The T20 World Cup has seen many outstanding players who play crucial roles like batting, bowling, all-rounding, and wicketkeeping. These players mostly represent top teams, having played numerous matches in the tournament. They greatly influence their team’s performance and can win matches on their own.
Here, we highlight the top 10 match-winners in T20 World Cup history
10. Luke Wright
Luke Wright’s inclusion here might surprise some. He performed well as both a batsman and a bowler for England from the late 2000s to early 2010s. He played 22 T20 World Cup matches for England, earning three Player of the Match awards. Despite being underrated, he single-handedly won several matches for his team.
9. Shakib Al Hasan
Shakib Al Hasan is Bangladesh’s top performer in cricket matches. When bowling, he keeps runs down and takes important wickets. As a batsman, he stabilizes the team on tough pitches. He’s earned three Player of the Match awards in 37 T20 World Cup games for Bangladesh.
8. AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers wasn’t very successful in the early T20 World Cups. But with each tournament, he improved a lot and helped South Africa win many matches. He was chosen as the Player of the Match in four out of 30 T20 WC games, mostly for his outstanding batting performances in the middle of the innings.
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7. Tillakaratne Dilshan
Tillakaratne Dilshan was thrilling to watch because of his creative batting style. As a Sri Lankan opener, he played aggressively. He was also useful as a bowler, often breaking key partnerships. Dilshan was excellent at ground fielding and catching. He won four Player of the Match awards in 35 T20 World Cup matches for Sri Lanka.
6. Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi was the best player in Pakistan’s T20 World Cup win in 2009. He could win matches by himself, batting and bowling. Afridi was a sensation in T20 cricket. He won four Player of the Match awards in 34 T20 World Cup games for Pakistan.
5. Shane Watson
Shane Watson was a fantastic player for Australia. Until 2016, he was their top all-rounder, able to win games both with his batting and bowling skills. He was named Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup 2012. Throughout the tournament, he played 24 matches and earned 5 Player of the Match awards for his team.
4. Chris Gayle
Chris Gayle was a pioneer in T20 cricket. He revolutionized how batsmen played in this format. In T20 World Cups, he single-handedly won many matches for the West Indies. He earned five Player of the Match awards in 33 games for the two-time champions.
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3. Mahela Jayawardene
Mahela Jayawardene scored the most runs in the T20 World Cup 2010. He batted both steadily and aggressively, making a big impact for Sri Lanka. He also stood out as a brilliant fielder, earning five Player of the Match awards in 31 matches.
2. Adam Zampa
Adam Zampa has a great record of winning Player of the Match awards in T20 World Cups. He has played only 17 matches and has already won five Player of the Match awards. In the 2021 T20 World Cup, he was at his best, changing the games for his team with his spin bowling in the UAE.
1. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is the top match-winner in T20 World Cups. He’s the only player to win seven Player of the Match awards in the tournament, across 30 matches. For India, he often stood out as the key batter, capable of winning matches on his own against the world’s best bowlers.
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