Cricket is an emotion for millions of people across the globe. It has a strong fanbase. People are just crazy about it. A single ball can change the life of a player. It can turn an underdog into a hero. This game, especially the IPL, is even considered a festival in India. As cricket fans, we have witnessed a lot of nail-biting matches. No one knows what can happen on the next ball. Here we are presenting "Top 10 most thrilling matches in cricket".
1. India Vs. West Indies
West Indies scored 211 runs in the first innings. India needed to chase down 212 runs to win in 50 overs. India had a tough start initially, but Rohit Sharma played an impressive knock of 72 runs in the match. In the end, India needed 11 runs to win, while Windies needed one wicket to seal their victory. Both teams were equally in the game. Umesh Yadav slammed four down the ground and finished off in style. Rohit Sharma won the Man of the Match award for his game-changing knock against West Indies.
2. England Vs. South Africa
England and South Africa are two outstanding teams. South Africa set a target of 175 runs for England on the board. The game was full of twists and turns. Going into the last over, England needed eight runs from 2 balls. Dawson hit a four on the last-second ball. In the end, four runs from 1 ball. South Africa successfully defended the score. What a match it was! South Africa gave an impressive performance throughout the game with bat and ball.
3. South Africa Vs. Australia
Australia set a massive target of 435 runs for South Africa. Everyone assumed that Australia would win it. But cricket is a game of uncertainties, and South Africa had different plans. They took an aggressive approach throughout the match. They played exceptionally well against Australia, and It can be inferred from this that they needed only seven runs in the last over. South Africa made history on March 12, 2006 in Johannesburg. It is the highest run chase in cricket history in ODIs.
4. India Vs. Pakistan
India claimed their first T20 World Cup title by beating arch-rivals Pakistan in the final. Earlier, in the group stage, both teams faced each other. India and Pakistan - the names alone are enough to turn the match into a proper thriller. Pakistan needed 12 runs from 6 balls in the last over. India tied the match with their exceptional performance, then the result was decided by a bowl-out. Indian bowlers shone in the bowl-out with their impressive bowling. They had to hit the stumps, and India was ahead of Pakistan by 3-0. Pakistan's bowlers were unable to beat the stumps even once. India achieved an iconic victory over Pakistan in the bowl-out.
5. India Vs. Bangladesh
The Nidahas Trophy final is an absolute blockbuster match in cricket history. India needed 167 runs to win the final game. This match was not for the faint-hearted. India needed five runs to win on the last ball. Dinesh Karthik hit a flat six on the last ball, and India won. Karthik won the man of the match award for his exceptional performance. He scored an unbeaten 29 runs in 8 balls. He was the game-changer for team India.
6. South Africa Vs. England
South Africa set a mountainous target of 230 runs on the board. Eoin Morgan's team came to chase the big total with a different mindset by maintaining a run rate better than the asking rate of 11.5. One can imagine how well they played the match against South Africa. Only one run needed in the last over. Going into the last over, England needed only one run to win. However, some twists occurred when two wickets fell in the final over. Despite this, the intent shown by the England had already scripted the victory story for them.
7. England Vs. New Zealand
The World Cup final match between England and New Zealand is full of twists and turns. It is impossible to predict what can happen on the next ball. The game took a dramatic turn and ended in a tie, and the superover was also tied. It was the first time when a final match result was decided by the boundary-count rule. Ultimately, England won the World Cup title on the boundary countback rule.
8. India Vs. Pakistan
India versus Pakistan are always eagerly awaited by cricket fans. The craze for their matches is on another level. Pakistan put a total of 159 on board. Virat Kohli was on strike. India needed 13 runs from the last three balls. The chase master led the team to the victory. He hit a big six in the final over, and luckily, it was a no-ball, which became the game-changing point for India. At last, India needed one run on one ball. Virat stole the show and, India achieved a terrific win against Pakistan.
9. India Vs. New Zealand
It was a fantastic superover thriller match between India and New Zealand. India was not in the game, but somehow they managed to tie the score. New Zealand scored 17 runs in the super over. Now, it was India's turn to chase the total. India needed ten runs from the last two balls, and Rohit was on the strike. Rohit Sharma hit two big sixes on the previous two balls, shining as the star of this stunning thriller match. India stole the show and turned the game towards their side in the super over.
10. India Vs. Bangladesh
A true cricket fan can never forget the thrilling last-ball match between India and Bangladesh. Bangladesh needs 11 runs in 6 balls. The batters even hit two boundaries in the final over. This match was in Bangladesh's pocket! But cricket is a game of uncertainties. They needed to score just two runs in 3 balls, but followed a naive approach and wanted to finish the game with a six. They lost three crucial wickets on the last three balls The previous wicket was a fantastic run-out by MS Dhoni. At last, India had a remarkable comeback, and team India registered a magical victory over Bangladesh.
