Jayanta Oinam
Like any alternative sporting spectacle, the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 additionally produced its share of brilliance, moments worth remembering – for players, for organisers and fans. Let`s have a glance at ten things that outlined the tournament.
Associate teams: Before the tournament correct – with competence named Super ten because it concerned all the massive boys, 2-group round-robin format first-round matches were control for the six Associate teams and two Full Member teams – Asian country and Southern Rhodesia. of course, Asian country topped their group and attained the correct to vie with the massive boys.
But European country surprised everybody when they pipped Southern Rhodesia and eire to represent their group. It served as an ideal platform for the Dutch team to showcase their skills as they beat England, yet again, and nearly aghast African country in their Super ten outings.
Dew factor, hail-storm, weather: One factor which seemed to have affected most of the matches in the tournament was that of condensation. teams fielding second had to endure some robust times with wet balls. The menace of wet balls had become therefore forbidding, that the Pakistani team selected to apply with wet balls.
Besides the wet balls, the tournament additionally witnessed spells of rain. In one such spell, the Kaal-boisakhi (NorWesters), accompanied with hail-storm forced the first semi-final match between country and the Indies to abandon with the Lankans winning it on Duckworth-Lewis technique.
Yet another Indo-Pak match: after the fascinating India-Pakistan clash in the recent Asia Cup, the T20 tournament yet again cellular the two arch-rivals. Keeping the tradition alive, Bharat beat Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Despite Pakistan`s success in the continental competition, their jinx at the world Cup continued. it absolutely was their ninth meeting in the World Cups with Bharat winning all of them (5 in ODIs, 4 in T20s).
Gayle`s Gangnam: some of the simplest best-known celebrations have been enacted in the field of sports. And American cricketers have continuously been the most-loved ones for their celebrations. during their Super ten win over Australia, a gung-ho Chris Gayle jigged the Gangnam style, albeit in an exceedingly more savage manner. His celebration nearly took some of his own team-mates down, as the happy rush to welcome Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo tripped a couple of in the battle royal.
Hales and Shehzad hundreds: there have been solely 2 centuries, those of Alex Hales and Ahmed Shehzad. These knocks were the high-points of somewhat other-wise lacklustre performances from their various teams. Hales 116 was compiled off 67 balls after England had lost 2 wickets in the terribly initial over against the eventual champions country.
For Shehzad, it absolutely was AN innings of plenteous joy, as a unfortunate Asian country team failed to live the skill and craft of Pakistani opener.
Chandimal opted out: It`s arduous to imagine a player sacrificing his spot during a tournament, let alone a captain. However, Sri Lanka`s T20 skipper Dinesh Chandimal showed novelty in sacrificing the berth, citing poor kind in the latter a part of the tournament.
From cricket to soccer, every player needs to vie at the very best stage. however few have the center and higher sense to cop out for the larger reason behind the team. In his absence, Lasith Malinga light-emitting diode the Lankans to their much-awaited World Twenty20 title.
South African misery: South Africans square measure known as the perennial chokers of the game! this is how the cricketing world have began to write-off the Proteas. and therefore the misery continued in Asian country. Their semi-final defeat to Bharat was yet another blot in their poor ICC sanctioned tournaments.
Despite a robust batting display, posting 172, South Africa`s illustrious bowling unit light-emitting diode by valley Steyn failed to contain the Indians. South Africa`s last triumph in any ICC tournament was method back in 1998, when they won the inaugural Champions Trophy.
Spin web: The 2014 World Twenty20 are going to be remembered for the revitalisation of spinners. These tweakers well-tried themselves to be the match-winners for their teams. Tournaments high 5 wickets takers square measure all spinners – Imran Tahir (12 wickets), Ahsan leader (12), Samuel Badree (11), Ravichandran Ashwin (11) and Amit Mishra (10). They exploited the `somewhat` favourable conditions to the handle.
Kohli factor: Bharat rode into Virat Kohli`s brilliance, creating it to the final. The Bharat top-order batsman, who was adjudged Player of the Tournament, performed as champion batsmen have drained the past. His average of 106.33 with a strike-rate of almost one hundred thirty was the stuff legends square measure manufactured from.
His total run tally of 319 from six matches, is yet again a testament of the very fact of what an unbelievable player he has become in limited-overs cricket. Besides, he additionally compiled four fifties, together with that of 77 in the final, and came back undefeated in three innings.
Sanga-Mahela farewell: The tournament served as the good farewell party for the Sri Lankan pair of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. enjoying in their final T20 match for country, the veterans contributed with bat as they beat Bharat in the final.
Coming into the decider, each the players have vie in four finals along, losing when. Another defeat would have destroyed their standing as 2 of the leading cricketers of contemporary times.
