After 45 matches of breathless action, the 2021 T20 World Cup came to a close with Australia winning their first title in the shortest format while Kane Williamson’s side suffered more heartbreak in another ICC Final. There have been countless incredible performances over the past month, so here are our Man’s Life T20 World Cup Awards, recapping some of the best moments from the UAE.
BEST BATSMAN
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David Warner has been one of the most dominant batters in T20 cricket over the last decade, and the Aussie opener put an end to any speculation of his decline with his stellar performances in this World Cup. Warner ended the tournament as the second-highest run-getter with 289 runs at a strike rate of 146, and in Australia’s final three must-win games in the tournament, against the West Indies, Pakistan and New Zealand, the opener came up clutch with scores of 89*, 49 and 53.
BEST BOWLER
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The bowlers dominated what was one of the lowest-scoring T20 World Cups yet, and Adam Zampa rose to the occasion to help Australia win their first-ever T20 World Cup. Zampa has been the king of the middle overs in this tournament, finishing with an economy rate of just 5.81 and picking up the most wickets in the Super 12 stage. In the two knockout games, Zampa conceded only 6 runs per over while also taking the important wickets of openers Babar Azam and Martin Guptill at a crucial juncture in the game.
MOST IMPROVED TEAM
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Sri Lanka entered the 2021 T20 World Cup as the ninth-best team in the T20 rankings, but the Lankan Lions showed plenty of promise in this tournament with a young team brimming with potential. In Charith Asalanka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka have two exciting young talents with the bat – who were both striking at over 140 in this tournament – and with Wanindu Hasaranga, Sri Lanka have one of the most exciting T20 players on the planet. South Africa, on the back of brilliance from Rassie Van Der Dussen, Aiden Markram and their fast bowling unit, were a close second.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
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The West Indies endured a tough campaign – winning only one of five games – but the biggest disappointment of this World Cup has to be Virat Kohli’s India, who came into the tournament as favourites and crashed out of the tournament at the Super 12 stage. India couldn’t have asked for better preparation or conditions for this tournament, but the star-studded Men in Blue lost both their opening games against Pakistan and New Zealand in an embarrassing fashion.
India picked up only two wickets and hit only six sixes in those first two games, with Virat Kohli’s side failing to reach the final four of an ICC event for the first time since 2012.
BIGGEST SURPRISE
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The biggest surprise of the tournament has to be the emergence of Matthew Wade the finisher, who produced some devastating power-hitting to flip Australia’s fortunes against Pakistan in the semi-final. Matthew Wade primarily made his name for Australia and in the Big Bash as an opener, but the wicket-keeper batsman channelled his inner MS Dhoni to finish the game off in style for Australia. Facing one of the deadliest fast-bowlers in world cricket, Wade played two audacious lap shots for six in a phenomenal innings of 41 from 17 that handed Pakistan their first T20 defeat in the UAE since 2016.
[Featured Image Credit: ICC]
Shivaan Shah