September 24 – one of the most significant days in the history of Indian cricket – on this day, 11 years back, a young India side, led by a new captain, clinched the inaugural ICC World T20 in South Africa.
September 24 – one of the most significant days in the history of Indian cricket – on this day, 11 years back, a young India side, led by a new captain, clinched the inaugural ICC World T20 in South Africa.
The day witnessed the beginning of quite a few things that would go on to make a massive difference in the future of cricket. Senior players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sourav Ganguly chose to skip that tournament citing T20 format was for the younger players.
Fast forward to the Indian Premier League, each one of them have played in the T20 league and today, the shortest format is easily the most popular one among the current generation of fans.
India’s win in the 2007 World T20 also witnessed the beginning of a new chapter in Indian cricket and Dhoni was the ruler of it. He went on to become the most successful Indian captain who led India to victories in all three ICC tournaments – World T20 (2007), 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup and 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. He also took Indian Test team to ICC’s top rank in 2009.
Coming into the 2007 World T20, India certainly were not the favourites. They even lost to New Zealand in the group stage but fortunately, that would go on to be India’s only loss in the tournament. En route to the final, Dhoni and Co had defeated the likes of South Africa and Australia before they went past their arch-rivals for the second time that tournament and this time the result was even sweeter because it was in the final.
Batting first, India posted 157 for 5 in 20 overs. Thanks to Gautam Gambhir, who top scored with 75, while Rohit Sharma’s late cameo took India’s total past 150.
Pakistan had a terrible start as they lost their key batsman Mohammad Hafeez in the very first over. Things got worse, as they were seven down by 16th over.
Just when the final looked to have slipped away from them, Misbah-ul-Haq took the charge on his own hands.
Misbah hammered Harbhajan Singh for three sixes in the 17th over and suddenly there was a new ray of hope for the Men in Green. In the next over, Sohail Tanvir treated Sreesanth in the same way as he smashed two sixes.
However, Pakistan kept losing wickets and they were nine down and 13 runs away from a win when the match closed down to the final over.
Joginder Singh, who was hardly known in cricket in India, was given the final over. Dhoni’s gamble immediately looked to backfire when Joginder’s second ball went for a six.
However, the very next ball Misbah played a shot that will probably haunt him for the rest of his life as he tried to scoop Joginder over short fine-leg, only to find safe hands of Sreesanth, who made no mistake to ensure the ribbons on the inaugural World T20 trophy would be blue!
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "India won the World T20 2007")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}