The game ended in a tie after the regular 20 overs, and the win came in a super over. This surprised the cricket world and made many experts think cricket might become popular in the country where baseball is king.
Here are the top five most surprising upsets in the 17-year history of the T20 World Cup, ranked by how shocking they were:
1. USA beat Pakistan- 2024
The co-hosts had never played against Pakistan in any type of match before Thursday. The USA, ranked 12 places lower than the 2009 champions Pakistan, went into the match confidently after beating Canada in their first game of the tournament. Pakistan, on the other hand, had recently lost a series to England.
Despite their different recent performances, few experts expected the USA, a team of new professional cricketers, to defeat one of cricket’s top teams. The USA’s team includes players who used to play in India, Pakistan, West Indies, South Africa, and New Zealand. The country’s cricket facilities are not the best, and the World Cup is being held in the USA by the International Cricket Council.
Despite these challenges, the USA team remained calm and professional, pulling off a surprising win in Dallas to kick off the biggest cricket event in the USA.
2. Netherlands beat England- 2009
The first T20 World Cup began at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, with England playing against the Netherlands.
England seemed to be in a good position after scoring 163 runs, which was a high score in the early days of T20 cricket, and the Netherlands lost their first wicket in the first over. However, the Netherlands recovered in the middle of their innings, and a 60-run partnership between Tom de Grooth and Peter Borren led them to a famous victory under the grey evening sky at Lord’s.
3. Nepal beat Afghanistan- 2014
Nepal was playing in the T20 World Cup for the first time and had already won one game against Hong Kong. However, Afghanistan was a strong team with many players who played in leagues around the world.
Players like Mohammad Shahzad, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, and Asghar Afghan were in the team, but they fell nine runs short of the target set by Nepal’s Paras Khadka.
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4. Namibia beat Sri Lanka- 2022
Namibia had been playing cricket for many years, but beating the 2014 T20 champions and the 1996 World Cup winners was a big achievement.
They scored a strong total of 163 runs and then bowled exceptionally well, causing Sri Lanka to collapse. Sri Lanka was all out for 108 runs in 19 overs, leading to celebrations for Namibia.
5. Afghanistan beat West Indies- 2016
The West Indies were one of the favorite teams in the 2016 tournament, with top T20 players like Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, and Daren Sammy.
Samuel Badree led their spin bowling and held Afghanistan to 123 runs. However, Afghanistan’s spinners, Rashid Khan and Nabi, each took two wickets, causing the West Indies to struggle. Afghanistan achieved a remarkable six-wicket victory.
A few days later, the West Indies won the trophy, making Afghanistan’s win even more impressive.
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