Yuvraj Singh's 6 sixes to Virat Kohli's aggregate: 10 interesting numbers for India from T20 World Cup

India will begin their campaign at the 2024 T20 World Cup against Ireland in New York on Wednesday. The Men in Blue won the inaugural edition in South Africa in 2007 and have the best win-loss ratio in the tournament’s history. From Gautam Gambhir’s brilliant 75 in the final in Johannesburg to Yuvraj Singh’s six consecutive sixes off Stuart Broad, from Virat Kohli’s sensational 82 against Pakistan at the MCG to R Ashwin’s four-wicket haul against Australia in Mirpur – we look back at 10 interesting numbers for India from the T20 World Cup.

75 – The highest score in the final of the 2007 edition in South Africa

Gambhir scored almost 50 percent of India’s total of 157/5 in the mega final against Pakistan in Johannesburg in 2007. Opening the innings, Gambhir smashed 75 off just 54 deliveries even as every other batter in the top-order failed around him. Four years down the line, Gambhir also top-scored for India in the final of another World Cup – scoring 97 against Sri Lanka in Mumbai in 2011.

Interestingly, a similar feat was achieved by the maverick Indian opener - Kris Srikkanth. He top scored for India in the final of the 1983 World Cup against the West Indies at Lord’s before again being on the honour's board with a fine 67 in the final of the Benson and Hedges World Championship of Cricket against Pakistan at the MCG in 1985.

141 – The score of the teams in the first tied match in T20 World Cup history

India and Pakistan played out a historic tie in the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup at Durban. Batting first, propelled by a 39-ball 50 from Robin Uthappa, India managed to post 141/9 in their allotted 20 overs. Mohammed Asif returned with four wickets for Pakistan. In reply, Pakistan kept losing wickets at regular intervals and were never in the chase till a late fightback from Misbah-ul-Haq (53 off 35 balls) turned the game on its head. Pakistan needed 42 off the last 3 overs and Misbah almost single-handedly took them to the brink of a famous win before S Sreesanth denied them a solitary run off the last two deliveries as the game ended in a tie. There have only been three other tied matches in the T20 World Cup thereafter.

India won the bowl-out 3-0 with Sehwag, Harbhajan and Uthappa hitting the stumps bulls-eye.

319 – The highest aggregate in a single edition of the T20 World Cup

Virat Kohli holds the record for the most runs in a single edition of the T20 World Cup. He achieved the feat in 2014 when he had an aggregate of 319 runs in six innings in Bangladesh. Kohli’s exploits included four fifties including a fighting 77 off 58 in a losing battle against Sri Lanka in the final.

14 – The most 50-plus scores in the T20 World Cup

Kohli has been phenomenally consistent in the marquee tournament and has registered as many as 14 fifty-plus scores in just 25 innings – the most by any batter in the T20 World Cup. He is followed by Chris Gayle and Rohit Sharma who have recorded nine 50-plus scores each.

No one has scored more runs than Kohli’s 1141 at the World Cup and he has done so at an average of 81.5 and strike rate of 131.3! He was the leading run-getter of the tournament, both in 2014 and 2022.

82 – Kohli’s match-winning 82 against Pakistan at the MCG

Kohli single-handedly took India to victory smashing an undefeated 82 off just 53 deliveries against arch-rivals Pakistan at the MCG in 2022 in what is widely rated as amongst the greatest knocks in T20 World Cup history. Kohli walked out to bat at 7 for 1 which worsened to 10 for 2, 26 for 3 and 31 for 4 but never lost his cool in the middle. He forged a match-changing hundred partnership with Hardik Pandya taking India to a highly improbable win off the penultimate delivery of the match. India needed 48 off the last three overs against the likes of Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf and it was King Kohli who made the impossible possible! His straight-bat punch off the back foot against Rauf with the ball sailing into the stands is the stuff of legends.

6/10 – Kohli holds the record for six of the 10 highest scores by an Indian at the T20 World Cup

Kohli has been sensational at the T20 World Cup and holds the record for six of the 10 highest scores by an Indian in the tournament. His highest score was a breathtaking undefeated 89 off just 47 deliveries in a losing cause against the West Indies in the semi-final in Mumbai in 2016. His unbeaten 82 off just 51 deliveries against Australia in Mohali powered India past the 161-run target with five deliveries to spare even as others failed around him. Kohli's 82 against Pakistan in Melbourne is already a part of cricketing folklore!

12 – The fastest 50 in T20 World Cup history

Yuvraj Singh hammered Stuart Broad for six consecutive sixes in an over smashing a blitzkrieg 58 off just 16 deliveries against England in Durban in 2007. The dashing left-hander rocketed to his fifty off just 12 deliveries which remains the fastest fifty by any batter in T20 World Cup history!

4-11 – The best bowling figures by an Indian at the T20 World Cup

R Ashwin returned with four wickets including the three big ones of Aaron Finch, David Warner and Glenn Maxwell conceding just 11 runs in his 4 overs against Australia in Mirpur in 2014. They remain the best bowling figures by an Indian at the T20 World Cup. Incidentally, Ashwin is the leading wicket-taker for India in the tournament with 32 wickets in 24 appearances at a strike rate of 15.9 and economy of 6.49.

101 – The only hundred by an Indian batter at the T20 World Cup

Suresh Raina smashed 101 off just 60 deliveries in India’s 14-run victory against South Africa in Gros Islet in 2010. It remains the only ton by an Indian batter at the T20 World Cup.

1.8 – India has the best win-loss ratio in T20 World Cup history

India has won 27 and lost 15 of the 44 matches it has played at the T20 World Cup. Its win-loss ratio is the best amongst all major nations at the marquee event. Australia (1.66), South Africa (1.66), Pakistan (1.6) and Sri Lanka (1.5) follow.