ICC T20 World Cup 2022: England's Dominant Win, the Pakistan Final, and Ben Stokes's Heroics
England won the ICC T20 World Cup 2022, defeating Pakistan by 5 wickets in the final at the MCG, Melbourne on 13 November 2022. Ben Stokes (52* off 49 balls) anchored the chase of 138. England played an all-rounder lineup — no specialist spinner — and beat India, New Zealand, and Pakistan en route. The tournament was played in Australia in October–November 2022. Jos Buttler captained England; Sam Curran took 13 wickets and won Player of the Tournament.
The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 was held in Australia in October–November 2022 — the first T20 WC in Australia since 2010. Twelve nations competed (plus 8 in a qualifying round). The host nation Australia, the 2021 champions, were eliminated in the Super 12 stage. England and Pakistan advanced to the final.
The Super 12 Stage
Group 1: England were dominant — winning vs Afghanistan, Ireland, New Zealand. Group 2: India had a powerful squad (Kohli, Rohit, Bumrah) but Australia and New Zealand also progressed. The standout upset: Netherlands beat South Africa in Group 2 — one of the biggest T20I upsets. India vs Pakistan at the MCG attracted 90,000 spectators — the largest T20I crowd ever. Kohli scored 82* off 53 balls to chase 160, winning off the last ball.
The Final
Pakistan vs England, MCG, 13 November 2022. Pakistan won the toss and batted. They scored 137/8 (20 overs) — Shaheen Afridi 32 (18 balls) was Pakistan's top scorer. Sam Curran took 3/12. England's chase: Alex Hales 1, Jos Buttler 26, Dawid Malan 16, Ben Stokes 52* (49 balls) — England won with 5 wickets and 5 balls to spare. Stokes's innings was a masterclass in calm match-winning — he scored only 52 but kept England in the chase through a difficult middle period, then finished with boundaries. England became only the 2nd team to hold both the ODI and T20 World Cup simultaneously (after West Indies in 1979).
Frequently asked questions
How was the 2022 T20 World Cup structured, and what changes were made after the 2021 edition?
T20 World Cup 2022 structure and changes from 2021. The 2022 tournament included 16 teams (the most in T20 WC history). Structure: First Round (16 teams): 8 associate/lower-ranked teams competed in 4 groups of 2 for 4 Super 12 spots. Super 12 stage: 12 teams (8 top-ranked + 4 qualifiers) divided into 2 groups of 6. Each team played 5 games. Top 2 from each group advanced to semi-finals. Changes from 2021: (1) Venue: moved to Australia (after UAE in 2021 due to COVID). (2) Expanded first round: the 2022 format gave more teams a pathway. Ireland qualified from the first round and beat England in the Super 12 (the biggest upset in T20 WC history — Ireland's first win over England in any world cup). (3) Teams: 16 teams vs 12 in 2021. (4) Pitches: Australian pitches are bouncier and faster — different tactical preparation. Why England won: England's squad was specifically designed for Australian conditions — no specialist spinner (Sam Curran was the primary wicket-taker with medium-fast bowling), pace-heavy attack (Woakes, Curran, Jordan), and an explosive batting lineup that could handle bounce. Pakistan's lineup featured more spin (Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed) — less suited to Australian pitches. The MCG final playing conditions also favoured England — a cloudy Melbourne morning with early swing that Stokes exploited in his (unusual) role as a controlled chase batter. England's 5-wicket win margin was comfortable enough that the match was not in doubt after over 15.