Men’s T20 World Cup – All Firsts

Ever wondered which teams played the first match in the Men’s T20 World Cup? Who scored the first run? Or who was the first wicket-taker?

Well, here’s a look at all the iconic first instances from the Men’s T20 World Cup history.

First Edition

Firsts are always special. And so was the first-ever edition, then known as the ICC World Twenty20.

The ICC started the T20 World Cup in 2007, four years after the birth of T20 cricket. South Africa hosted the inaugural edition in September 2007.

First Match and Win

Hosts South Africa faced the West Indies in the opening match in 2007. And the first match set things off on the right note.

The West Indies posted a mighty total of 205 for 6 in the first innings. And guess what? The South Africans overhauled the target with eight wickets and 14 balls to spare. A dream start, isn’t it?

First Ball

Shaun Pollock opened the bowling for South Africa. The former all-rounder went for eight runs in the first over.

First Run, Four, and Six

Guess who scored the first run? Chris Gayle. The Universe Boss faced the first ball and cracked it for a four towards the point.

And who hit the first six? Who else but Gayle? He dispatched a maximum over square leg off the third over’s first ball.

First Dismissal and Catch

Gayle’s partner, Devon Smith, was the first to fall. He scored 35 off 34 before he edged a catch to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher off Vernon Philander’s delivery.

First Fifty and Century

No surprises here. Gayle scored the first fifty and century. And both in the first match!

The left-hander completed his fifty off 26 balls before reaching the triple digits in 50 balls. Gayle was, in fact, the first-ever centurion in T20Is.

He eventually fell for 117 from 57 balls. He scored those runs, including seven fours and 10 sixes, at a strike rate of 205.26.

First Player of the Match

Despite the West Indies’ loss, Gayle bagged the first Player of the Match award for his 117-run knock.

First Duck

Getting out on a duck is no less than a nightmare for a batter. Ask Morris Ouma, and he’ll confirm it!

The Kenyan wicketkeeper was the first to earn a duck in the second match in 2007. New Zealand’s Shane Bond clean bowled him on the second ball of the match.

First Hit Wicket

Hit wicket dismissals are not common. But the second match in 2007 gave us the first hit wicket dismissal in all T20Is.

Kenya’s David Obuya lost his balance and hit the stumps on an inswinger bowled by New Zealand’s Mark Gillespie.

First Stumping

David Obuya’s brother, Collins, was the first stumping victim in the tournament. 

He stepped out on an outside leg delivery bowled by Daniel Vettori. He failed to connect and Brendon McCullum had an easy job behind the wickets.

First Run Out

Four matches into the tournament, and we had our first run out. Australia’s Michael Hussey found himself in trouble against Zimbabwe.

Hussey pushed the ball towards point and wanted a run. But Andrew Symonds sent him back as Vusi Sibanda had the ball in his hand. And guess what? Sibanda hit the bullseye to send Hussey packing on 15 off 23 balls.

First Tied Match

India versus Pakistan. There’s always somthing in store when these two sides meet in ICC events.

And the 2007 World Twenty20 was no different. The group stage match between India and Pakistan ended in a tie.

Pakistan needed one run off the last ball to win. But Misbah-ul-Haq got run out to level the scores at 141.

What followed was a bowl-out. Both teams had five chances to hit the stumps. India cleverly used part-timers, while Pakistan sided with their regulars.

The result? India hit the stumps in three of their first three attempts, while Pakistan couldn’t even hit once. And so, India won the match through the bowl-out.

First Hat-Trick

The 2007 edition recorded another first – a hat-trick. Former Australian quick Brett Lee became the first to take a hat-trick in all T20Is.

He first had Shakib Al Hasan caught behind. Then he clean bowled Mashrafe Mortaza. And he trapped Alok Kapali LBW to complete the hat-trick. 

First Five-Wicket Haul

The first edition went without a five-wicket haul. But Pakistan’s Umar Gul ended the wait in the second edition in 2009.

He returned five wickets for six runs against New Zealand to roll them for 99. Pakistan, later, chased down the target easily.

First Champion

The first T20 World Cup final was no less than a dream. An India versus Pakistan clash. One for the ages!

India won the toss and decided to bat first in Johannesburg. The Men in Blue didn’t have an ideal start. But Gautam Gambhir’s 75 off 54 and Rohit Sharma’s late cameo of 30 off 16 helped them post a fighting 157 for 5 on the board.

Pakistan, too, had a poor start. And they lost wickets at regular intervals. But Misbah-ul-Haq kept them in the chase.

The final came down to the last over. Misbah was on strike, ready to become Pakistan’s hero. But Misbah yet again failed to close out the match. 

He scooped the ball into the air and S Sreesanth plucked the catch to help India lift the trophy.

First Player of the Tournament

Even though Pakistan ended up as the runners-up, Shahid Afridi had something to look forward to. 

He earned the Player of the Tournament honour for his all-round effort in 2007. Afridi scored 91 runs and took 12 wickets across seven matches.

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