By In a land where baseball and rugby rule the hearts of citizens, the Monank Patel-led team amped up ICC’s intention to promote cricket in the USA after the side inflicted one of the biggest ever upsets in the history of T20 World Cup on Thursday as they beat 2009 champions Pakistan in their Group A encounter at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas. The win came after the USA tied the score of 159 in the regulation 20 overs before holding nerves in the Super Over to send shockwaves through the cricket world.
But where does USA’s stunner against Pakistan rank among the greatest-ever upsets in T20 World Cup history?
1. USA beat Pakistan, 2024 T20 World Cup: Well, it certainly had to make the top of this list. Why? The USA, which only made its debut in the format in 2019, have never played Pakistan in any international match before. And, they only played against a full-member ICC nation four times before, the first being in 2022 against Zimbabwe, and lost on three occasions. Moreover, the debutants in the T20 World Cup, who qualified as mere hosts, were ranked 12th in the ICC chart heading into the tournament, while Pakistan were the champions in 2009 and the runners-up in the previous edition in 2022.
Given the contrasting forms, none gave the USA, which mostly comprises players who played in India, Pakistan, West Indies, South Africa and New Zealand until a few years ago, an edge over Pakistan in the match. Yet, the side were not only more strategically sound with the use of their options against an experienced Pakistan side, but also calm under pressure towards the fag end of their chase and in the Super Over.
2. Zimbabwe beat Australia, 2007 T20 World Cup: Elton Chigumbura proved Australia’s decision to bat first in the group-stage match wrong as he picked two early wickets to send the white-ball mavericks three down in just four overs for 19 runs. Brad Hodge and Andrew Symonds did look to show some resistance, but were restricted to just 138 for nine in 20 overs. In response, Brendan Taylor’s unbeaten 60 off 45 single-handedly helped Zimbabwe survive the thriller with a balls to spare in the chase.
3. Netherlands beat England, 2009 T20 World Cup: In the first and only T20 World Cup game hosted at the home of cricket, the Lord’s, the hosts cruised to a rather respectable total of 162 for five, riding on a century opening stand between Ravi Bopara and Luke Wright. In response, James Anderson snared a wicket in the fifth ball of the second innings to inflict a much-predicted poor start from the Netherlands. But the visitors regrouped on the back of a 60-run partnership between Tom de Grooth and Peter Borren as the Men in Orange scripted one of the most famous wins in the tournament’s history.
4. Zimbabwe beat Pakistan, 2022 T20 World Cup: Amid the cricket turmoil in the country, Zimbabwe managed to script yet another significant win in the history of the sport when they stunned Pakistan in 2022. The target of 131 was never enough, especially against an experienced Pakistan side and with Shahn Masood carving out a well-fought 44 off 38. Yet Sikandar Raza made the chase difficult for the former champions, picking three wickets for just 25 runs to restrict Pakistan to just 129 for eight.
5. Afghanistan beat West Indies, 2016 T20 World Cup: Afghanistan only recently gained the status of being a force to reckon with in T20I cricket. But back in 2016, in the early days of their cricketing history, and against a formidable Windies line-up comprising Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell and Daren Sammy, few or none gave them any chance of a win. Moreover, Samuel Badree inspired the side to restrict Afghanistan to just 123. But the spin twins Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi had other plans. They picked up two wickets each to leave the 2012 champions reeling as Afghanistan scripted a famous six-wicket win. What added to Afghanistan’s glory later in the tournament was that West Indies bounced back to win the tournament for the second time in history.
