In the early days of T20 cricket, people thought Indian batsmen weren’t suited for this format because they focused on timing rather than power. However, Yuvraj Singh’s amazing performance in the 2007 T20 World Cup, including his 12-ball half-century, changed this view completely. Since then, we’ve seen many incredible performances from Indian players.
Naturally, some great performances won’t make the list. For example, KL Rahul’s century against West Indies, Suresh Raina’s century against South Africa, and Gautam Gambhir’s 75 against Pakistan in the 2007 World T20 final are all fantastic innings. However, they aren’t included here because their impact was slightly less compared to the other innings featured in this article.
This article will highlight the top 5 memorable innings by Indians in T20 Internationals:
1. Yuvraj’s 58 off 16 vs ENG, ICC T20 Worldcup at Durban, Sep 19, 2007
In a crucial game for the Indian team, Dhoni won the toss and chose to bat first. Gambhir and Sehwag had a huge opening partnership of 136 runs, setting the stage for Yuvraj to finish the innings. Yuvraj’s performance that day was extraordinary and remains unmatched. He started cautiously, ducking a bouncer, but soon unleashed a flurry of aggressive shots.
Yuvraj hit two consecutive fours off Flintoff, quickly reaching 14 runs from just 6 balls. Flintoff tried to distract Yuvraj with some words, but it only made Yuvraj more determined.
In the next over, bowled by Broad, Yuvraj hit the first ball for a massive six over cow corner, measuring 111 meters. The second ball was flicked over square leg for another six. The third ball was smashed over extra cover for the third consecutive six. Broad, shaken by this attack, bowled a full toss which Yuvraj hit for the fourth six. After a brief pause for a discussion among the England players, Yuvraj continued his assault with a slog sweep for the fifth six. The camera showed Broad looking lost, unsure of where to bowl. The crowd sensed something special and went wild as Yuvraj hit the sixth consecutive six over mid-on.
This incredible display of hitting is considered one of the best ever seen in cricket and established Yuvraj as the most feared T20 player in the world.
2. Yuvraj’s 70 off 30 vs AUS, ICC T20 Worldcup at Durban, Sep 22, 2007
In a big game against Australia, MSD chose to bat first after winning the toss. But this time, the first batsmen didn’t do well. Yuvi had to lead the Indian team’s batting.
He didn’t try to hit every ball hard like he did against England. Instead, he carefully chose which balls to hit for runs. He mainly focused on hitting boundaries off the balls that were easy for him to hit. He particularly targeted the less experienced bowlers, Clark and Symonds, and played in his own impressive style.
Yuvi started by hitting Clark for a four and then played a great shot off Lee’s bowling. The best part of his batting was in the 14th over when he scored 21 runs against Clark. He began with a fantastic shot and then ran quickly between the wickets for three doubles in a row. Clark tried to surprise him with a fast ball, but Yuvi hit it over the field for a six to reach his 50 runs. Then he hit the next ball for another four, changing the game’s momentum in India’s favor. Yuvi’s smart and powerful batting helped India reach the finals of the 2007 WT20 tournament.
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3. Rohit’s 118 off 42 vs Srilanka, Sri Lanka tour of India at Indore, Dec 22, 2017
Even before this game, Sri Lanka was known for always losing to Rohit Sharma. In this match, Rohit showed why. Sri Lanka made a mistake by letting India bat first on a good pitch with short boundaries. Rohit quickly started hitting boundaries and sixes. He was careful against one bowler but hit the next one hard. He scored 50 runs in 23 balls and then started hitting even harder. Rohit reached a century in just 11.2 overs, almost breaking the record for the fastest in T20 cricket. But he got out after that. Still, his performance will be remembered as one of the best in T20 cricket.
4. Kohli’s 82 off 51 vs AUS, ICC T20 Worldcup at Chandigarh, Mar 27 2016
This was a really important game for both teams. India wanted to get back at Australia after losing to them in the 2015 World Cup. Australia decided to bat first after winning the toss. They scored 161 runs, which was a decent score given the slow pitch.
Virat Kohli came to bat when India started chasing in the fourth over. He showed once again why he’s considered one of the best chasers ever. He hit consecutive boundaries off the bowler Hazlewood and then kept scoring singles and doubles. Kohli’s skill in finding the gaps in the field was clear throughout his amazing innings.
With 39 runs needed from the last 3 overs, Kohli decided it was time to finish things off. He hit a boundary off the first ball of the 18th over bowled by Faulkner. Then, he faced a difficult ball, but managed to hit another four. The crowd was cheering loudly for Kohli, who then hit a six off the third ball of the over.
Even though there were still 20 runs needed from 2 overs, Kohli faced Coulter-Nile confidently. He missed the first ball, but then hit consecutive boundaries and effectively sealed the win for India.
In today’s cricket, where hitting big shots is common, Kohli’s innings stood out for its skill and precision. It showed that scoring runs can also be done with style and strategy.
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5. Kohli’s 72* off 44 vs SA, ICC T20 Worldcup at Dhaka, Apr 4, 2014
In the 2014 World Cup T20, South Africa challenged India to score 173 runs in the semi-final match. No team had ever chased that many runs against South Africa in T20I matches before. But this time, things were about to change.
Rohit started strong for India but got out after a quick start. Then Virat Kohli came to bat. He was becoming known as one of the best at chasing targets in the world. At first, he played carefully, taking his time to score. He hit his first boundary after facing 16 balls. But he kept the scoreboard moving by taking singles and doubles. He reached his fifty by hitting a six in the 16th over.
With 23 runs needed from 18 balls, Kohli almost finished the job in the 18th over by hitting two boundaries off Dale Steyn. His shots were precise and well-timed. The first boundary was a flick to the leg side, and the second was a cut shot over the point fielder. These shots ensured India’s victory and a spot in the final match.
Kohli’s innings was exceptional because the South African bowlers didn’t make many mistakes. But Kohli’s skill and understanding of the game’s situation made the crucial difference.
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