ICC Men's T20 World Cup
The global T20 showdown for the men's world title.
- First held 2007
- 10 editions
- Reigning: India
- Every two years
Overview
The ICC Men's T20 World Cup, formerly the ICC World Twenty20, is the biennial world championship of Twenty20 International cricket, first held in South Africa in 2007. India are the most successful team with three titles, having won the 2026 edition on home soil by beating New Zealand by 96 runs in Ahmedabad.
Twenty20 cricket grew out of English domestic cricket, when the England and Wales Cricket Board looked for a fast-paced one-day competition after the Benson & Hedges Cup ended in 2002. The first world championship was staged in South Africa in 2007, where India beat Pakistan by five runs in the final at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. Pakistan won the second edition in England in 2009, and England won the 2010 edition in the West Indies, beating Australia by seven wickets.
West Indies won in Sri Lanka in 2012 and Sri Lanka won in Bangladesh in 2014, beating India in the final. West Indies became the first two-time winners in 2016, when Carlos Brathwaite hit four consecutive sixes in the final over to beat England in Kolkata. The 2020 edition, scheduled for Australia, was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the next tournament was played in the UAE and Oman in 2021, which Australia won by beating New Zealand.
England won their second title in Australia in 2022, beating Pakistan by five wickets at the MCG. The 2024 tournament in the West Indies and United States was the first with 20 teams, and India beat South Africa by seven runs in Barbados. In 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, India beat New Zealand by 96 runs in the final in Ahmedabad to become the first team to win three titles, the first to win back-to-back titles and the first host nation to win the event.
How it works
The 2024 and 2026 tournaments were played by 20 teams in four groups of five, with the top two from each group advancing to a Super 8 stage of two groups of four. The top two from each Super 8 group then played the semi-finals, followed by the final. From 2028, the ICC has announced five groups of four, a Super 10 stage of two groups of five and a six-team knockout phase with two eliminators, two semi-finals and a final. Tied matches are decided by a super over.
Who has won it most?
Titles won by each team across all 10 editions.
Winners by year
Newest first.
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Host | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | India | New Zealand | India, Sri Lanka | India won by 96 runsPlayer of the tournament: Sanju SamsonIndia 255/5 (20 ov); New Zealand 159 (19 ov). Player of the match in the final: Jasprit Bumrah (4/15). India became the first team to win three titles, the first to win back-to-back titles and the first host to win (7 February - 8 March 2026). |
| 2024 | India | South Africa | West Indies, United States | India won by 7 runsPlayer of the tournament: Jasprit BumrahIndia 176/7 (20 ov); South Africa 169/8 (20 ov). Player of the match in the final: Virat Kohli (76). First edition with 20 teams. |
| 2022 | England | Pakistan | Australia | England won by 5 wicketsPlayer of the tournament: Sam CurranPakistan 137/8 (20 ov); England 138/5 (19 ov). Player of the match in the final: Sam Curran (3/12). |
| 2021 | Australia | New Zealand | United Arab Emirates, Oman | Australia won by 8 wicketsPlayer of the tournament: David WarnerNew Zealand 172/4 (20 ov); Australia 173/2 (18.5 ov). Player of the match in the final: Mitchell Marsh. Australia won their first T20 World Cup title. The 2020 edition, planned for Australia, was postponed because of COVID-19. |
| 2016 | West Indies | England | India | West Indies won by 4 wicketsPlayer of the tournament: Virat KohliEngland 155/9 (20 ov); West Indies 161/6 (19.4 ov). Player of the match in the final: Marlon Samuels (85*). West Indies became the first team to win the title twice. |
| 2014 | Sri Lanka | India | Bangladesh | Sri Lanka won by 6 wicketsPlayer of the tournament: Virat KohliIndia 130/4 (20 ov); Sri Lanka 134/4 (17.5 ov). Player of the match in the final: Kumar Sangakkara (52*). Kohli scored 319 runs. |
| 2012 | West Indies | Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka | West Indies won by 36 runsPlayer of the tournament: Shane WatsonWest Indies 137/6 (20 ov); Sri Lanka 101 (18.4 ov). Player of the match in the final: Marlon Samuels. |
| 2010 | England | Australia | West Indies | England won by 7 wicketsPlayer of the tournament: Kevin PietersenAustralia 147/6 (20 ov); England 148/3 (17 ov). Player of the match in the final: Craig Kieswetter (63). England won their first World Twenty20 title. |
| 2009 | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | England | Pakistan won by 8 wicketsPlayer of the tournament: Tillakaratne DilshanSri Lanka 138/6 (20 ov); Pakistan 139/2 (18.4 ov). Player of the match in the final: Shahid Afridi. Dilshan scored 317 runs. |
| 2007 | India | Pakistan | South Africa | India won by 5 runsPlayer of the tournament: Shahid AfridiIndia 157/5 (20 ov); Pakistan 152 all out. Player of the match in the final: Irfan Pathan (3/16). Held as the ICC World Twenty20 (11-24 September 2007). |
Records & facts
- Most titles
- India (3: 2007, 2024, 2026)
- Most runs in T20 World Cups
- Virat Kohli, India (1,292, 2012-2024)
- Most runs in a tournament
- Sahibzada Farhan, Pakistan (383, 2026)
- Highest individual score
- Brendon McCullum, New Zealand (123 v Bangladesh, 2012)
- Most hundreds
- Chris Gayle, West Indies and Sahibzada Farhan, Pakistan (2 each)
- Most wickets in T20 World Cups
- Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh (50, 2007-2024)
- Most wickets in a tournament
- Fazalhaq Farooqi, Afghanistan and Arshdeep Singh, India (17 each, 2024)
- Best bowling figures
- Ajantha Mendis, Sri Lanka (6/8 v Zimbabwe, 2012)
- Highest team total
- Sri Lanka (260/6 v Kenya, 2007)
- Lowest team total
- Netherlands (39 v Sri Lanka, 2014) and Uganda (39 v West Indies, 2024)
- Highest match aggregate
- India v England (499/14 at Mumbai, 2026)
- Most dismissals by a wicket-keeper
- Quinton de Kock, South Africa (39, 2014-2026)
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