History of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Tournament

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, formerly known as the ICC World Twenty20, made its debut in 2007. This tournament occurs every two years. In the inaugural edition held in 2007 in South Africa, India emerged victorious over Pakistan and claimed the trophy.

Winners of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup

To further enhance team readiness, a 20-over qualification tournament was organized in December 2007. Among the six participating teams, two earned spots to compete in the 2009 World Twenty20 and vie for $250,000 in prizes. On June 21, 2009, in England, Pakistan secured their second championship by defeating Sri Lanka by eight wickets. In the ICC World Twenty20 event held in May 2010 in the West Indies, England triumphed over Australia by seven wickets.

The Season of ICC World Twenty20 2012

The West Indies secured victory over Sri Lanka in the finals to claim the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 title. For the first time, a host country reached the final of the ICC World Twenty20. Twelve teams competed for the championship, including Afghanistan and Ireland, who participated in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualification, 2012. It marked the first instance of an Asian nation hosting the World Twenty20 tournament. Throughout the tournament's initial four editions, Pakistan was the sole team to consistently reach the final four.

Six Tournaments, Five Champions

In 2014, the tournament expanded to 16 teams, with three teams making their debut. Sri Lanka, after reaching the finals twice before, clinched victory once again. Across six tournaments, the ICC Men's T20 World Cup has witnessed five different champions.

Winners' Defeated Opponents in Each Edition of ICC World T20

2007: Champion - India

India clinched victory over their arch-rivals Pakistan by 5 runs in an exhilarating final held in Johannesburg. This historic win made India the first team to secure World Cup titles in both ODI and T20I cricket formats. Prior to the final showdown, the Men in Blue triumphed in five matches, notably defeating England in the group stage where Yuvraj Singh famously smashed Stuart Broad for six consecutive sixes in an over. India had previously faced Pakistan in the group stage, securing victory via bowling out. Matthew Hayden emerged as the highest run-scorer of the tournament with 265 runs, while also leading the tally for wickets taken with seven scalps.

2009: Champion - Pakistan

Pakistan won the cherished T20 title for the first time in 2009, shrugging over the disappointment of their previous final defeat to India. They easily won the final, defeating Sri Lanka by eight wickets.This edition's top run scorer was Tillakaratne Dilshan with 317 runs, while the best wicket-taker was once again Abdul Gul with 13 wickets.

2010: Champion - England

One year following the second T20 World Cup, there was a third edition. England won their first World Cup championship in any cricket format when they overcame opponents Australia in the championship match by a margin of seven wickets. With 302 runs, Mahela Jayawardene's total was higher than any batsman in the event. Dirk Nannes led the bowling statistics with 14 wickets.

2012: Champion - West Indies

In the 2012 edition, West Indies won their first T20 World Cup with a one-sided victory over Sri Lanka in the final. The colorful power-hitters from the Caribbean became too much for the other teams to handle. Shane Watson of Australia finished the event with the highest run total of 249, and Ajantha Mendis took the most wickets with 15.

2014: Champion - Sri Lanka

In 2014, India had a chance to win a second Twenty20 title, but Sri Lanka were having other plans. The island nation defeated India by six wickets in the final, providing a memorable farewell to retiring greats Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara. With 319 runs, Virat Kohli led the batting order, while Imran Tahir of South Africa and Ahsan Malik of the Netherlands shared the highest wicket-taking positions in the competition with 12 each.

2016: Champion - West Indies

The West Indies defeated England in a thrilling finish to win their second T20 World Cup. The West Indies won thanks to a spectacular four straight sixes from Carlos Brathwaite against Ben Stokes in the last over. Bangladesh's Tamim Iqbal top-scored in the event with 295 runs, and Afghanistan's Muhammad Nabi took the most wickets with 12

2021: Champion - Australia

The T20 World Cup returned in 2021 following a break brought on by the COVID-19 epidemic, with Australia winning their first championship. In the UAE, they won the match against New Zealand by eight wickets. Australia managed to chase down the goal of 173 with seven balls remaining thanks to Mitchell Marsh's outstanding hit of 77 off 50 balls. Babar Azam of Pakistan finished first in the event with 303 runs, while Wanindu Hasaranga of Sri Lanka took the most wickets with 16.

2022: Champion - England

In the most recent tournament, England won their second T20 World Cup after defeating Pakistan by five wickets in the championship match. With outstanding bowling, England was able to restrict Pakistan to 137/8. Ben Stokes's outstanding half-century secured England's victory. With 296 runs, India's Virat Kohli dominated the run charts, and Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga again topped the wicket-taking rankings with 15 wickets.