In the early days of T20 cricket, people thought Indian batsmen weren’t good for this format because they focused more on timing than power. But Yuvraj Singh’s amazing performance in the 2007 T20 World Cup, especially his 12-ball half-century, changed this idea completely. Since then, many Indian players have given incredible performances.
Naturally, some great performances won’t be on this list. For example, KL Rahul’s century against West Indies, Suresh Raina’s century against South Africa, and Gautam Gambhir’s 75 against Pakistan in the 2007 World T20 final are all fantastic innings. However, they aren’t included here because their impact was slightly less compared to the other innings featured in this article.
This article will highlight the top 5 memorable innings by Indians in T20 Internationals.
1. Yuvraj’s 58 off 16 vs ENG, ICC T20 Worldcup at Durban, Sep 19, 2007
In an important game for India, Dhoni won the toss and decided to bat first. Gambhir and Sehwag had a great start, scoring 136 runs together. This set up the stage for Yuvraj to end the innings strongly. Yuvraj’s performance that day was amazing and still stands out. He started carefully, avoiding a bouncer, but soon began hitting powerful shots.
Yuvraj hit two fours in a row off Flintoff, quickly reaching 14 runs from just 6 balls. Flintoff tried to distract him with some words, but it only made Yuvraj more focused.
In the next over by Broad, Yuvraj hit the first ball for a huge six over cow corner, measuring 111 meters. He hit the second ball over square leg for another six. The third ball went over extra cover for the third six. Broad, now nervous, bowled a full toss which Yuvraj smashed for the fourth six. After a short discussion among the England players, Yuvraj hit the next ball with a slog sweep for the fifth six. The camera showed Broad looking confused and unsure where to bowl. The crowd went wild as Yuvraj hit the sixth six over mid-on.
This amazing display of hitting is considered one of the best in cricket history and made Yuvraj the most feared T20 player in the world.
2. Yuvraj’s 70 off 30 vs AUS, ICC T20 Worldcup at Durban, Sep 22, 2007
In a big game against Australia, MSD decided to bat first after winning the toss. However, the opening batsmen didn’t perform well, so Yuvi had to take charge of India’s batting.
Instead of trying to hit every ball hard like he did against England, Yuvi carefully chose which balls to attack. He focused on hitting boundaries off the easier balls, especially targeting the less experienced bowlers, Clark and Symonds, with his impressive style.
Yuvi started strong by hitting Clark for a four and then played a great shot off Lee’s bowling. The highlight of his innings was in the 14th over when he scored 21 runs off Clark. He began with a fantastic shot and then ran quickly for three doubles in a row. When Clark tried to surprise him with a fast ball, Yuvi hit it for a six to reach his 50 runs. He followed this with another four, shifting the game’s momentum in India’s favor. Yuvi’s smart and powerful batting helped India reach the finals of the 2007 WT20 tournament.
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3. Rohit’s 118 off 42 vs Srilanka, Sri Lanka tour of India at Indore, Dec 22, 2017
Before this game, Sri Lanka was known for always struggling against Rohit Sharma. In this match, Rohit showed why. Sri Lanka made a mistake by letting India bat first on a good pitch with short boundaries. Rohit quickly started hitting boundaries and sixes. He was careful against one bowler but hit the next one hard. He scored 50 runs in 23 balls and then started hitting even harder. Rohit reached a century in just 11.2 overs, almost breaking the record for the fastest century in T20 cricket. But he got out after that. Still, his performance will be remembered as one of the best in T20 cricket.
4. Kohli’s 82 off 51 vs AUS, ICC T20 Worldcup at Chandigarh, Mar 27 2016
This was a very important game for both teams. India wanted to get back at Australia after losing to them in the 2015 World Cup. Australia won the toss and chose to bat first. They scored 161 runs, which was a good score considering the slow pitch.
Virat Kohli came to bat in the fourth over of India’s chase. He showed why he’s considered one of the best chasers. He hit back-to-back boundaries off Hazlewood and kept scoring singles and doubles. Kohli’s ability to find gaps in the field was clear throughout his great innings.
With 39 runs needed from the last 3 overs, Kohli decided to finish the game. He hit a boundary on the first ball of the 18th over bowled by Faulkner. Then he faced a tough ball but managed to hit another four. The crowd cheered loudly for Kohli, who then hit a six off the third ball of the over.
Even though 20 runs were still needed from 2 overs, Kohli faced Coulter-Nile confidently. He missed the first ball but then hit back-to-back boundaries, effectively securing the win for India.
In today’s cricket, where hitting big shots is common, Kohli’s innings stood out for its skill and precision. It showed that runs can be scored with style and strategy.
5. Kohli’s 72* off 44 vs SA, ICC T20 Worldcup at Dhaka, Apr 4, 2014
In the 2014 T20 World Cup, South Africa set a target of 173 runs for India in the semi-final match. No team had ever chased that many runs against South Africa in a T20I match before. But things were about to change.
Rohit Sharma started well for India but got out after a quick start. Then Virat Kohli came to bat. He was becoming famous for being one of the best at chasing targets. At first, he played carefully and took his time to score. He hit his first boundary after facing 16 balls. He kept the scoreboard moving with singles and doubles. He reached his fifty by hitting a six in the 16th over.
With 23 runs needed from 18 balls, Kohli almost finished the job in the 18th over by hitting two boundaries off Dale Steyn. His shots were precise and well-timed. The first boundary was a flick to the leg side, and the second was a cut shot over the point fielder. These shots ensured India’s victory and a place in the final match.
Kohli’s innings were exceptional because the South African bowlers bowled well. But Kohli’s skill and understanding of the game made the crucial difference.
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