2007 T20 World Cup Final: India vs Pakistan, Joginder Sharma's Last Over and How India Won the Inaugural T20 Championship

The first ICC World Twenty20 final, played on 24 September 2007 at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, produced one of cricket's most dramatic finishes. India needed to defend 5 runs off the last over against Pakistan, with Misbah-ul-Haq batting — Pakistan's most experienced batsman of the moment — and MS Dhoni handed the ball to Joginder Sharma, a relatively unknown medium-pacer who had played only a handful of senior matches. What followed in those six balls defined the inaugural T20 World Cup and launched an era of commercial cricket that transformed the sport globally.

The Build-Up: India's Uneven Tournament

India's journey to the final was not straightforward. They lost their opening match to Pakistan in the group stage — then beat Scotland — and qualified via a bowl-out (a penalty shootout format) after tying with Pakistan. In the Super Eights, India's batting was inconsistent, rescued on multiple occasions by Yuvraj Singh's explosive hitting (including the famous six sixes off Stuart Broad). Gautam Gambhir provided calm at the top of the order, Rohit Sharma offered middle-order power, and MS Dhoni's wicketkeeping was secure. The bowling was led by Irfan Pathan and S. Sreesanth, with Harbhajan Singh providing spin control. Against Pakistan in the final, India's 157/5 after batting first set a modest but defensible total.

Pakistan's Chase: Misbah Takes Control

Pakistan's chase began poorly — they lost early wickets and at various stages appeared on the brink of collapse. Misbah-ul-Haq, batting at number eight to accelerate in the final overs, emerged as the one batsman who could take Pakistan across the line. He launched a series of sixes in the 18th and 19th overs, including a stunning scoop over fine leg, to reduce the equation to 6 runs needed from 6 balls — the final over. The Wanderers crowd, split largely between Indian and Pakistani supporters given the large subcontinental community in Johannesburg, created an extraordinary atmosphere. Dhoni's decision to give the final over to Joginder Sharma, ahead of established bowlers, was a captain's gamble.

Misbah's Scoop: The Wicket That Decided the Final

Misbah-ul-Haq's dismissal has been replayed thousands of times since 2007. Needing 6 from 6, Misbah hit the first scoring ball for 1 to leave 5 needed from 4. He then attempted a reverse scoop or paddle scoop — a shot he had used successfully earlier in the innings — off Sharma's full delivery. The ball went straight up, barely clearing the bat, and settled into Sreesanth's hands at fine leg. Sreesanth's celebration — running, shouting, sliding on his knees — became one of Indian cricket's most iconic images. Misbah's decision to repeat the scoop has been analysed extensively; Pakistan fans and commentators have argued both that it was a reasonable shot given the field settings, and that a more conventional shot offered a better percentage play. Either way, it decided the match and the inaugural World T20.

The Tournament's Legacy: T20 Goes Global

The 2007 ICC World Twenty20 launched T20 cricket as a truly global commercial force. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) launched the Indian Premier League less than a year later, in April 2008, directly inspired by the audience engagement and commercial potential demonstrated at the 2007 tournament. Franchise T20 leagues subsequently launched across every major cricket-playing nation. The 2007 final's India-Pakistan audience in South Africa, and the global broadcast figures, demonstrated to cricket administrators that India-Pakistan matches in T20 format generated commercial interest beyond anything domestic cricket could produce. Dhoni's leadership, Yuvraj's batting, and Joginder Sharma's final over have entered cricket mythology as the origin moment of T20 cricket's global era.