Hosted by India, the sixth edition of the men’s T20 World Cup proved to be one of the most iconic white-ball cricket contests in the tournament’s young history, featuring multiple high-scoring games and numerous other matches where the victory margin was less than 15 runs.
If you’re a thrill seeker, then reliving this World Cup is where it’s at, especially the final. Commentator Ian Bishop’s famous bellowing cry of “Carlos Brathwaite, remember the name!” can still be heard as the West Indian all-rounder pumped four consecutive sixes in the final over to secure a famous and unexpected victory for the Caribbean region.
With Australia getting ready to host the eighth men’s T20 World cup in October, let’s take a trip down memory to relive why the shortest format of the game continues to capture the imagination and excitement of cricket fans all around the world.
Here are the top five matches from the men’s 2016 T20 World Cup.
5. England Blown Away By Gayle Force Batting
Was this game a warning sign of further agony to come for England?
The third match of the Super 10 round proved to be a brutal one-man show, as Chris Gayle stole the limelight with his trademark blitzkrieg batting to leave England’s bowling utterly shellshocked and demoralised as the World Cup continued to heat up heading into the halfway stage.
Although winning the toss and electing to field, the West Indies did not make the most of the slow and low Wankhede surface, opting for four fast men and just two spinners as England piled on a respectable and competitive 182 off their completed 20 overs.
The stylish Joe Root was England’s top-scorer, hitting a composed 48 off 36 balls to stabilise his team’s innings, allowing some late-order flourishes from Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and captain Eoin Morgan to carry their side over the 180-mark.
In most circumstances, a decent bowling attack would do well to defend such a competitive score but when the West Indies began their run-chase, they were buoyed by their Jamaican master-blaster who batted like a man possessed. Chris Gayle was something else that day.
After opener Johnson Charles was dismissed for a two-ball duck, England’s hopes of a vital victory were quickly snuffed out as Chris Gayle proved that the early blemish in their run-chase was merely a false dawn.
He wasted no time dismantling England’s wretched bowling attack, scoring a ridiculous 100 runs off just 48 balls which featured a whopping 11 sixes. It was destructive batting at its finest, with coach Phil Simmons later stating that Gayle’s innings was “up there with Sir Vivian Richards” due to the aggressive manner in which he tore apart England’s bowling. A win was never in doubt for the West Indies, who cantered home with 11 balls to spare.
