On This Day In 2007: India Beat Pakistan to Win Inaugural T20 World Cup

Exactly 17 years ago, on this day, India won the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup beating arch-rivals Pakistan in the final. On September 24, the MS Dhoni-led Indian cricket team marched towards victory against their arch-rivals in Johannesburg. Under the leadership of Dhoni, a young Indian squad showcased their remarkable resilience and skills at the New Wanderers Stadium.

With some high-intense drama culminating in a thrilling final, the Men in Blue got the better of Pakistan by five runs to emerge victorious. Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan was awarded the Player of the Match for his three-wicket haul in the crucial game.

The 2007 T20 World Cup final between India and Pakistan proved to be a nail-biting one. The epic summit clash began with India winning the toss and electing to bat first. A couple of fiery knocks from Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma saw India put up 157/5.

Gambhir was the team’s top-scorer with a 54-ball 75. He hit eight boundaries and two sixes in the high-pressure game. Whereas, Rohit racked up a quickfire 30 off 16 deliveries. He hit two boundaries and one six.

Responding to India’s total, Misbah-ul-Haq anchored Pakistan’s chase. RP Singh found the first couple of wickets to stun Pakistan. Soon, the chase slowed down with Pakistan finding themselves reeling at 77/6 by the 12th over.

The match reached a dramatic climax in the final over with Pakistan requiring 13 runs to lift the trophy. Joginder Sharma was tasked with bowling the decisive over.

In one moment, Pakistan found themselves in an advantageous position as they needed six runs off the last four balls. But Misbah-ul-Haq’s dismissal in a scoop shot attempt sealed the victory for India.

RP Singh and Irfan Pathan picked up three wickets each for India in the final against Pakistan. Joginder Sharma chipped in with two crucial wickets under his belt.

After a long wait, India won their second T20 World Cup trophy in Barbados earlier this year. With Rohit Sharma leading the side, the Indian cricket team got the better of South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 final by seven runs to win the trophy.