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Number crunching: Indian players' World T20 record not encouraging
Team India may have won the inaugural edition of the ICC World T20 Championships’ under inspirational Mahendra Singh Dhoni in 2007 but their performances in subsequent editions was nothing to shout about.
That inaugural tournament is perhaps best remembered for Yuvraj Singh smashing England’s Stuart Broad for six sixes in one over, enroute the final.
In the 3rd edition in 2010, Suresh Raina, who has managed to keep his spot in the World T20 squad, scored a century against South Africa at Gros Islet, West Indies.
But these few highlights apart, India’s players have done precious little to lay claim over the multi-team tournament.
In fact, Raina is the lone Indian in the short-list of four players from all countries to have scored a century in the World T20 tournament.
And, with the 5th edition of the tournament set to commence in Dhaka on Sunday, let’s see how Indian players’ record stand against the others.
Number crunching: Indian players' World T20 record not encouraging
Raina had scored 101 with five sixes and nine fours against the South Africans at Gros Islet in May, 2010.
Chris Gayle (West Indies, 117 v South Africa at Johannesburg in September, 2007), Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka, 100 v Zimbabwe at Providence in May, 2010) and Brendon McCullum (New Zealand, 123 v Bangladesh at Pallekele in September, 2012), are the other players who, along with Raina have scored an international century in the shortest form of the game.
Gayle (98) and Jayawardene (98 not out) failed to register another century when they had the opportunity (both at Bridgetown, in 2010).
Incidentally, Jayawardene and Gayle have a galore of records against their names in international T20s.
Jayawardene (858 runs) and left-handed Gayle (664) are the top two run-getters in the tournament's history while the stylish Lankan right-hander also holds the record for most fours (91) in the tournament.
The hard-hitting Gayle, meanwhile, has the record for most number of sixes (43).
The two batsmen also have the most 50 or 50-plus scores with Gayle recording 7 half-centuries (including one century) as against Jayawardene's 6 (including one ton).
Number crunching: Indian players' World T20 record not encouraging
While Team India took the honours in 2007, it’s their subcontinent rivals who have dominated the tournament thereafter.
Lanka's unorthodox finger spinner Ajantha Mendis is the best bowler in the tournament with figures of 6 for 8 runs against Zimbabwe at Hambantota in September, 2012.
The next best figures belong to Umar Gul (Pakistan, 5 for 6 vs New Zealand at the Oval in June, 2009) and Mark Gillespie (New Zealand, 4 for 7 vs Kenya at Durnan in September, 2007).
Pakistan and Sri Lanka share the record for most wins (16 each) in the tournament.
England, with eleven defeats, hold the record for most losses by a team in the tournament followed by Bangladesh and New Zealand (10 losses each).
Defending champs West Indies (won in 2012) won the title in the 4th edition following India (2007), Pakistan (2009), England’s (2010) feat.