T20 Champions

The period lasting from the year 1998 to 2001 was can be traced back as the time of origin of Twenty20 cricket. However, it was in the year 2001 that the idea of a shortened form of cricket, earlier discussed by England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), began to take a concrete shape. The concept of 40-over game, with 20 overs per innings, was presented to the county chairman in the same year and later, passed with a voting of 11-7, 11 in favor and 7 against. Soon, the new form of cricket was given the name of Twenty20, more popularly T20.

  

Soon after the first Twenty20 cricket tournament was played and became overnight success, South Africa, Australia and the West Indies also organized similar tournaments, which again attracted huge cricket audience. In the year 2005, history was created, when Twenty20 cricket made its international debut, with the first T20 International being played, between Australia and New Zealand at Eden Park. As the popularity of the new form of cricket started rising, surpassing that of even ODIs and Tests, the game was taken more seriously.

By 2007, the popularity of Twenty20 had gained such heights that ICC organized the first international Twenty20 tournament, rather the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup, creating another history of sorts. With South Africa as the host, the tournament included 10 Test playing nations, apart from ICC associate nations - Kenya and Scotland. India won the first ICC T20 World Cup, beating Pakistan in the finals.

It was first decided that every two years an ICC World Twenty20 tournament is to take place, except in the event of an ICC Cricket World Cup being scheduled in the same year, in which case it will be held the year before.

The first tournament was in 2007 in South Africa where India defeated Pakistan in the final. Two Associate teams had played in the first tournament, selected through the 2007 ICC World Cricket League Division One, a 50-over competition. In December 2007 it was decided to hold a qualifying tournament with a 20-over format to better prepare the teams. With six participants, two would qualify for the 2009 World Twenty20 and would each receive $250,000 in prize money.

 

The second tournament was won by Pakistan who beat Sri Lanka by 8 wickets in England on 21 June 2009.

The 2010 ICC World Twenty20 tournament was held in West Indies in May 2010, where England defeated Australia by 7 wickets.

The 2012 ICC World Twenty20 was won by the West-Indies, by defeating Sri Lanka at the finals. For the first time, a host nation competed in the final of the ICC World Twenty20. There were 12 participants for the title including Ireland and Afghanistan as 2012 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier. It was the first time the T20 World Cup tournament took place in an Asian country.

In the final of 2014, Sangakkara the hero. Delivered when it matter the most. He was struggling right This is their first world title after the 1996 World Cup and each player has played a part.

through the tournament but walks out as a hero! Stayed there till the end to make sure Lankans don’t slip-up this time. Terrific bowling and captaincy from Malinga in the beginning, restricting India to a below-par 130. Sri Lanka lost a couple of wickets cheaply in the beginning but Sanga, playing his last international T20, held one end, hit a fifty to help his side win the final this time.

ICC World Twenty20 Details (Since 2007)

Year	Host	Winner	Runner-Up
2007	South Africa	India	Pakistan
2009	England	Pakistan	Sri Lanka
2010	West Indies	England	Australia
2012	Sri Lanka	West Indies	Sri Lanka
2014	Bangladesh	Sri Lanka	India
2016	India	TBD	TBD

 

Like all other formats of Cricket, T20 is also being played by women in the same fashion.