West Indies 2012 and 2016 T20 World Cups Explained: Carlos Braithwaite's 4 Sixes, Marlon Samuels, and the Greatest Finish
West Indies won the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in 2012 (Colombo, vs Sri Lanka) and again in 2016 (Kolkata, vs England — Carlos Braithwaite's 4 sixes off Ben Stokes). How the 2016 Final's last over produced the greatest T20 finish in history, West Indies' unique talent pool for T20 cricket, and how Carlos Braithwaite became immortal in 4 balls.
West Indies have won the ICC Men's T20 World Cup twice — in 2012 (Sri Lanka, defeating the host nation in the Final) and memorably in 2016 (India, defeating England at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, in what is universally considered the greatest T20 Final ever played). The 2016 Final produced the most extraordinary finish in T20 history — Carlos Braithwaite hitting Ben Stokes for 4 consecutive sixes in the final over to win from an apparently impossible position.
The 2012 T20 World Cup: West Indies' First Title
2012 ICC World Twenty20 (Sri Lanka, September-October 2012): (1) The tournament: Sri Lanka hosted the 2012 T20 World Cup. West Indies had a strong squad — Chris Gayle (opening batsman), Marlon Samuels (middle-order), Darren Sammy (captain, all-rounder), Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo; (2) The Final (October 7, 2012, Colombo): West Indies vs Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka batted first and scored 137/6 in 20 overs. Marlon Samuels made 78 not out for West Indies — batting in virtually all 20 overs while wickets fell around him. West Indies reached 137/6 in the 19th over — winning by 36 balls remaining (a very comfortable win given the score chased); (3) Samuels's dominance: Samuels's 78 not out off 56 balls in the 2012 Final was the decisive individual performance. He managed the chase, hit boundaries at appropriate moments, and gave West Indies their first T20 World Cup title.
The 2016 T20 World Cup Final: The Greatest T20 Finish
2016 ICC World Twenty20 Final (Eden Gardens, Kolkata, April 3, 2016 — West Indies vs England): (1) England's innings: England batted first and scored 155/9 in 20 overs. Jos Buttler (36), Joe Root (54), and Eoin Morgan (17) contributed. England's total was competitive but under par on a Kolkata surface; (2) West Indies' chase: West Indies were collapsing. At the start of the final over, West Indies needed 19 runs from 6 balls — a score that required 4 sixes. Carlos Braithwaite (West Indies all-rounder, No. 8) was batting with Samuel Badree. England gave the final over to Ben Stokes (the rising England all-rounder); (3) Ball 1: Braithwaite (Carlos Braithwaite, born July 18, 1988, Bridgetown, Barbados) pulled Ben Stokes over midwicket for 6. 13 needed from 5 balls; (4) Ball 2: another six from Braithwaite. 7 needed from 4 balls; (5) Ball 3: six. 1 needed from 3 balls. Tie possible; (6) Ball 4: six. West Indies won by 4 wickets. Braithwaite had hit 4 sixes off 4 consecutive balls — from 19 needed from 6 balls, West Indies won. Stokes was distraught — he collapsed to his knees in the middle of the pitch; (7) The celebration: Braithwaite stood at the non-striker's end, looking toward the crowd, then turned toward the broadcast cameras with his arms raised. The image of Braithwaite at Eden Gardens, with Dhoni (watching from the crowd), 66,000 Indians, and a global audience watching, is one of T20 cricket's defining moments.
West Indies' T20 Talent and the IPL Connection
West Indies T20 cricket ecosystem: (1) The CPL (Caribbean Premier League): the CPL, launched in 2013, has developed West Indian T20 talent by providing a domestic T20 platform with international exposure. Players like Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, and Braithwaite built their T20 reputations partly through CPL; (2) IPL participation: West Indian players have been among the IPL's most successful overseas performers: Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore — multiple IPL season records), Kieron Pollard (Mumbai Indians — match-winning contributions across 8 seasons), Sunil Narine (Kolkata Knight Riders — both as bowler and later as opening batsman). The IPL exposure raised West Indian players' T20 earnings and profile significantly; (3) The talent paradox: West Indies despite two T20 World Cup titles have struggled in Test cricket (ranked 7th-9th globally in the 2015-2024 period). Their Test decline, associated with talent loss to T20 leagues (players prioritising franchise cricket over national duty), is one of cricket's most debated topics; (4) Women's West Indies: West Indies Women won the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in 2016 as well — the same year as the men's title. Deandra Dottin and Stafanie Taylor led the team. West Indies became the first nation to hold both men's and women's T20 World Cup titles simultaneously (April 2016).
Frequently asked questions
Who won the 2016 T20 World Cup?
West Indies won the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 Final at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on April 3, 2016. West Indies defeated England by 4 wickets, chasing 155. Carlos Braithwaite hit Ben Stokes for 4 consecutive sixes in the final over — West Indies needed 19 from 6 balls and won by 4 wickets with 2 balls remaining. Marlon Samuels scored 85 not out (66 balls) — the anchor of the innings. Ben Stokes, who bowled the final over, collapsed to his knees in anguish after the 4th six. The match is universally regarded as the greatest T20 Final ever played.
What did Carlos Braithwaite do in the 2016 World Cup Final?
Carlos Braithwaite hit Ben Stokes (England) for 4 consecutive sixes in the final over of the 2016 ICC T20 World Cup Final (Eden Gardens, Kolkata, April 3, 2016). West Indies needed 19 runs from 6 balls (last over) when Braithwaite faced the first ball — appearing to have lost the match. He hit: Ball 1 — 6 (midwicket pull); Ball 2 — 6 (midwicket); Ball 3 — 6 (long-on); Ball 4 — 6 (long-on straight). West Indies won the match by 4 wickets with 2 balls remaining. Braithwaite's 4 sixes off 4 consecutive deliveries is the single most dramatic individual T20 performance in World Cup history.
How many T20 World Cup titles have West Indies won?
West Indies have won the ICC Men's T20 World Cup twice: 2012 (Sri Lanka — West Indies defeated Sri Lanka in the Final, Marlon Samuels 78 not out) and 2016 (India — West Indies defeated England in the Final, Carlos Braithwaite's 4 sixes off Ben Stokes in the last over). West Indies Women also won the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in 2016 — the same year as the men's title, making West Indies the first nation to hold both T20 World Cup titles simultaneously (April 2016). West Indies and England (2010, 2022) have each won the men's T20 WC twice; India lead with three (2007, 2024, 2026).