A look back at the T20 World Cup Winners: The T20 win by Pakistan in 2009

Sri Lanka and Pakistan faced off in the T20 World Cup Final 2009 at Lord’s in London on June 21, 2009. The ICC World Twenty20 was in its second year. Pakistan won the World Twenty20 tournament by eight wickets after finishing second in the previous event in 2007. Pakistan became the second team after India to win this title. It was the second time in a row that both finalists were Asian. 

Here’s how Pakistan dominated the T20 World Cup in 2009: 

When the second edition of the T20 World Cup was held, the cricketing world was still figuring out the optimum manner to play T20s. The Indian Premier League had just lately gained traction, and the defending champions, India, appeared to be light years ahead of the other nations. 

Pakistan’s cricket team struggled in T20 Internationals after losing the 2007 T20 World Cup. They had previously lost a one-off T20I to Bangladesh in 2008 before reaching the final of the T20 Canada tournament in 2008-09, only to be defeated by Sri Lanka. Younis Khan’s only encouraging win in the shortest format came in a one-off T20I against Australia in Dubai in May 2009, one month before the Men in Green won the World T20 Championship.

Also read: India’s journey on winning the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup 2007

For obvious reasons, the hosts were the favourites in the 2009 T20 World Cup, which was held in England this time. The English team was assigned to Group B, which included Pakistan and the Netherlands. Two teams would advance to the Super 8, with Pakistan only advancing if they defeated the Netherlands.

After a humbling 48-run loss to England in the tournament opener, no one anticipated last year’s runners-up to go all the way. However, with Australia eliminated from the Super 12 and Pakistan avoiding a potentially lethal South Africa team in the Super 8, Younis Khan and co. were happy.

Sri Lanka was the only Asian team to dominate the tournament, winning all five group-stage games to get to the semifinals. Pakistan, on the other hand, had restored their form just in time, defeating New Zealand and Ireland after falling to the Lankans in the first Super 8 match.

Pakistan met South Africa in the semi-finals, who had defeated India, the West Indies, and hosts England in the Super 8 and were the clear favourites. Shahid Afridi‘s Man of the Match performance, however, enabled Pakistan to overcome the Proteas by seven runs. They played Pakistan in an all-Asian T20 World Cup final for the second time.

The Men in Green were not considered favourites to win the final against an unbeaten Sri Lankan team so far in the season. However, as in the previous edition, Pakistan thrived in such circumstances and delivered.

Also read: T20 World Cup 2022 | The top three most thrilling matches so far

After bowling first, Sri Lanka was reduced to 26/3, with Abdul Razzaq scoring twice and Mohammad Amir dismissing the dangerous Tillakaratne Dilshan on the match’s first maiden-wicket. Despite skipper Sangakkara’s valiant 64 runs, the rest of Sri Lanka’s batting order imploded like a house of cards, and the squad was given a small target of 139.

Razzaq got three scalps, while Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul, and Amir each had one. Sri Lanka’s bowling attack, led by Lasith Malinga and Muthiah Muralidaran, looked dangerous, but Pakistan’s bats appeared confident. The senior batsman who batted down the order to end the game were set off by openers Shahzaib Hasan and Shahzaib Hasan.

After Pakistan were reduced to 63/2 in the 10th over, Shahid Afridi’s 40-ball-50 ensured that their title-winning game would not be derailed. Pakistan claimed the championship at Lord’s with eight balls to spare.

Tilakaratne Dilshan was chosen Man of the Series, while Shahid Afridi was named Man of the Match. Since then, Pakistan has yet to win a World Cup.

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