup match countdowns
» 2009
» 2010

That, of course, was helped by India getting the better of Pakistan in an enthralling final match.

A total of 27 matches were played, with the ten Test-playing nations (Australia, New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Africa, Zimbabwe, England and the West Indies) joined by qualifiers Kenya and Scotland.

Here are five matches which stand out as the best from that original tournament, featuring plenty of cricket’s greatest ever stars.

4. The final: India survive fierce rivalry by skin of their teeth

The first T20 World Cup final saw India take on Pakistan in cricket's ultimate rivalry.

Two teams who rarely play each other outside of the big tournaments, this one came all the way down to the wire, and not for the first time this tournament (but more on that in a little bit).

Winning the toss and electing to bat, India struggled to get going properly at the New Wanderers Stadium, with only Gautum GHambhir able to get going properly.

He would score 75 from 54 balls, guiding India to 157 from their 20 overs, a late cameo from Rohit Sharma helping them to the competitive total.

All of Paksitan's bowlers were economical, while Umar Gul came away with 3 for 28 from his four overs.

As it turned out, the score was only just competitive, and only wickets would help India fall over the line, eventually bowling Pakistan out five runs short of the target with just three balls to spare in the innings.

Imran Nazir got things off to a fast start with 33 from 14 balls, before Misbah-ul-Haq held things together in the middle order with 43 from 38 balls, however, it was the wicket-taking ways of RP Singh and Irfan Pathan, who took three a piece, which would get India over the line.