World T20 2014: Hits & Flops

The T20 fever has just started! As the world t20 2014 ended with Sri Lanka being crowned,winners, everybody is gearing up for the next big thing- Indian Premier League(Get IPL7 schedule here),the world’s premier cricketing tournament. The fifth edition of the t20 world cup brought forward a lot of new young faces and there were quite a few disappointments too. Cricket Tracker brings you the top 5 hits and flops of the recently concluded tournament:

FLOPS:

5. Favourites became the underdogs– The Australian men’s cricket team,who were the overwhelming favourites before the start of the tournament failed to get going and fared miserably in all the group matches except the one against Bangladesh. The batting showed glimpses of destruction but the bowling looked toothless without Mitch Johnson who missed out with a toe infection.

4. The storm that never arrived- Christopher Henry Gayle, the humongous Jamaican was expected to help his team to another title triumph with his explosive hitting but he never got going against the spinners that werent condusive to his style of stroke-play. More often than not, he tried to be set and hit later but the plan never quite worked.

3. Pakistan beaten black and blue– The tournament’s hot favourites looked unsettled in every match. Batting has never traditionally been their strength but their famed bowling line-up with the likes of Gul,Ajmal and Hafeez failed miserably making it impossible for them to make it to the WT20 semi-finals for the first time since it’s inception.

2. World Cup hero became a zero in 1 innings– It was a painful sight to see as India’s hero of 2 World Cup triumphs struggled to get runs against any of the Sri Lankan bowlers in the all-important final.His effort of 11 off 21 balls brought him the harshest of criticism from all over the world and this,for a man who battled cancer and came back alive to play top-level cricket. His fielding seemed to have dropped a step or two and his performance was one of the biggest disappointments of the tournament.

1. Inability of the hosts to show some spirit: Bangladesh were never expected to win matches and qualify for the knock-outs but their unwillingness to fight and the lethargy,they perspirated on the field was hard to digest for the loyal supporters who flocked the stadium to watch their team,at least give a fight. This was probably the least expected thing for anyone before the tournament started.

HITS:

5. Netherlands:2 | England:0 – This scoreline that looks more probable in the game of football became a reality in cricket when minnows Netherlands beat England handsomely and create the upset of the tournament making it 2-0 with England in international twenty20. A joyful moment for any cricket fan,that!Cricket is surely taking a giant stride ahead in the correct direction!

4. The Calypso Beats: No cricketing tournament is complete without the calypso flavour and this wasn’t any exception either. Australian fast bowler James Faulkner’s comments before the match didnt go down well with West Indies and as they won due to an injured Sammy’s last over heroics off Faulkner just put the cap off the lid. What followed was an insane-looking ‘Gangnam style dance’ on the field and the tournament came alive with the Calypso celebration!

3. Rise of the spinners– Twenty20, cricket’s shortest and the harshest format was never really a spinner’s show before this tournament. With the pitches aiding spin and pacers getting hit,all over, spin became the theme of this world t20. With just one pacer in the top 5 wicket takers of the tournament, one surely gets an idea of the impact they had on it’s outcome.

2. The Kohli show: A tournament where low scores became a regular thing to watch, Virat,the superman surpassed everybody’s expectations with brilliance. His knocks werent the blasting-away-from-start ones but once he got settled, the fielders had to look for shelter. He made the most of his amazing form and amassed over 300 runs at a staggering average of over 100 in 6 matches.

1. Sanga and Jaya finally break the jinx as they bid adieu– The 2 Sri Lankan legends Mahela Jayawardene and Kumara Sangakkara had expressed their desire to win the trophy before the event started considering,this was the last time they were playing twenty20. The whole world wanted them to get what they deserved since years- a world cup trophy and as they did so,finally in handsome fashion beating India and breaking their jinx, it was sight to watch. Cricket is a great leveller and this phrase was proved once more..