Since the beginning of the T20 format, it has captivated cricket fans across the world. The T20 format came into existence in 2003, and since then, the format’s popularity has grown by leaps and bounds.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) sensed this earlier and jumped on the bandwagon to organise the T20 World Cup. This 20-over global tournament happens once every 2 years, with teams competing to get their hands on the coveted trophy.
Since the inaugural edition in 2007, the ICC has organised 8 editions of the T20 World Cup. An inexperienced India won the inaugural edition, while England got their hands on the trophy for the second time in 2022.
So, in this article, we’ll look at the full list of ICC T20 World Cup winners.
T20 World Cup Winners List: Edition by Edition
| Edition | Winner | Runner-up | Host Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | India | Pakistan | South Africa |
| 2009 | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | England |
| 2010 | England | Australia | West Indies |
| 2012 | West Indies | Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka |
| 2014 | Sri Lanka | India | Bangladesh |
| 2016 | West Indies | England | India |
| 2021 | Australia | New Zealand | India* |
| 2022 | England | Pakistan | Australia |
| 2024 | India | South Africa | West Indies / USA |
*Note: India was the host of the 2021 edition. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the tournament took place in the UAE and Oman.
2007 | India
Before the start of the 2007 T20 World Cup, many senior Indian players made themselves unavailable for selection. Moreover, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also had different views about this new format.
The board sent a young squad under a new captain, MS Dhoni. Despite having an inexperienced team at his helm, Dhoni led his team to triumph in the final.
The 2007 edition witnessed a thrilling bowl out between arch-rivals India and Pakistan, along with the nail-biting final between the same sides. And of course, who can forget 6 sixes hit by Yuvraj Singh in Stuart Broads over?
2009 | Pakistan
After losing in the 2007 finals, Pakistan got their hands on the trophy in 2009. India, on the other hand, had a disappointing outing, along with the hosts, England, in the Super 8 stage.
Pakistan defeated their Asian counterpart Sri Lanka in the final to lift their first T20 World Cup.
2010 | England
The third edition of the T20 World Cup took place 10 months after the previous edition. This time the competition happened in the West Indies, with 12 participating teams.
Like the previous editions, the hosts failed to qualify for the knockout stages. But the previous edition host, England, had a successful run in the tournament, especially the Super 8 stage.
England later went on to win the whole thing in the final after thrashing their arch-rivals Australia by 7 wickets. And for the first time, England won a major ICC trophy.
2012 | West Indies
For the first time, the T20 World Cup took place in an Asian country, with Sri Lanka selected as the host. In this edition, the cricketing world witnessed the T20 powerhouse, the West Indies, lift the trophy.
Despite losing a couple of games in the lead-up to the final, the West Indies thumped the host, Sri Lanka. This World Cup had some memorable moments, especially Chris Gayle’s celebration after winning the trophy.
2014 | Sri Lanka
After 4 editions, the tournament was expanded to 16 teams from the previous 12. Along with the 10 full members, 6 associate teams participated in the competition.
The 2014 edition saw the rematch of the 2011 Cricket World Cup final, with India and Sri Lanka squaring off against each other. Unlike the 2011 final, Sri Lanka beat India in a low-scoring match, laying their hands on the trophy for the first time.
2016 | West Indies
India played host for the first time in 2016, and the Indian team were favourites to win the tournament as they lifted the Asia Cup in the leadup to this edition.
Well, India failed to qualify for the final, but they had some glimmering moments, like the last ball nail-bitter against Bangladesh and a thriller run chase against Australia.
Speaking of the final between England and the West Indies, the Caribbean side needed 19 to win in the final over. And then the mighty Carlos Brathwaite took matters into his own hands and smashed 4 consecutive sixes. This resulted in the West Indies being crowned the T20 champions for the second time.
2021 | Australia
After a gap of 5 years, the T20 World Cup took place in 2021 in the UAE and Oman, though India was the designated host. This was a forgettable edition for India as they lost their 2 main encounters, which virtually ended their campaign in the Super 12s.
The Dubai International Stadium was decked up for the final between Trans-Tasman rivals Australia and New Zealand. Both teams had won 4 out of 5 games in the Super 12s, but Australia were the better team on the final day, lifting their first T20 World Cup.
2022 | England
The 2022 T20 World Cup, originally slated to be played in 2020, took place in Australia. In a surprising turn of events, the 2-time T20 champions, the West Indies, were eliminated after the first round. This was the first time that they couldn’t qualify for the main event.
But this tournament will be forever etched in history for witnessing some of the biggest upsets in T20 World Cup history. In the first round, Namibia pulled off a miraculous win over Sri Lanka, while Scotland and Ireland defeated the West Indies.
Later, England lifted their second T20 World Cup after beating Pakistan in the final that took place at the iconic MCG.
2024 | India
The USA co-hosted the T20 World Cup for the first time, along with the West Indies. In the summit clash, South Africa faced India in Barbados.
India won the toss and elected to bat first. The Men in Blue had a shaky start, losing 3 wickets in the powerplay. But Virat Kohli (76) put on a rescue act, along with Axar Patel (47), helping India reach a challenging total of 176 runs.
In reply, South Africa also didn’t get a good start, losing 2 wickets in 3 overs. But, their middle-order batters kept them in the fight.
At one stage, it looked like South Africa would win the match, but India’s pacers pulled back the strings in the death overs, taking India to title triumph for the second time.
Final Words
Over the years, the T20 World Cup has produced some wonderful performances. Moreover, many new teams are getting a chance to play on the international stage alongside the top teams.
In the end, this tournament will help to expand the horizons of T20 cricket to many countries, potentially giving us new winners.
So, which team will lay their hand on the trophy in the next edition?
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