The 2022 T20 WC started on 16 October and the Super 12 stage of tournament begun October 22 onwards. One week after the Super 12 kicked off, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has released a ranking of the TOP 5 matches of the 2022 T20 World Cup thus far.
The list includes games from both the Super 12 and the qualifying stage of the tournament held before 29 October.
Top 5 matches of the 2022 T20 World Cup according to ICC
1. IND vs PAK
The tournament opener for Pakistan and India turned out to a literal edge of the seat thriller. There were constant ups and downs throughout the match and a winner could only be declared on the last ball of the match.
Choosing to bowl first, India dominated the first 6 overs and sent Babar and Md. Rizwan back to the pavillion cheap. However, Iftikhaar and Shan Masood struck twin fifties to take PAK to 159.
The chase looked easy for India and Naseem and Haris Rauf wreaked havoc to reduce India to 31 for 4. The game of cat and mouse didn’t there as Hardik and Virat Kohli joined hands to put on a 113 run stand after that.
PAK bowlers lost the plot in the last 3 overs and leaked 48 runs to hand India a last-ball win in their 1st game of ICC T20 World Cup 2022.
2. PAK vs ZIM
The Men in Green appear again on the list thanks to their harakiri in the match against Zimbabwe.
Playing their 2nd game of the Super 12, PAK did brilliant with the ball to keep ZIM to just 130 runs. However, a batting implosion followed as Sikandar Raza (3 for 25) and Brad Evans (2 for 25) struck at regular intervals to hand Pakistan a serious upset, beating them by 1 run.
Two losses in the first 2 games of the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup have almost knocked Babar and co. out of the race for semifinals.
3. IRE vs SCO
Batting first during the qualifying game vs Ireland, Scotland posted a solid total of 176 runs due to Michael Jones’ 86 run knock.
Ireland was down and out at 61 for 4 and stared at a heavy defeat. Curtis Campher (72* off 32) and Dockrell (39 notout) had other plans tho, and made 119 runs together to see the team through to a win and also a spot in the coveted Super 12 stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022.
The crowd at Bellerive Oval, Hobart loved the speed at which the pendulum swung and Scotland losing from a winning position left one and all shell-shocked.
4. UAE vs NED
The NED vs UAE match of the ICC 2022 T20 World Cup occupies the 4th spot on the ranking issued by ICC. The match was a very un-T20 affair as both the sides didn’t know how to hold a bat.
The fragile batting unit of UAE could make just 111 for 8 off their 20 overs and the highest score from NED’s chase was Max ODowd’ 23. But despite that, the Dutch somehow managed to bag a win with a ball to spare.
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5. NAM vs UAE
Chasing a sub-par 149 on a batting pitch, Namibia collapsed like a kid in school assembly. They were 69 for 7 at one point before 37-year-old all-rounder David Wiese (55 off 36) fought a lonely battle and took the Namibians on the doorstep of triumph.
Nonetheless, he could not take them past the line as UAE won the emotional encounter by 7 runs. It was an interesting game as a win would have taken NAM to the Super 12 stage. But the loss meant an early exit despite having the best run-rate in the Group.