Triumph in Sri Lanka: A Comprehensive Look at the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 Champion West Indies
Introduction
The fourth edition of the T20 World Cup was played at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 7 October 2012. West Indies defeated Sri Lanka by 36 runs to win the match. And West Indies won a major tournament for the first time since 2004. West Indies became the fourth team to win the T20 World Cup before India defeated Pakistan in the first T20 World Cup in 2007. In the second World Cup, In which Pakistan won, and in the third World Cup, which was played in West Indies, England defeated Pakistan. It was the first time in the history of the T20 World Cup that a host team reached the semi-finals; 35,000 people watched the final. England and West Indies are the two teams who have won the T20 World Cup title twice. England defeated Australia in the final of the 2010 T20 World Cup and West Indies hosted the tournament.
| Year | 2012 |
| Winner | WI |
| Runner Up | SRI |
| Host | SRI |
| Most Runs | Shane Watson 249 runs |
| Most Wickets | Ajantha Mendis 15 wickets |
| Player of the Series | Shane Watson |
Super 8 Stage
- India, England (Group A)
- Australia, West Indies (Group B)
- South Africa, Sri Lanka (Group C)
- Pakistan, New Zealand (Group D)
All these teams qualified for super 8 stage.
The Venues and Format
The games took place in three magnificent stadiums. All with a seating capacity of 35,000 people, the Pallekele Cricket Stadium, R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, and Mahindra Rajapaksa Stadium in Hambantota. This ensured the tournament was played across different stadiums, thus maintaining diversity and the electrifying atmosphere that contributed to an enhanced viewer experience, both on site and through public viewing . The entire tournament had 12 teams divided into fourths, playing three other teams in their respective groups in the first stages. With the top 2 teams qualifying for the Super Eight stage, the winner will qualify for the semi-final round and the then final.
Key Matches
The trip to the finals was full of drama and thrill. The victory of Ireland against Afghanistan during the qualifiers became the epic opening of the main battle. The matches of both groups were amazing as India, England in group A, and Australia, West Indies, in group B advanced to the Super Eights. Yet, this stage proved the true strength of the teams . For instance, India with the strongest combination of players could not go beyond the Super Eights. They became the third in the group, losing to Australia and Pakistan . At the same time, the West Indies and Sri Lanka qualified for semis, showing real strength of character and strategy.
Sri Lanka Journey to the Final
Sri Lanka, who were also the hosts of the T20 World Cup 2012, were considered favorites in the tournament. Sri Lanka won the first match of the tournament by defeating Zimbabwe by 82 runs. They lost to Africa in the second match. Sri Lanka reached the Super 8 stage and won the first two matches of the Super 8 stage by easily defeating West Indies and England. Their third match was very interesting and full of thrills. This match was against New Zealand. And in the Super Over, Sri Lanka defeated New Zealand, thus winning all three matches of the Super Eight stage. They qualified for the semi-finals. In the semi-final they faced Pakistan and defeated them by 16 runs to reach the final with WI. Before this fourth edition, India, Pakistan and England won the T20 World Cup final.
West Indies Journey to the Final
West Indies came into this fourth edition of T20 World Cup 2012 with the intention of winning. West Indies did not start the tournament well, losing to Australia in their first match, their second match against Ireland was rained out and both teams were awarded one point each. However, West Indies were lucky enough to reach the Super 8 stage. In Group B they qualified for the Super 8 stage and they achieved this target on the basis of run rate. They were placed in Group One at the Super Eight stage. The group already had strong teams like Sri Lanka, England and New Zealand. They won against New Zealand in Super 8 stage and England easily won against England in Super Eight stage but they got this victory against New Zealand in Super Over. Despite losing to Sri Lanka, they reached the semi-finals. They managed to reach the semi-finals and in the semi-finals they faced Australia and it was a semi-final to watch. Chris Gayle played an unbeaten innings of 75 off 41 balls and posted a mammoth total of 205/4. Australia came into action, they faced a lot of trouble and the entire team was bowled out for 131 runs.
The Final: A Night to Remember
The last match was played at the R Premadasa Stadium and was nothing short of spectacular. West Indies, captained by Darren Sammy, were on their backfoot after scoring 137/6 after being put in to bat first. Marlon Samuels’ splendid inning of 78 runs off 55 balls saved West Indies after a shaky start. In the chase, West Indies dominated with their bowlers, with Sunil Narine and Samuel Badree keeping the pressure high. Eventually, Sri Lanka was all out for 101 runs, and the West Indies were the well-deserved winners by 36 runs.
Player Performances and Records
The standout performer of the tournament was Shane Watson of Australia, who scored 249 runs and captured 12 wickets, thereby securing the Player of the Tournament prize . As for the bowling charts of the tournament, it was Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis, who won the same with 15 wickets . These statistics prove his prominence as a spin bowler.
Conclusion
The 2012 T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka was a defining moment in the history of cricket, defined by its electrifying complicated matches, exceptional individual one-man performances and the glorious triumph of West Indian cricket, the team who has thrown parties in the hearts of everyone throughout the world. In the process, it proved that T20 cricket remained as unpredictable and as competitive as anything available in the globe. West Indies had to face defeat against Sri Lanka in all T20 World Cup matches. Earlier in this T20 World Cup tournament too, West Indies had to face a defeat by Sri Lanka in the Super Eight match. They didn’t let the defeat get to their minds and played good cricket and eventually won the ICC T20 World Cup final for the first time in their T20 World Cup history.
