ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Top 10 Greatest Moments: Unlike its predecessors, the shortest format of cricket is all about high-octane action and the T20 World Cup is no exception.
Since its inception in 2007, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup has witnessed some extraordinary cricketing moments over the years that have gone on to redefine the sport itself.
From Yuvraj Singh’s historic 6 sixes in an over to Suryakumar Yadav’s iconic catch on ‘long-off,’ the ICC tournament has given us moments that have gone to define a new youth-centric revolution of Indian cricket.
As we wait for the 2026 edition (counting down the days, obviously), here is a definitive list of the top 10 moments from the Men’s ICC T20 World Cup that have been the source of cricket fans’ greatest joys and most “I can’t watch this” anxieties.
1. Yuvraj Singh’s ‘six sixes’ (2007)
One of the most prolific and undoubtedly unmatched moments of magic from the inaugural 2007 Men’s T20 World Cup comes out to be Yuvraj Singh’s carnage on Stuart Broad. Where a young Yuvraj had etched his name in history by slamming six consecutive sixes to Broad in a display of absolute strength and aggression, which had been fueled by the southpaw’s argument with then English all-rounder Andrew Flintoff.
An unforgettable moment in the game’s history, Yuvraj’s feat helped India beat England on their road to T20 World Cup glory.
2. The bowl-out madness vs Pakistan (2007)
Remember when a cricket match ended with bowlers aiming at empty stumps? India went 3-for-3 while Pakistan hit nothing but air. After a tie between India and Pakistan in the group stages of the 2007 T20 World Cup, Robin Uthappa hit the stumps in the Bowl-Out, the precursor to the Super Over, to deliver a heart-stopping win to the Men in Blue.
Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh were the other two players to hit the target for India, as Pakistan missed all their attempts.
3. Joginder Sharma’s final over (2007 Final)
A moment that has often touted by Indian cricket fans as the birth of the Dhoni-era of captaincy, Joginder Sharma’s final over in the 2007 final marks one of the most critical entries into the list.
13 needed off 6 in the final of the inaugural T20 World Cup when MS Dhoni handed the ball to a younger and relatively unknown Joginder Sharma against Pakistan. The over started with a wide which was followed by a six, and then… the scoop. Joginder picked up the vital wicket of Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq to give India its first T20 title.
4. Lord’s goes ‘Boom boom’ (2009 Final)
After the heartbreak of 2007, Afridi led Pakistan to a clinical win at the home of cricket. His unbeaten fifty helped his side to glory over Sri Lanka in 2009. This was a follow-up to his 1/20 in the first innings. The all-round performance came in the final at Lord’s, helping Pakistan clinch their maiden and only T20 World Cup title.
5. The Gangnam Style win (2012 final)
Stars of the West Indies batting line-up, namely Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels, proved that T20 was their playground.
Facing a clinical Sri Lankan side in their own backyard, the Windies were struggling at one point, crawling to 32/2 after 10 overs. Then, Marlon Samuels decided to switch gears, launching an assault so brutal (78 off 56) that it stunned the stadium into silence.
After dismantling Sri Lanka, the entire team broke into the Gangnam Style dance. The atmosphere of the West Indies’ win at the venue was labelled by commentators as a Caribbean party in Colombo.
6. A hat-trick of sixes puts Australia into the final (2021 semi-final)
Chasing 177 against Pakistan at a tightly packed semi-final in Dubai. Australia was wobbling at 96/5 when Matthew Wade took charge and used his luck to turn the game around. With 22 needed off the last two overs, the ball was handed to Shaheen Shah Afridi, regarded as a dangerous bowler at the time.
On the third ball of the 19th over, Matthew Wade sent a massive top edge into the deep. Hasan Ali ran in, settled under it, and… dropped it. What followed wasn’t just a victory; it was a daylight robbery. Matthew Wade kept his cool and slammed Afridi for 3 back-to-back gigantic sizes sending Australia into the final.
7. MS Dhoni or Usain Bolt? (2016)
In a crucial game against Bangladesh in the 2016 T20 World Cup, MS Dhoni showcased his ‘lightning fast reactions’ to help deliver a commendable win at the last second. When Shuvagata Hom missed the ball that went behind the stumps, the batters ran in to steal a bye, but Dhoni had already collected it safely in his right hand.
With 2 runs needed of a ball, Dhoni chose to run to the wickets to stump the batsman instead of chancing it with a throw, and we all know the result. Dhoni outsprinted Mustafizur Rahman in a cinematic fashion. It was tactical genius meets Olympic sprinting. Bangladesh was 1 foot away from victory, but Dhoni was 1 second faster.
8. ‘Remember the name!’ (2016 Final)
April 3, 2016. A packed, humid, and vibrating Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The stage was set for the ultimate showdown: England vs. West Indies. England had posted a competitive 155, and for most of the second innings, it looked like the trophy was headed to London.
As the clock ticked towards midnight, the West Indies needed 19 runs off the final 6 balls. Ben Stokes stepped in to bowl the final over at Eden Gardens, facing Carlos Braithwaite.
What happened next wasn’t just a batting display; it was a physical assault on the cricket ball. Brathwaite didn’t just hit them; he sent them flying to the stands, meeting the target in just four balls.
As Brathwaite sealed the win, Ian Bishop’s commentary- “Carlos Brathwaite! Remember the name!” reverberated across the stadium, personifying the craze of T20 World Cup fixtures.
9. One of the biggest upsets of modern cricket (2022)
Chasing 159, South Africa needed a win against the Netherlands to waltz into the semi-finals. The Proteas had David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen at the crease. Everything seemed to be under control. Until it wasn’t. The game had been completely swept from under South Africa’s feet by one of the most iconic T20 catches ever taken in a World Cup.
The player to come with this breakthrough for the Netherlands was none other than Van der Merwe37-year-old former Proteas player turned Dutch hero, who pulled off a miracle. David Miller top-edged a pull, and Van der Merwe ran backwards, diving full-stretch to pluck a screamer out of the air.
Following that wicket, South Africa collapsed and ended up losing the game to the Netherlands by 13 runs, providing one of the biggest upsets of T20 cricket.
10. A catch that won India the World Cup (2024 Final)
It was the final over in Barbados. South Africa needed 16 runs. The ghost of the ODI World Cup final against Australia in Ahmedabad was hovering over every Indian fan’s head. Hardik Pandya ran in, delivered a wide full toss, and David Miller (the man they call ‘Killer’ for a reason) plunged the ball right towards long off.
The ball was sailing toward the long-off boundary. And it was exactly when it looked like the game would produce another heartbreak for India that Suryakumar Yadav burst on the on-field cameras and performed a sensational boundary line catch while running at full tilt that left Indian fans gasping for air.
Suryakumar Yadav had plucked the ball right out of thin air, longed it before jumping on the other side of the boundary line and then caught it back on his return. That one catch had completely shifted the momentum of the game, leading to a South African collapse, ending an 11-year ICC trophy dry run for India.