Men's T20 World Cup facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
ICC Men's T20 World Cup

Administrator	International Cricket Council
Format	Twenty20 International
First edition	2007 South Africa (As ICC World Twenty20)
Latest edition	2024 West Indies United States
Next edition	2026 India Sri Lanka
Tournament format	see below
Number of teams	20
Current champion	India (2nd title)
Most successful	England  India  West Indies (2 titles each)
Most runs	Virat Kohli (1,292)
Most wickets	Shakib Al Hasan (50)

The ICC Men's T20 World Cup is a huge international cricket tournament. It's like the World Cup for Twenty20 International (T20I) cricket. The International Cricket Council (ICC) organizes it.

This exciting event happens every two years. It used to be called the ICC World Twenty20. The first tournament was in 2007.

So far, nine tournaments have been played. Six different national teams have won the T20 World Cup. West Indies, England, and India have each won the cup twice. Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Australia have each won it once.

India is the current champion, winning their second title in the 2024 tournament. The next tournament will be in India and Sri Lanka in 2026.

History of the Tournament

How T20 Cricket Started

Cricket used to have very long games. To make the sport more exciting and faster, a new, shorter version was created. This new game was called Twenty20, or T20.

In T20, each team bats for only 20 overs. This makes the games much quicker and full of action. The first official T20 matches were played in England in 2003. People loved it!

The first international T20 match for men was in 2005. Australia played against New Zealand. This new, fast-paced game quickly became very popular around the world.

Early Years of the World Cup

The first T20 World Cup was held in South Africa in 2007. India won that first tournament, beating Pakistan in a thrilling final.

The second tournament was in England in 2009. This time, Pakistan won, defeating Sri Lanka in the final.

Changes and Growth

The third tournament happened in West Indies in 2010. England won their first title there. The 2012 tournament in Sri Lanka was won by the West Indies.

In 2014, the tournament in Bangladesh grew bigger. It had 16 teams for the first time. Sri Lanka won that year. The West Indies made history in 2016 by winning their second title, becoming the first team to do so.

In 2018, the tournament's name officially changed from "World Twenty20" to "T20 World Cup."

Recent Tournaments

The COVID-19 pandemic caused some changes. The 2020 tournament was moved to 2021. It was played in the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Australia won their first T20 World Cup title in 2021.

The 2022 tournament was held in Australia. England won their second T20 World Cup title there.

Expanding to More Teams

The 2024 tournament was a big step. It expanded to include 20 teams! This was the first time the United States co-hosted a major ICC event, along with the West Indies. India won their second title in this tournament.

The 2026 tournament will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

Where the Tournament is Held

Different countries get to host the T20 World Cup. The ICC decides who hosts after countries offer to hold the event.

So far, many countries have hosted. These include South Africa, England, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Australia, and the United States.

The next few tournaments are already planned. The West Indies and United States co-hosted in 2024. India and Sri Lanka will co-host in 2026. Australia and New Zealand will host in 2028. England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland will co-host in 2030.

How the Tournament Works

How Teams Qualify

Not just any team can play in the T20 World Cup. The best cricket nations, called "full members" of the ICC, automatically get a spot.

Other teams, called "associate members," have to play in special qualification tournaments. These tournaments help decide which other teams are good enough to join the World Cup. This way, more countries get a chance to compete!

Tournament Stages

The T20 World Cup is played in a few exciting stages:

• Group Stage: Teams are put into groups. They play against every other team in their group.
• Super Stage: The best teams from the group stage move on to the "Super 8," "Super 10," or "Super 12" stage, depending on the tournament year. They play in new groups.
• Knockout Stage: The top teams from the Super stage go into a knockout round. This means if you lose, you're out! This stage includes the semi-finals and the grand final.

If a match ends in a tie (both teams score the same runs), they play a special "Super Over" to decide the winner. It's a mini-match to break the tie!

The Trophy

English players lifting the trophy after winning the 2022 final against Pakistan.

The team that wins the T20 World Cup gets a shiny trophy! It's made of silver and rhodium. The trophy is about 57 centimeters (22 inches) tall and weighs around 12 kilograms (26 pounds).

It was designed in 2007 in Australia. Different companies have made the trophy over the years, with Thomas Lyte being the current official maker.

Fans and Attendance

80,428 spectators attended the 2022 final between Pakistan and England at the MCG.

Many fans come to watch the T20 World Cup matches. Thousands of people fill the stadiums to cheer for their favorite teams!

For example, over 750,000 people attended the matches in the 2022 tournament. The 2024 tournament had even more, with over 1.2 million fans watching live!

