Who will join these stars and etch their name in history in this year's edition? It’s pretty easy to forget that the ICC T20 World Cup is just 14 years old. With the history it has accumulated over the course of its 14-year run, it actually seems like it has been with us for a longer duration.
The first edition of the World Cup was initiated for South Africa in September 2007 and there has been no looking back ever since.
Here’s a look at the thrilling 14-year journey of the T20 World Cup:
2007 edition
Two unforgettable weeks in South Africa began with Chris Gayle striking the first-ever international T20 century in the opening game. The Universe Boss plundered 10 sixes against the hosts in a brutal 117, coming off 57 balls and in a stunning partnership of 145 for the first wicket. Two days later, Gayle fell for a third-ball duck and West Indies slipped to a shock defeat to Bangladesh, who chased down 165 with two overs to spare.
The upsets didn’t end there as Zimbabwe stunned Australia to claim their first win over an ICC full member in four years, with Brendan Taylor to the fore with an unbeaten 64. Pakistan won all three of their games in the Super 8 stage, as skipper Shoaib Malik led from the front and Gul was potent with the ball to down New Zealand and reach the final.
Yuvraj Singh was the defining player of the tournament, starring with 70 from 30 balls in a semi-final win over Australia that set up a final between cricket’s greatest rivals, won by India by just five runs. Meanwhile, his six sixes in an over against England made Yuvraj an international superstar.
Herschelle Gibbs was the only batter to have done it in international cricket before Stuart Broad bounded in to bowl to Yuvraj in their group stage clash. Yuvraj reached 50 in 12 balls and wrote a chapter of still unmatched T20 history.
2009 edition
For the standout moment of the 2009 World Cup, you only have to look as far as the first game when the Dutch claimed an incredible four-wicket victory at Lord’s.
Later on, Gayle would be a headline act once again, thumping 88 from 50 balls against Australia with sixes that broke records for the furthest Oval crowds had seen the ball travel at the historic ground.
Packed English crowds watched on as Australia were beaten by a Kumar Sangakkara-inspired Sri Lanka to fall at the first hurdle in the group stage.
Ireland downed Bangladesh by six wickets to reach the Super 8 stage on their maiden World Cup appearance, where they were placed in a tough group alongside both eventual finalists.Hosts England claimed a thrilling three-run win over India in the Super 8s but finished third in their group to miss out on the final four.
All of the youngsters watching tried to recreate the ‘Dilscoop’ as Tillakaratne Dilshan lit up the event, making an unbeaten 96 to down West Indies in the semi-final and ending as top run scorer. Shahid Afridi hit his straps with bat and ball in the knockout stages and made half-centuries in the semi-finals and final as Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by eight wickets in a low-scoring Lord’s affair.
2010 edition
England ended their long wait for a win in an ICC-sanctioned global limited-overs event as they dispatched arch-rivals Australia to be crowned champions in the West Indies. Kevin Pietersen was named the man of the tournament for his contribution to England’s triumph, finishing with 248 runs from six matches despite getting off to a slow start.
In the group stages, Paul Collingwood’s side progressed from Group D in second behind the West Indies after a Duckworth-Lewis induced loss to the hosts and a no-result against Ireland. But England came alive in the knockout stages, topping their Super 8s group with victories over defending champions Pakistan and one of the pre-tournament favourites, South Africa.
On the other side of the draw, Australia also topped their group to progress along with Sri Lanka as the West Indies and 2007 champions India bowed out. Australia then won a thrilling contest against Pakistan to reach the final where they came up short against England, who chased down 148 to take the title with a seven-wicket win.
2012 edition
The first T20 World Cup to be held in an Asian country delivered another first-time champion as the West Indies stunned the host nation to clinch their maiden title.
Having honed their skills in the sub-continental conditions of the IPL, Gayle, Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine transferred them to the biggest stage in sensational fashion. Darren Sammy’s men were consistent from start to finish as they ended an eight-year wait for global silverware following West Indies’ ICC Champions Trophy victory in 2004.
The other group saw table-toppers Australia progress along with Pakistan, with the latter falling at the semi-final hurdle to Sri Lanka in a narrow 16-run defeat.
The West Indies turned on the style in their last-four encounter with Australia, with Gayle’s electrifying unbeaten 75 from 41 balls helping his side storm into the final with a 74-run victory.
But it was Marlon Samuels who took centre stage in the silverware showpiece, striking 78 from 56 balls in Colombo to fire Windies to a memorable 36-run success.
2014 edition
Sri Lanka finally shed their reputation as the nearly men by winning the 2014 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, beating India by six wickets in the final in Bangladesh.
In the final, it was the super death bowling of Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara that restricted India to 130-4 and an unbeaten 52 off 35 balls from Kumar Sangakkara saw his side home. Virat Kohli had made a half-century of his own with 77 off 58 in India’s innings and finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer with 319 at a mightily impressive average of 106.33.
South Africa’s leg-spinner Imran Tahir and Ahsan Malik, of surprise package the Netherlands, jointly topped the leading wicket-takers with 12 apiece.
2016 edition
The West Indies entered unchartered territory with a sensational T20 World Cup win in 2016 in India, becoming the first side to claim the title twice. Marlon Samuels had blasted his nation to glory in 2012 and he was at it again four years later, scoring 85 off just 66 balls to pick up his second player of the match gong in a T20 World Cup final after the four-wicket win over England. Samuels may have been player of the match but there was no question who had the champagne moment in the final.
Big-hitting all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite went from virtual unknown to cricketing superstar as he smoked Ben Stokes for four consecutive sixes in the final over.
After 2014, 2016 was the second tournament to feature 16 teams and Afghanistan were the main beneficiaries as the only associate nation to make it to the Super 10s.
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