David vs Goliath: The biggest upsets in T20 World Cup history

Namibia's J.J. Smit (C) and teammates celebrate the wicket of Sri Lanka's Chamika Karunaratne during the 2022 Twenty20 World Cup match at Kardinia Park in Geelong on October 16, 2022. (Image: AFP)

One of the more endearing, enduring narratives in sport, any sport, is the unfettered delight of the underdog at felling the more favoured. David vs Goliath is a timeless tale of courage and bravery and belief beyond normal, and when David has his odd day in the sun, it makes for a script worth celebrating.

The latest edition of the T20 World Cup is a mere five matches old and the big boys haven’t been required yet to hit a shot in anger, yet the aftershocks of two seismic results in as many days are still being felt around the cricket world. For those who believe that only the ‘best’ in the universe should compete at a stage as lofty as the World Cup, the developments of Sunday and Monday would have come as a timely reminder of the vicissitudes and glorious uncertainty of sport, an uncertainty that is heightened by the 20-over format that bridges the gulf in quality between teams like no other.

Namibia’s sensational conquest of Sri Lanka in the tournament opener on Sunday was matched for impact by the authority with which Scotland brushed West Indies aside on Monday. Sri Lanka, the 2014 champions, are the only team to have made the finals of this tournament thrice and carried form into the World Cup, having defeated India and Pakistan (twice) on their way to the Asia Cup in the UAE last month. West Indies are the sole side to have triumphed twice in the competition, going all the way in 2012 and again in 2016.

Sri Lanka go up against the UAE today (October 18), to fight for a spot in the Super 12.

That they failed to secure direct qualification to the Super 12s of the World Cup was a bit of a surprise, but with only eight teams guaranteed direct slots, Sri Lanka and West Indies would take the longer route, one presumed, to the second stage. Now there is no guarantee of that, with Namibia and Scotland showing the other teams in the fray that daring to dream is anything but foolhardy.

These aren’t the first unexpected reverses in T20 cricket – as previously mentioned, this format encourages a greater shaking up of the established order – or even in T20 World Cups. In fact, the tone was set in the very first edition in South Africa in 2007, when everyone was learning to adapt to the format on the fly, so to say. Zimbabwe had tasted reasonable success previously in the 50-over World Cup, and they translated their giant-killing act to the T20 variant as well by pulling the rug from under Australia’s feet in a Group B fixture. The five-wicket win, brought up famously with one delivery to spare, wasn’t enough for the African nation to progress to the next stage, but it was to be the inspiration from which others would draw generously in time to come.

Netherlands, it seemed, had watched Zimbabwe’s upset of Australia with keener interest than anyone else because two years on, in the next edition in 2009, they tore the form book to shreds at the acknowledged home of cricket, Lord’s. It was a maiden World Cup outing for the Dutch, and up against them were England, the pioneers of T20 cricket. The stiff upper-lipped patrons at Lord’s settled down for a relaxed afternoon of Pimm’s and lemonade, until Netherlands got those upper lips quivering with a special performance that was only inversely matched by the hesitancy and diffidence of an unexpectedly nervous home side.

England’s tally of 162 for five, perhaps 20 fewer than they would have wanted, still ought to have been more than adequate and a routine victory appeared on the cards when the Dutch slumped to 23 for two. Three complete unknowns answering to the names of Tom de Grooth, Peter Borren and Ryan ten Doeschate rallied the chase and brought it back on track, helped immeasurably by England’s avowed reluctance to hit the stumps as a plethora of run out opportunities went abegging.

Stuart Broad was tasked with defending two runs off the final ball, which Edgar Schiferli patted back to him. All the England paceman had to do was gather the ball cleanly and knock off the bails, but with all three stumps clearly visible, he somehow managed to miss them. The Netherlands pair of Schiferli and ten Doeschate ran a second for the overthrow to miraculously pull the fat out of the fire, by four wickets. Oh, how the mighty had fallen!

Afghanistan are now a feared T20 side, the format ideally suited to their intrepid, no-holds-barred approach, but back in 2016, they were still a work in progress. In one of the biggest shocks in the sport, they upended West Indies by six runs on a slow, low Nagpur surface, defending 123 for seven with characteristic zeal and enthusiasm through their array of spinners led by the peerless Rashid Khan. So confident of victory had the Caribbeans been that they chose to rest Chris Gayle, at the time the most destructive batsman in the world. When the Afghans completed a six-run victory, the likeable Gayle joined in their celebrations in a gesture that became an instant hit, cutting across sporting spectrums. It was West Indies’ sole defeat in the tournament as they bested England in the final with four straight sixes by Carlos Brathwaite in the last over from Ben Stokes, but for that one night, Afghanistan were the toast of the town. And beyond.