T20 World Cup 2024: Top 10 moments from the tournament in videos and images

The historic ICC T20 World Cup 2024 has come to an end with India beating South Africa in the final at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday, June 29. India lifted their second T20 World Cup while South Africa fell just short of winning the title in what turned out to be a final-over thriller. Here are the top 10 best moments from this exciting tournament.

Top 10 Best Moments in T20 World Cup 2024

1. Rohit Sharma’s greatest moment

Rohit Sharma’s career is filled with highlight reels of the finest. Swashbuckling knocks all over the world, double centuries galore, a plethora of IPL trophies, and finally getting his hands on a World Cup trophy as skipper. After a career where he’s seen all the highs and lows, clinching this World Cup was the ‘greatest’ moment of his career, according to Sharma. His leadership and aggressive play style have left an indelible mark on this tournament.

2. Heinrich Klaasen’s wicket

Heinrich Klaasen strode onto the field and opened his account with a six off Hardik Pandya. The batter continued to pepper the big hits with fours and sixes, propelling South Africa to the 100-run mark in the 12th over with another towering six off Kuldeep Yadav. Despite the pressure mounting on India, Klaasen notched his fifty off just 23 balls in the 16th over. However, Hardik Pandya broke through, dismissing Klaasen and giving India a much-needed breakthrough.

3. Rohit Sharma’s assault on Mitchell Starc

Rohit Sharma stayed true to his aggressive approach against Australia on Monday, June 24. Playing in St Lucia, Sharma smashed four sixes in a single Mitchell Starc over inside the first six overs of the match. Sharma hit Starc for 29 runs – the most anyone has ever scored off Starc in the T20 World Cup. This aggressive batting set the tone for the rest of the match and showcased Sharma’s exceptional skill and timing.

4. Axar Patel’s incredible catch

An incredible catch by Axar Patel to dismiss the Aussie skipper, Mitchell Marsh, provided a much-needed breakthrough for India. In difficult windy conditions at St Lucia, Axar Patel pulled off a brilliant catch, paving the way for India’s win over Australia in the Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup 2024. This moment highlighted the importance of fielding and how a single moment of brilliance can change the course of a match.

5. Jos Buttler’s masterclass of power-hitting

England’s captain, Jos Buttler, put on a masterclass in power-hitting, scoring 83 off just 44 balls, including six fours and seven sixes. Five of those sixes came in one Harmeet Singh over in the closing stages of the match, as the England skipper ransacked 32 runs off the spinner’s over, ensuring England’s victory. This performance was one of the standout innings of the tournament, demonstrating Buttler’s explosive batting prowess.

6. South Africa’s dramatic win over WI

West Indies were left shell-shocked, and the home side’s fans were silenced at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua. South Africa clinched their three-wicket victory in dramatic fashion. Rain intervened after two overs, reducing the chase to 17 overs with a revised DLS target of 123 runs. Marco Jansen’s final-over heroics, including a match-winning six, sent the South African dugout into a moment of pure ecstasy and elation, while the West Indies were left stunned.

7. Naveen-ul-Haq’s dream start against Australia

Experienced Afghan speedster Naveen-ul-Haq ensured a dream start for Afghanistan in their second Super Eight clash against Australia at Arnos Vale. Opening the bowling, Naveen got the prized scalp of Travis Head, who was bowled for a duck. This dismissal gave Afghanistan the start they needed, showcasing Naveen’s skill and control with the new ball.

8. Gulbadin Naib’s heroics against Australia

Gulbadin Naib (4/20) and Naveen-ul-Haq (3/20) shared seven wickets between them as Afghanistan stunned Australia by 21 runs at the Arnos Vale Ground, Kingstown, St Vincent, to stay alive in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Chasing 149 to win, Australia was bundled out for 127. Naib’s spell was crucial, especially his key wickets, which included Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis, helping Afghanistan secure a memorable victory.

9. Tabraiz Shamsi’s spell in the Semi-Final

In the first semi-final of the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, Afghanistan’s dream campaign came to a disappointing conclusion when South Africa pulled off a nine-wicket win at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy Stadium in Trinidad and Tobago. Brilliant spells from Tabraiz Shamsi (3/6), Marco Jansen (3/16), Anrich Nortje (2/7), and Kagiso Rabada (2/14) bowled the Afghans out for just 56 runs. This dominant bowling performance secured South Africa’s place in the final.

10. Naveen-ul-Haq’s exceptional bowling against Bangladesh

Afghanistan made history by securing their first-ever semifinal berth in the T20 World Cup 2024 after a thrilling encounter against Bangladesh. Batting first, Afghanistan set a modest target of 115 runs, putting the onus on their bowlers to defend it.

As Bangladesh inched closer to the target, the match reached a nail-biting climax. With Bangladesh slightly ahead of the DLS par score in the 19th over, Afghanistan desperately needed breakthroughs. The hero of the day, Naveen-ul-Haq, rose to the occasion by delivering a game-changing moment. He clean-bowled Taskin Ahmed, the ball ricocheting off the inside edge of Taskin’s bat and onto the stumps.

However, Naveen-ul-Haq struck again with a full and straight delivery that hit Rahman on the front pad. The umpire’s finger went up immediately, as there was no bat involved, sparking wild celebrations in the Afghanistan camp.