ICC World T20 2016: Top 10 batting knocks from the premier event

Now that the event is over, let us take a look at some of the best innings being played in the ICC World T20 2016.

ICC World T20 2016, played in India for the first time, was a hugely successful event. In a fitting finale, West Indies beat England and became the first team to win the mega event for the second time. It witnessed some heart-stopping matches, stunning catches, spellbinding bowling-spells and of course, astonishing knocks. As a matter of fact, in the battle of bat and ball, the former prevailed with four sixes being hit of the final four balls of the tournament. Now that the event is over, let us take a look at some of the best innings being played in the World T20.

1.  Marlon Samuels 85* (66), England vs West Indies, Final

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. The saying goes perfectly with Marlon Samuels. The ‘Silent Killer’ from Jamaica had done it before for his team in 2012 World T20 final with a match-winning knock. He did it again in 2016 by with a majestic unbeaten 85 from 66 balls to guide his team to their second title. The innings enhanced his reputation as big-match player.

2.  Chris Gayle 100* (48), England vs West Indies, 15th Match, Super 10 Group 1

England put 182 on the board. Little did they know what lay in store for them, for Chris Gayle was about to unleash a barrage of fours and sixes on their bowlers. By the time they could regain their senses, the ‘Gayle-storm’ had done irreparable damage with his 47-ball ton that had 11 sixes and 5 fours and had taken his team home.

3.  Virat Kohli 82* (51), India vs Australia, 31st Match, Super 10 Group 2

Adjectives go missing when it comes to praise Virat Kohli. The Indian vice-captain, in the form of his life during the tournament, hammered the Australian bowlers in a tricky chase and almost single-handedly won India what was the virtual quarter-final. Kohli, a master of chases, punished the Australian bowling attack and chased down the Australian total of 160, with the last 39 runs coming in just 13 balls.

4.  Lendl Simmons 82* (51), West Indies vs India, 2nd Semi-Final

Lendl Simmons was destined to take West Indies in to the final. Named in the original squad, he was ruled out due to an injury at the eleventh hour and replaced by Andre Fletcher. As luck would have it, Fletcher got injured just before the knock-outs and was replaced by Simmons, who, by then had regained full fitness. He landed in Mumbai, shook off his jet lag, and played a blinder to crush the hopes of millions of Indian fans in a thrilling semi-final. His 51-ball 82 at his IPL home ground saw West Indies through to the final.

5.  Jason Roy 78 (44), England vs New Zealand, 1st Semi-Final

Jason Roy has been the face of English resurgence in limited-overs cricket for quite some time now. His 44-ball 78 against a New Zealand attack (that had troubled every opponent till then) underlined his growing stature. More importantly, the knock came in a high-pressure semi-final and that too in chase. That sums it all.

6.  Carlos Brathwaite 34* (10), England vs West Indies, Final

When big-hitting all-rounder Kieron Pollard was injured and ruled out of the West Indies’ World T20 squad, little did the fans realise that it was a blessing in disguise. The big Trinidadian was replaced by a strong Bajan Brathwaite in a like-for-like replacement; the impact of this change was only felt in the last four balls of the tournament, when, almost miraculously, Brathwaite hit Ben Stokes for four consecutive sixes to chase down 19 off the final over and bring home the second title. His unbeaten 10-ball 34 may not have earned him the Man of the Match award, but that does not belittle his contribution.

7.  Virat Kohli 55* (37), India vs Pakistan, 19th Match, Super 10 Group 2

Kohli’s special love affair with Pakistan continued in the World Cups, as he produced yet another match-winning effort in a tricky chase. His unbeaten 37-ball 55 set up India’s win when the team was tattering at 23 for 3. He walked out of the match with his reputation of being a master of chases further enhanced.

8.  Jos Buttler 66* (37), England vs Sri Lanka, 29th Match, Super 10 Group 1

Another exciting England player who has played a key role in their limited-overs transformation, Jos Buttler hammered the hapless Sri Lanka bowlers and took his team to the semi-finals. On a traditionally not-so-friendly batting surface in Delhi, Buttler scored a brilliant 37-ball 66 to put up a competitive total on board, giving good account of what he can do for the Mumbai Indians in his maiden IPL season.

9.  Virat Kohli 89* (47), West Indies vs India, 2nd Semi-Final

Words fall short in Kohli’s praise. Enough has already been written about him in this piece, with his knocks finding multiple spots in the top 10. This one against West Indies was sheer class, as he built the Indian innings and climaxed it at an almost par score. But this time, his innings resulting in an Indian win was not meant to be.

10.  Tamim Iqbal 83* (58), Bangladesh vs Netherlands, 3rd Match, Group A

If an opener plays out 20 overs in a T20 and scored 83 not out, eyebrows are raised. But when we take a closer look at the conditions and match situation, the perception may completely change. Flying in from home conditions of Bangladesh to the high-altitude Dharamsala to play his first game in the World T20, Tamim Iqbal was up against conditions where even breathing was not an easy exercise at times, and scored an unbeaten 83 from 58 balls. If even an iota of doubt remains about the class of his knock, Bangladesh’s victory margin of 8 runs should clear it.

Special mentions: Joe Root (83 against South Africa in batting paradise Mumbai and 54 in the final), Mahmudullah (29-ball 49* against Australia), Andre Fletcher (match-winning 84* against Sri Lanka), Shahid Afridi (19-ball 49 against Bangladesh — which, for a brief period, suggested his return to form), Martin Guptill (48-ball 80 against Pakistan) and Angelo Mathews (54-ball 73* in a losing cause against England).

(A self-confessed cricket freak, Chinmay Jawalekar is a senior writer with CricLife and CricketCountry. When not writing or following cricket, he loves to read, eat and sleep. He can be followed here @CricfreakTweets)

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