The modern-day T20I cricket has become a game of margins. One over can give a lot of confidence and momentum to the batting team. On the other, it dents the spirit of the bowling team. If a bowler errs in his bowling, that can ruin the game for the whole team. Not to forget, in league stage matches, teams try to boost their run rate. This gives them more reason to go after every ball. One over can define the result of the whole game. Here is the list of Top 10 Most Expensive Overs in T20I Cricket-
1. India Against England (36 runs)
India and England clashed in the 25th match of the inaugural T20 World Cup 2007 in Durban. India batted first after winning the toss. After the end of the 18th over, England’s Andrew Flintoff had a heated argument with India’s Yuvraj Singh (batting on 14 from 6). The argument charged up Yuvraj, who then smashed Stuart Broad for 6 sixes in the next over to score the fastest T20I half-century ever. India eventually prevailed by 18 runs.
2. West Indies Against Sri Lanka (36 runs)
West Indies hosted Sri Lanka in 2021 in Antigua. West Indies were asked to chase 132 runs. But they suffered a big hiccup in the run chase. In the fourth over, Sri Lanka’s Akila Dananjaya took a hat-trick to reduce West Indies to 57/3. In his next over, Kieron Pollard smashed him for 6 sixes to score 36 runs off the over. West Indies defeated the visitors by 4 wickets.
3. New Zealand Against India (34 runs)
In 2020, India and New Zealand met in a T20I at Mount Maunganui. New Zealand was asked to chase 164 to win. The Indian bowlers reduced the hosts to 17/3 in 3.2 overs. The third wicket brought Tim Seifert and Ross Taylor to the crease. At the start of the 10th over, they needed 100 runs to win. Seifert and Taylor smashed Shivam Dube for 4 sixes and 2 fours (of which one came off a no-ball). That over went for 34 runs, bringing down the equation to 66 runs from 60 runs. Finally, India won the match by 7 runs.
4. England Against South Africa (32 runs)
England hosted South Africa at the Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham in 2012. Rain reduced the match to an 11-over affair. In the penultimate over of the first innings, the South African captain AB de Villiers tossed the ball to Wayne Parnell. England’s Jos Buttler smashed Parnell for 32 runs in that over, including 3 sixes and 2 fours (one off a no-ball).
5. England Against Afghanistan (32 runs)
This happened in a 2012 ICC T20 World Cup match in Colombo. England was asked to bat in the first innings. In the 19th over bowled by Izatullah Dawlatzai, Jos Buttler smashed the bowler for a four but got out next ball. The new batter Jonny Bairstow and Luke Wright then smashed Izatullah for four more sixes (including two no-balls) to a total of 32 runs off the over.
6. West Indies Against India (32 runs)
The opening T20I between India and West Indies in Lauderhill in 2016 was a high-scoring affair. Stuart Binny was handed the ball to deliver the 11th over. West Indies’ Evin Lewis smashed Binny for 5 sixes. That over went for 32 runs. In the end, West Indies managed to win by 1 run.
7. Scotland Against The Netherlands (32 runs)
Scotland and the Netherlands met in a match in Dublin in 2019. The Netherlands invited the Scottish team to bat first. Max O’Dowd was at the start of his run-up in the 13th over of the first innings. Scottish batter George Munsey smashed O’Dowd for 4 sixes and 2 fours in the over to propel Scotland to 252/3. Scotland eventually won the match by 58 runs.
8. South Africa Against Bangladesh (31 runs)
Bangladesh toured South Africa in 2017. In the second T20I at Potchefstroom, South Africa batted first. In the penultimate over, David Miller hammered Mohammad Saifuddin for 5 sixes and a single to cap off a 31-run over. Miller scored a century in 35 balls (fastest T20I century). Bangladesh eventually failed to chase the 225-run target.
9. Australia Against New Zealand (30 runs)
New Zealand hosted Australia for the first-ever T20I in Auckland in 2005. Australia won the toss and decided to use the bat first. In the second-last over of the first innings, Australia’s Ricky Ponting hit Daryl Tuffey for 4 sixes, 1 four, and 1 double to score 30 runs in the over. Australia ultimately won the match by 33 runs.
10. Australia Against Pakistan (30 runs)
Pakistan and Australia clashed in a match in the 2014 T20 World Cup. Pakistan posted 191/5 in the first innings. At the end of 7 overs, Australia needed 120 to win with 8 wickets in hand. In the next over, Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell smashed Bilawal Bhatti for 30 runs to ease the pressure. But Pakistan managed to prevail by 16 runs.