Tournament Champions

As of the 2024 tournament, 24 different countries have played in the T20 World Cup. Nine teams have played in every tournament since 2007.

• Two-time winners: West Indies, England, and India.
• One-time winners: Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Australia.

No team has ever won the tournament while being the host country. Also, no team has won the title two times in a row.

Final Match Results

Year	Winner		Runner-up
2007	India	157/5 (20 overs)	Pakistan	152 (19.4 overs)
2009	Pakistan	139/2 (18.4 overs)	Sri Lanka	138/6 (20 overs)
2010	England	148/3 (17 overs)	Australia	147/6 (20 overs)
2012	West Indies	137/6 (20 overs)	Sri Lanka	101 (18.4 overs)
2014	Sri Lanka	134/4 (17.5 overs)	India	130/4 (20 overs)
2016	West Indies	161/6 (19.4 overs)	England	155/9 (20 overs)
2021	Australia	173/2 (18.5 overs)	New Zealand	172/4 (20 overs)
2022	England	138/5 (19 overs)	Pakistan	137/8 (20 overs)
2024	India	176/7 (20 overs)	South Africa	169/8 (20 overs)

Team Performance Overview

Team	Appearances	Best performance
England	9	Champions (2010, 2022)
India	9	Champions (2007, 2024)
West Indies	9	Champions (2012, 2016)
Australia	9	Champions (2021)
Pakistan	9	Champions (2009)
Sri Lanka	9	Champions (2014)
New Zealand	9	Runners-up (2021)
South Africa	9	Runners-up (2024)
Afghanistan	7	Semi-finals (2024)
Bangladesh	9	Super 8s (2007, 2024)
Ireland	8	Super 8s (2009)
United States	1	Super 8s (2024)
Netherlands	6	Super 10s (2014)
Scotland	6	Super 12s (2021)
Zimbabwe	6	Super 12s (2022)
Namibia	3	Super 12s (2021)
Oman	3	First round (2016, 2021, 2024)
Hong Kong	2	First round (2014, 2016)
Nepal	2	First round (2014, 2024)
Papua New Guinea	2	First round (2021, 2024)
United Arab Emirates	2	First round (2014, 2022)
Canada	1	First round (2024)
Kenya	1	First round (2007)
Uganda	1	First round (2024)

Amazing Records

Former Indian captain Virat Kohli has scored the most runs (1,292) in the T20 World Cup.

Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh has taken the most wickets (50) in the T20 World Cup.

Former Indian captain MS Dhoni has taken the most dismissals as a wicket-keeper (32) in the T20 World Cup.

Many players have set incredible records in the T20 World Cup!

• Rohit Sharma (India) and Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) are the only players to have played in all nine tournaments.
• Virat Kohli (India) has scored the most runs ever in the T20 World Cup (1,292 runs). He also holds the record for most runs in a single tournament (319 in 2014).
• Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) has taken the most wickets (50).
• MS Dhoni (India) has the most dismissals as a wicket-keeper (32).
• Pat Cummins (Australia) is the only player to take two hat-tricks in the same tournament (2024).

Team Records

Record for	Record holder	Record	Tournament(s)
Highest team total	Sri Lanka (v  Kenya) at Johannesburg	260/6	2007
Lowest team total	Netherlands (v  Sri Lanka) at Chittagong	39	2014
	Uganda (v  West Indies) at Guyana		2024
Highest match aggregate	South Africa v  England at Mumbai	459/12	2016
Lowest match aggregate	Netherlands v  Sri Lanka at Chittagong	79/11	2014

Batting Records

Record for	Record holder	Record	Tournament(s)
Most runs	Virat Kohli	1,292	2012–2024
Most runs in a tournament	Virat Kohli	319	2014
Highest score	Brendon McCullum v  Bangladesh at Kandy	123	2012
Most centuries	Chris Gayle	2	2007–2021
Highest partnership	Jos Buttler & Alex Hales v  India at Adelaide	170*	2022

Bowling Records

Record for	Record holder	Record	Tournament(s)
Most wickets	Shakib Al Hasan	50	2007–2024
Most wickets in a tournament	Fazalhaq Farooqi and Arshdeep Singh	17	2024
Best bowling figures	Ajantha Mendis v  Zimbabwe at Hambantota	6/8	2012

Fielding Records

Record for	Record holder	Record	Tournament(s)
Most wicket-keeper dismissals	MS Dhoni	32	2007–2016
Most wicket-keeper dismissals in a tournament	Rishabh Pant	14	2024
Most catches	David Warner	25	2009–2024

Images for kids

• 

  Countries by best performance at Men's T20 World Cup tournaments

See also

In Spanish: Copa Mundial de Críquet Twenty20 para niños