T20 World Cup: The strong team is not that which beats the opposition with a big margin. But actually, a strong team is one that can win any game from any situation. A team that can hold their nerves in crunch situations always comes out victorious. And we have seen many times when a match goes down to the wire and ends with a nail-biting finish.
Over the years, there have been many such games that are decided on the last ball of the match. Winning a match by a big margin gives a one-sided match, but winning with a close finish always gives chills. In this article, we will cover the lowest win margins in the history of the T20 World Cup.
1. South Africa (1 run) against New Zealand in 2009 ICC event
There are a total of five wins in the T20 World Cup, with a margin of just 1 run. The very first 1-run victory came in the 10th match of the 2009 World Cup between South Africa and New Zealand at Lord’s. It was a low-scoring thriller, with New Zealand winning the toss and deciding to bowl first. South Africa had an average day with the bat. They scored just 128/7 in their 20 overs.
Skipper Graeme Smith topped the scoring with 33 runs. It was looking like an easy chase for New Zealand after the first inning. But the South African bowlers bowled with good line and length to prevent batters from scoring freely. In the end, skipper Brendon McCullum played a good innings of 57 runs, but they just fell short by 1 run. This was the first ever 1 run win in T20 World Cup history.
2. New Zealand (1 run) against Pakistan in 2010 ICC event
The second 1-run victory came in the 2010 T20 World Cup. It was the 17th match of the tournament between New Zealand and Pakistan at Bridgetown. It was another low-scoring thriller and Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl. The Men in Green did a really good job with the ball in hand. Brendon McCullum (33) and skipper Daniel Vettori (38) were the top scorers for their team. The Black Caps managed only 133/7 runs in their 20 overs.
It looked like an easy chase for Pakistan. But they had a shaky start, losing the first four wickets for just 42 runs. But opener Salman Butt was looking solid at one end. However, in the end, his innings of unbeaten 67 runs couldn’t help Pakistan get over the line and they lost the match by one run.
3. India (1 run) against South Africa in 2012 T20 World Cup
India has registered two 1-run victories in the World Cups. But the first win came in the 2012 event against South Africa. It was the 24th match at Colombo (RPS), with South Africa winning the toss and asking India to bat. The Men in Blue had a bad start, losing the first three wickets in the powerplay for 36 runs. But a few useful contributions in the middle helped India to reach a respectable total of 152/6 in their 20 overs.
In reply, South Africa also had a bad start and they lost their openers for just 16 runs. But after that, they had a few good contributions from the middle-order batters. Faf du Plessis played a really good innings of 65 runs. Needing 14 to win from the last over, Lakshmipathy Balaji bowled superbly and took the final two wickets and gave away 12 runs. India won that match by just one run to register an incredible victory.
List of Lowest Win / Loss Margin in T20 World Cup (1 Run)
| Team | Margin | Target | Against | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 1 run | 129 | New Zealand | Lord’s | 2009 |
| New Zealand | 1 run | 134 | Pakistan | Kensington Oval | 2010 |
| India | 1 run | 153 | South Africa | R. Premadasa | 2012 |
| India | 1 run | 147 | Bangladesh | M. Chinnaswamy | 2016 |
| Zimbabwe | 1 run | 130 | Pakistan | Perth | 2022 |
| South Africa | 2 runs | 171 | New Zealand | Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury | 2014 |
| England | 3 runs | 154 | India | Lord’s | 2009 |
| South Africa | 3 runs | 197 | England | Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury | 2014 |
| West Indies | 3 runs | 143 | Bangladesh | Sharjah | 2021 |
| New Zealand | 4 runs | 165 | England | Durban | 2007 |