2010 | England vs Australia, ICC World Twenty20 Final
The match held extra weight because it was England against Australia, in a final, in the Caribbean. Australia batted first and scored 147 for 6, with David Hussey’s top score of 59 proving crucial after England had reduced the Aussies to 8 for 3 after just 2.1 overs. England, calm and clinical, knocked it off with something to spare. For a nation that had lost in three ODI World Cup finals, it meant everything.
2011 | India vs Sri Lanka, ICC Cricket World Cup Final
India defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, becoming the first country to win the Cricket World Cup final on home soil. MS Dhoni’s decision to promote himself above the in-form Yuvraj Singh was audacious. His unbeaten 91, that six over long-on to seal the title, the image of Sachin Tendulkar being carried on shoulders by his teammates, it was one of those nights that felt more like a dream than a cricket match. This was also Sachin Tendulkar’s last World Cup match, having played in World Cups for India since 1992. The whole subcontinent wept. Some still do.
2012 | South Africa vs England, ICC World Twenty20 Super Eights
In a year where Test cricket produced some beautiful grinding contests, it was a tight T20 that lodged itself in memory. South Africa scored 196 for 5, with AB de Villiers scoring 69 and Amla adding 56, beating England by just three runs.
2013 | India vs England, Champions Trophy Final
The 2013 Champions Trophy Final between India and England was reduced to 20 overs by rain. India set Sri Lanka a target of 130, and Sri Lanka struggled against the spin of Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin, ultimately falling short by 5 runs
2014 | South Africa vs New Zealand, ICC World Twenty20 Semi-Final
South Africa beat New Zealand by 2 runs, with Jean-Paul Duminy scoring an unbeaten 86 and Dale Steyn taking 4 wickets for 17. Steyn defending the last over, New Zealand needing three off the final ball and getting two.
2015 |New Zealand vs South Africa, ICC Cricket World Cup Semi-Final
This one was genuinely thrilling. South Africa posted 281 runs batting first, despite Auckland rain interrupting. New Zealand had a revised target of 298. The Black Caps lost wickets regularly at key stages, but with five needed off two deliveries, Grant Elliott smacked a six off Dale Steyn to win the match for the Kiwis.
2016 | England vs West Indies, ICC World Twenty20 Final
West Indies were struggling at 107 for 6 when Carlos Brathwaite arrived at the crease. Needing 19 runs off the last over, he smashed four consecutive sixes off Ben Stokes, sealing the title in one of the most stunning finishes in T20 history.
2017 | India vs Bangladesh, ICC Champions Trophy Semi-Final
It sounds one-sided on paper and it was , but the context made it extraordinary. Bangladesh had upset New Zealand to get there and were dreaming of a final. India, clinical and imperious, chased down the target in only 19.1 overs.
2018 | India vs Bangladesh, Nidahas Trophy T20I Final
This one was pure theatre. Bangladesh needed 12 off the final over, reduced to 5 off 2 balls with wickets in hand, and looked home and dry. Then Dinesh Karthik walked to the crease with two balls left. He hit a four, then launched a six off the final delivery to win by one wicket.
2019 | England vs New Zealand, ICC Cricket World Cup Final
No match in recent memory created more controversy, more heartbreak, or more sheer disbelief. Batting first, New Zealand scored 241 for 8. England, chasing, were in trouble but Ben Stokes’ heroics saw them level the score. The Super Over ended in another tie, but England were declared winners on boundary count, having hit more fours and sixes.
2020 | Australia vs India, 3rd Test
Covid strangled so much of 2020’s cricket calendar, but what survived delivered. India’s remarkable series in Australia deserves the spotlight, particularly the drawn Third Test in Sydney where Rishabh Pant’s blazing 97 nearly pulled off a chase most teams wouldn’t have attempted.
2021 | New Zealand vs India, ICC World Test Championship Final
Australia won its first T20 World Cup in 2021, and that final was gripping too. But the match of 2021 was the first-ever World Test Championship Final. New Zealand, patient and relentless, beat India across conditions that suited their bowlers.
2022 | India vs Pakistan, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Super 12
Pakistan bossed India around for most of the match, scoring a respectable total before tearing through India’s top order. Only one man stood between Pakistan and victory: Virat Kohli. The Indian batsman held his wicket right until the end, and then unleashed a flurry of attacks that no bowler could counter. Everything from umpire decisions to Kohli’s hits went their way, leaving Pakistan stunned. No T20 game had ever see-sawed to this extent.
2023 | Afghanistan vs England, ICC Cricket World Cup
Their win over England, a side that had been the world’s most feared ODI team just four years earlier, was stunning.
2024 | India vs South Africa, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Final
India scored 176 for 7, with Kohli making 76 and Axar Patel contributing 47. South Africa, needing 16 off the last over with wickets in hand, finished on 169 for 8, losing by 7 runs. Hardik Pandya defending that final over with the tournament on the line, South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen going from hero to heartbreak in three balls.
2025 | India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup T20I Final
The Asia Cup 2025 final between India and Pakistan was one of the standout cricket matches of the year. Pakistan batted first and posted 146 runs. Chasing 147, India suffered a batting collapse, losing three wickets for just 20 runs. However, Tilak Varma steadied the innings with important partnerships, top-scoring with a composed 69 off 53 deliveries as India crossed the line with two balls remaining.