The ICC T20 World Cup 2022 is just two weeks old, and even before the semi-finals, it has already thrown a number of upsets. In fact, as many as five upsets. With Pakistan’s one-run loss to Zimbabwe, fans are already pondering if this is the best edition of the tournament so far. We take a look at the five upsets which made it an interesting tournament to watch despite persistent rains.
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Sri Lanka Lose to Namibia: In the very first game, Namibia staged the first upset, beating Sri Lanka by 55 runs. Dasun Shanaka had won the toss and asked Namibia to take first strike. The ‘minnows’ made the most of it and posted a challenging total of 163 runs on board. Namibia’s middle order clicked in unison after losing their openers cheaply with 16 runs on the board in three overs. Jan Frylinck (44) was the top-scorer for Namibia, with JJ Smit remaining unbeaten on 31 off 16 balls. In chase, Sri Lanka lost their top three early after which Namibia struck regularly to derail the chase and Sri Lanka were folded up for 108 in 19 overs to suffer a crushing defeat.
Result: Namibia (163/7) beat Sri Lanka (108 all out in 19 overs) by 55 runs
West Indies Shocked By Scotland: Fans did expect an upset, but two in a row? No, that wasn’t expected at all. But that was exactly what happened as West Indies were handed a 42-run thrashing. In a match that was constantly interrupted by frequent rains, West Indies opted to field first after winning the toss, and Scotland posted 160/5 in their 20 overs. For Scotland, openers George Munsey (66 not out) and Michael Jones (20) provided a counter-attacking start by adding 55 runs in 6.2 overs. They eventually set a challenging 161-run target for the Windies. The chase got off to a good start, and the Windies raced to 50 for 1 in just 5.3 overs. But after that they lost wickets at regular intervals and finally were bowled out for 118 in 18.3 overs.
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Result: Scotland (160/5) beat West Indies (118 all out in 18.3 overs) by 42 runs
West Indies Receives Fatal Shock Two Days Later, Knocked Out: West Indies were at the receiving end again as Ireland beat them by 9 wickets. The nature of win was so one-sided that Ireland never looked down and out in a modest chase where Windies had set them a target of 147. Skipper Nicholas Pooran was lucky for the third time in a row with the toss and decided to set a target for the Irish in Hobart. Though Brandon King scored an unbeaten 62 off 48 balls, West Indies posted a below-par 146/5 in their 20 overs. Ireland hunted down the total with so much ease.
Result: Ireland (150/1 in 17.3 overs) beat West Indies (146/5) by 9 wickets
2022 Sees 2011 Chinnaswamy Repeat: Ireland were expected to play better cricket among the ‘minnows’ but they had disappointed early on losing to Sri Lanka by nine wickets. Nevertheless, they came back strong, beating West Indies and Namibia. But then came the sucker punch against the contenders–England, at the iconic MCG. Sent in to bat first, Ireland posted a competitive 157 all out in 19.2 overs. Their top-three batters clicked in unison again, with Andy Balbirnie (62 off 47) scoring a fifty and Lorcan Tucker (34) and Paul Sterling (14) contributing to the total. Rain played its part in the final outcome of the match, leaving England (105/5 in 14.3 overs) short by 5 runs via the D/L method when the game was called off due to heavy rain.
Result: Ireland (157) beat England (105/5) by 5 runs (DLS)
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Pakistan Stunned by Zimbabwe: Now, no one saw that coming. As both teams went out at the Optus Stadium, Perth, Pakistan were the favourite to win. By the time first innings ended, it seemed the Punters were right on money. 130 was a modest target, but talk about making a mess! Poor opening added to the pressure, but Mohammad Nawaz kept the Men in Green in the hunt after which it boiled down to 3 off the last ball. Shaheen Shah Afidi swung hard, but couldn’t get the winning runs; moreover, he couldn’t even complete a double which was required for a tie.
Result: Zimbabwe (130/8) beat Pakistan (129/8) by 1 run
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