ICC T20 World Cup 2007 (Inaugural): India Won — Joginder Sharma's Last Over, Dhoni's Gamble, Pakistan Final
India won the inaugural ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2007, defeating Pakistan by 5 runs in the Final at The Wanderers, Johannesburg, South Africa on 24 September 2007. India captain: MS Dhoni. Pakistan captain: Shoaib Malik. India posted 157/5; Pakistan needed 13 from the final over. MS Dhoni gave the final over to Joginder Sharma — an uncapped bowler — instead of the more experienced Harbhajan Singh or Sreesanth. Pakistan needed 6 from the last ball; Misbah-ul-Haq attempted a scoop shot and was caught by S. Sreesanth at short fine leg. India won by 5 runs. The tournament also featured a famous Super 8 game between India and Pakistan where the match was tied (both teams 141) and decided by a bowl-out (5 bowlers each attempting 1 delivery at an unguarded wicket) — India won the bowl-out 3-0. The T20 WC was hosted in South Africa. Yuvraj Singh hit 6 sixes in an over off Stuart Broad in a Super 8 match vs England.
The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2007 was the inaugural edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup — the first major ICC tournament played in the Twenty20 format. It was hosted in South Africa in September 2007. India, captained by MS Dhoni, won the tournament by defeating Pakistan in the final at The Wanderers, Johannesburg on 24 September 2007. The event established T20 cricket as a genuine international format alongside Tests and ODIs and directly inspired the creation of the Indian Premier League in 2008.
The Final: Joginder Sharma's Last Over and Misbah's Scoop
India posted 157/5 batting first. Pakistan, chasing 158, needed 13 from the final over. MS Dhoni made the most discussed captaincy call of the tournament: instead of giving the final over to Harbhajan Singh or Sreesanth (the more experienced options), he gave it to Joginder Sharma — a young seam bowler playing only his second international match. After five balls of the over, Pakistan needed 6 from the last ball with Misbah-ul-Haq (then Pakistan's most composed batsman) on strike. Misbah attempted to scoop the ball over fine leg — a shot that had worked earlier in his innings. Instead, the ball lobbed off the bat's top edge to S. Sreesanth at short fine leg, who took the catch. India won by 5 runs. Dhoni's decision to trust Joginder Sharma in that final over became one of cricket's most celebrated captaincy moments.
Yuvraj Singh's Six Sixes in an Over
The tournament's most famous individual moment occurred in a Super 8 match between India and England at Kingsmead, Durban on 19 September 2007. Yuvraj Singh hit six consecutive sixes in the final over bowled by Stuart Broad — becoming only the second player in any form of cricket to hit six sixes in a single over (after Gary Sobers in 1968 and Ravi Shastri in 1985 in first-class cricket). The six sixes came off balls 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 of the over. Yuvraj Singh's innings: 58 off 16 balls. England's Andrew Flintoff had dismissed Yuvraj's wicket-taking partner and exchanged words that provoked Yuvraj into his response. India won by 18 runs.
Frequently asked questions
Who bowled the final over in the 2007 T20 World Cup Final and why was it controversial?
MS Dhoni gave the final over of the 2007 T20 World Cup Final to Joginder Sharma — a young seam bowler in only his second international match — instead of the more experienced options like Harbhajan Singh or Sreesanth. Pakistan needed 13 from the over. Joginder Sharma bowled competently but conceded 7 runs in the first 5 balls, leaving Misbah-ul-Haq needing 6 off the last ball. Misbah attempted a scoop over fine leg but was caught by Sreesanth at short fine leg. The decision was initially questioned but became celebrated retrospectively as a masterstroke of captaincy instinct from Dhoni.
When did Yuvraj Singh hit six sixes in an over at the T20 World Cup 2007?
Yuvraj Singh hit six consecutive sixes in the Super 8 match between India and England at Kingsmead, Durban on 19 September 2007. The over was bowled by Stuart Broad. Yuvraj scored 58 off 16 balls in total. The provocation for the assault reportedly came from Andrew Flintoff's words to Yuvraj after dismissing India's previous wicket. Yuvraj became only the second player in international cricket to hit six sixes in a single over (after Herschelle Gibbs had done so against the Netherlands in the 2007 ODI World Cup). The feat is replayed as one of Twenty20 cricket's most iconic batting moments.