The First T20 World Cup: A New Era of Cricket

Swapna

The First T20 World Cup: A New Era of Cricket

Whether you love cricket or you are not a big fan of the game, when it comes to India’s match, we all become cricket fans and spread out on our couches to enjoy our country’s match. The anticipation never wanes, whether it is for a T20 world cup, a test match, or a one-day encounter. As we are talking about this, let me reminisce about the first T20 match in 2007.

The victory of team India in T20 World Cup 2007, Image source- DNA India

The 2007 ICC World Twenty20 was introduced as the newest form of cricket between 11th and 24th September. The ground was set in the land of South Africa, and the teams were ready.

The event turned into massive success and revived the globe from the disappointing ODI World Cup that was held earlier that year. With this raging success, people fell in love with this short form of the game that changed the face of international cricket.

The thirteen-day tournament featured twelve teams. Of those, there were ten test-playing teams, including the 2007 WCL Division One finalists, Kenya and Scotland. But, you know, Sabse aage honge Hindustani. By outpacing the thirteen teams far behind, India won the tournament by defeating Pakistan in the final.

The first Twenty20 World Championship ought to be the most watched cricket match on a "global" scale in a decade. The event did turn out to be a smashing success, with the event going ahead smoothly without a hitch.

India defeated their bitter foe, Pakistan, in the World Cup final to become the first T20 champion. India's beating of Pakistan on bowl-out was one of the two iconic events in the history of the T20 World Cup.

Not only did this newly designed match captivate the audience, but it also gave India a legendary triumph. The much-celebrated victory of the Indians also brought a new era to cricket, which was the legendary era of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

The tournament was divided into four groups, where each group had three teams. With a boundary off Shaun Pollock's very first delivery of the match, Chris Gayle gave the competition the perfect start. The series of matches went on, making the tournament more and more interesting. Finally, it was time for the Super Eight, where the top two teams from each group stepped in.

In the Super Eight, India hit a roadblock when they lost to New Zealand by ten runs, but they recovered admirably with a memorable performance against England on the 19th of September at Kingsmead, Durban. Yuvraj Singh hit six sixes in a single Stuart Broad over, and the southpaw's 16-ball 58 helped India defeat England by 18 runs.

As the semi-final neared, audiences waited for it with bated breaths. The semi-final matches were played on the 22nd of September. In the morning, Pakistan and New Zealand faced each other in Capetown, and the second match in the afternoon was between India and Australia in Durban.

After the incredible matches came the hours that every cricket fan awaited. On the 24th of September, at the Bullring, India and Pakistan got ready for a thrilling final. As usual, the Indo-Pak match has always been a highly intensified match.

After hours of ups and downs, the game came down to the final over, with Pakistan requiring 13 runs and possessing a wicket. After scoring seven runs off the first two balls, Misbah-ul-Haq attempted to paddle scoop Joginder Sharma's ball over fine leg but was caught out.