T20 World Cup Winners List
| Year | Winner | Runner Up | Final Venue |
| 2007 | India | Pakistan | Johannesburg |
| 2009 | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | London |
| 2010 | England | Australia | Bridgetown |
| 2012 | West Indies | Sri Lanka | Colombo |
| 2014 | Sri Lanka | India | Dhaka |
| 2016 | West Indies | England | Kolkata |
The ICC T20 World Cup is almost upon us, and the excitement is already palpable. The tournament was initially slated to be held in 2020. But COVID19 forced a delay, and the international cricket council decided to keep the event in 2021 in the UAE. The critical question before any significant tournament begins is the winner. T20 has been a hugely popular format of the game, and the T20 World Cup always grabs eyeballs. You must be wondering about the Men’s T20 World Cup Winners List over the years. We have the answer here.
India won the first edition of the T20 WC back in 2007, with MS Dhoni leading a young pack to glory. The win was a pivotal moment as it led to the formation of the Indian Premier League, and the cricket world turned for the better. India ranks first in the T20 World Cup Winners List, while West Indies is the reigning T20 champion.
Let’s have a look at the T20 World Cup Winners List over the years.
1) 2007 – Winner: India | Runner Up: Pakistan
The T20 World Cup 2007 was a watershed moment in the history of T20 cricket. Who can forget Misbah-ul-Haq going for a lap shot with Pakistan needing 6 to win off 4 balls and caught by Sreesanth at short fine leg? India’s win in the first edition ranks first in the T20 World Cup winners list. No one had expected the Indians to come out as winners. MS Dhoni was a young captain who was leading a team sans a lot of the superstars.
India tied their first group game against Pakistan in the T20 WC before going down to New Zealand. Then came the match against England in which Yuvraj Singh smashed six sixes in an over, and there was no stopping India thereon. They got past England by 10 runs and then defeated South Africa by 37 runs to qualify into the semifinals. However, defeating Australia in an international tournament organised by the International Cricket Council was never easy.
Australia amassed 188/5 in their 20 overs. But a determined Indian team led by Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni got them over the line with plenty to spare. A dream India vs Pakistan final ensued in Johannesburg with everything on the line. Gautam Gambhir’s epic 75 led India to 157/5 in the first innings. Irfan Pathan and RP Singh then bowled brilliantly as Pakistan were kept to 152 in 19.3 overs.
The Indian team won the first ICC T20 Cricket World Cup final match against Pakistan by 5 runs, and the IPL was born shortly after. The first international tournament for T20 saw one of the largest attendance, and it made sure that the format was here to stay.
2) 2009 – Winner: Pakistan | Runner Up: Sri Lanka
The second name on the T20 World Cup winners list is Pakistan. After the agony of being beaten in the final, Pakistan came back strongly to win the second edition of the T20 World Cup held in England.
Pakistan was pretty much the dominant team in the entire tournament losing just one match. They started their campaign with a win against the host nation England before handsomely beating Netherlands, New Zealand and Ireland on the way to the semis. In the semifinal, Pakistan defeated South Africa by 7 runs before Shahid Afridi led the Men in Green to a famous win against Sri Lanka in the final.
Shahid Afridi was the Player of the Match for his efforts, while Tillakaratne Dilshan took the Player of the Series award.
3) 2010 – Winner: England | Runner Up: Australia
The 2010 edition of the World Cup was held the following year in 2010, and England won it, defeating Australia in the final. Held in the West Indies, the tournament was one of the most followed in the history of T20 cricket.
England started their journey in the 2010 T20 World Cup on a losing note against host country West Indies before their match against Ireland got washed out. They then beat defending champions Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand to qualify for the semis.
In the semifinal, England was up against Sri Lanka, who they beat comfortably by 7 wickets. The final was also a breezy affair for England as they beat archrivals Australia by 7 wickets with three overs to spare and crowned champions.
4) 2012 – Winner: West Indies | Runner Up: Sri Lanka
It is no secret that West Indies have some of the biggest power hitters the game has ever seen, and the Men in Maroon showed their might in the 2012 edition of the T20 World Cup. Ranked fourth on the T20 World Cup winners list, West Indies won the 2012 edition after a stellar campaign.
They huffed and puffed their way into the Super Eights, but there was no turning back once they did. The West Indies cricket team defeated England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand to the final four. In the semifinal, West Indies defeated Australia in a match for the ages.
The men from the Caribbean then met Sri Lanka in the final. Marlon Samuels and Sunil Narine were the top performers as West Indies took the title home defeating Sri Lanka by 36 runs.
5) 2014 – Winner: Sri Lanka | Runner Up: India
The 2014 edition of the ICC World Cup was a particularly heartbreaking one for Team India. They had a remarkable campaign and could have easily made the T20 World Cup Winners Cup list but faltered at the last hurdle.
The Sri Lankan team was determined to correct all the wrongs of the earlier campaigns. They lost just one game in the group stages on their way to the semis. Sri Lanka won the semifinal encounter against the West Indies convincingly to set up a date against India in the finale.
India was in the prime form that year, and many would have expected them to win the title. However, several star players had an off day as India could only muster 130/4 in their 20 overs. The chase was never tough, and Sri Lanka won the match and final by 6 wickets.
6) 2016 – Winner: West Indies | Runner Up: England
West Indies showed their prowess in the shortest format of the game as they once again became T20 World Cup champions in 2016. West Indies are the first team to have their name on the T20 World Cup winners list twice in the tournament’s brief history.
The Men in Maroon were clinical all through the tournament. They started by beating England in the group stage before beating Sri Lanka and South Africa to qualify for the semifinal. The match against India at the Wankhede Stadium was an epic one. Virat Kohli led the batting unit as India put up a strong 192/2. But West Indies overhauled the target with plenty to spare.
In the final, it was a Carlos Brathwaite show as he plundered 24 runs in the final over off Ben Stokes to give West Indies their second title. West Indies are the only team to win the T20 World Cup twice.
How Many Times India Won T20 World Cup?
India has been part of the T20 World Cup in all six editions. India won the inaugural edition of the World T20 in 2007 in South Africa. Since then, they have qualified for the final once in 2014 and semis in 2016. However, 2021 will provide them with an excellent chance to repeat the heroics of 2007.
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