20 quirky and nerdy T20 World Cup stats to set the ball rolling

From finals decided by fine margins to feats that still feel scarcely believable, the T20 World Cup has quietly built a rich numerical history of its own. To set the ball rolling ahead of the 2026 edition, here's a countdown of 20 nerdy, quirky and genuinely telling stats that capture the tournament's extremes, evolutions and enduring moments.

20 – Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh collectively conceded just 20 runs (barring byes/leg-byes) in Overs 16-20 in the T20 World Cup 2024 final at Bridgetown, Barbados. This came after a 24-run 15th over had reduced the equation to a run-a-ball 30 for South Africa. India bowlers' economy rate of 4 (20 runs in 5 overs) in Overs 16-20 on that day ranks as the best in the 54 team innings in T20 World Cup knockouts. For context, the combined economy rate in Overs 16-20 for all T20 World Cup knockout games till date is 9.96.

19 runs is the highest target gunned down in the 20th over of a T20 World Cup match, achieved in the final of the 2016 edition at Eden Gardens by Carlos Brathwaite.

18 – The highest boundary count in an individual innings in the T20 World Cup, a record held by Brendon McCullum who smashed 11 fours and seven sixes during his 123 against Bangladesh in Pallekele in 2012. Chris Gayle holds the record for most sixes in an innings: 11 against England at Wankhede in 2016. Herschelle Gibbs holds the record for most fours: 14 against West Indies in the first ever T20 World Cup game at the Wanderers, Johannesburg in 2007.

17 – Number of different opponents Shakib Al Hasan has played against in the T20 World Cup, the most for a player. Shakib and Rohit Sharma are the only players to have played at least one game in each of the first nine editions. Zimbabwe's Brendan Taylor is the only player from the inaugural edition (2007) who will also feature in 2026.

16 years 335 days – UAE's Aayan Afzal Khan is the youngest to feature in a T20 World Cup game, having made his first appearance against Netherlands in Geelong during the 2022 edition.

15 instances of an Associate team defeating a full-member side in Men's T20 World Cup history. Netherlands have been the prominent giant-killers with four such wins. Afghanistan's last over triumph against the West Indies in Nagpur in 2016 was the only defeat for the eventual champions in that edition. Other noteworthy ones are Scotland against West Indies in Hobart in 2022 and USA against Pakistan in New York in 2024 – both of which led to the former title-winners' exit from the first round.

14 – 13.95 to be precise – In one of the most remarkable T20 World Cup games, Netherlands needed to chase down a 190-run target in 14.2 overs against Ireland in 2014 to advance to the next round, and they completed it in 13.5 overs, going at a run-rate of 13.95 – the highest in a T20 WC team innings of at least seven overs. 37 balls remaining remains the most for any successful T20 World Cup chase above 160.

13 instances of a team using 11 or 12 players throughout a T20 World Cup edition. Three teams used the same XI throughout – West Indies in 2007 and 2014, and Pakistan in 2021. Of the 10 instances of a team using 12 players through the competition, three resulted in title wins: England in 2010, Australia in 2021 and India in 2024.

12 dismissals for Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal and Kamran Akmal as a bowler-wicketkeeper (or fielder) pair, a T20 World Cup record. 11 of those were stumpings.

11 – Absolute close finishes in T20 World Cup excluding tied matches – criteria: victories by 1 run defending a total (6) or successful chases completed off the final ball (5). India account for three of these 11 wins – the most for a team, while Pakistan has been on the receiving end most often.

10 consecutive defeats for Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup across the first four editions is the longest such streak in the competition's history. They had to wait until the 2014 edition at home to register their next win after 2007.

9 players have featured in two T20 World Cup final wins (playing XIs). Eight of them featured in the 2012 and 2016 title clashes for the West Indies. Rohit Sharma became the latest entrant in this list in 2024, after having also featured in the inaugural final in 2007.

8 bowlers have bagged hat-tricks in T20 World Cup history – Brett Lee, Curtis Campher, Wanindu Hasaranga, Kagiso Rabada, Karthik Meiyappan, Josh Little, Pat Cummins and Chris Jordan. Campher took four wickets in four balls against Netherlands in 2021. Cummins achieved the feat in back-to-back games in 2024.

7 wins for India against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup (including the tied finish in Durban in 2007) is the most for a team against an opponent in the competition's history, their only defeat coming during the 2021 edition in Dubai.

6 sixes – Yuvraj Singh's six sixes in an over against Stuart Broad in Durban in 2007 remains one of the most iconic moments in T20 World Cup history.

5 players have represented two different teams (countries) in T20 World Cup: Dirk Nannes (Netherlands and Australia), Roelof van der Merwe (Netherlands and South Africa), Mark Chapman (Hong Kong and New Zealand), Corey Anderson (New Zealand and USA) and David Wiese (South Africa and Namibia).

4 maidens is the maximum one can bowl in a T20 game, and Lockie Ferguson achieved this against Papua New Guinea in Tarouba in 2024. It is the only such instance in T20 World Cup history, and the only one to feature a full-member side.

3 Player of the Match awards for Virat Kohli against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup (2012, 2016 and 2022), the most by a player against an opponent. Overall, Kohli has eight POTM awards in the tournament, the most.

2 – Glenn Maxwell hit the winning runs in the T20 World Cup 2021 final against New Zealand, as well as at the ODI World Cup 2023 final against India, making him the only player to hit the winning runs in a World Cup final in both white-ball formats.

1 – Yusuf Pathan is the only cricketer to have made his international debut in the final of a Men's ICC tournament (ODI WC, T20 WC or Champions Trophy), having done so in the inaugural T20 World Cup edition against Pakistan in Johannesburg.