Super good
Over and out
The Super Eights haven't been short of excitement, but if there's an element that's had everyone on the edge of their seats, it's been the Super Over. One team which won't vouch for it, though, is New Zealand. The Kiwis ended up losing on both occasions. Here's one team that will be rooting for the ICC to reintroduce the now-forgotten Bowl Out!
Standout bowling performance
Lasith Malinga
5/31 vS England
It's hard to pick up Malinga at the best of times. However, when you've just arrived to the crease it's next to impossible. As he runs in, the batsman's vision is obscured by that blonde mop, and then, by that slingly round-arm action. Even if you do manage to spot it, you get a cricket ball ready to torpedo your toes at 145 kmph. No wonder, when gets one, he gets a bunch!
India maintain their ‘record’
For any football club the results on derby day gain more importance than their finishing spot in the league tables. A similar case could be made for India-Pakistan matches. While the disappointment of crashing out early is a hard pill to swallow, the win over Pakistan, thus maintaining India's perfect record against the old foes in ICC World Cups, makes it just that little bit easier.
New kids on the block
Raza Hasan and Akila Dananjaya
If you'd never heard of Raza Hasan (right) or Akila Dananjaya before the World T20, don't be too hard on yourself. One of them, the 18-year-old Dananjaya, had never even played a professional match. After their performance, however, it looks like they'll be household names sooner rather than later. Dananjaya is the latest in Sri Lanka's assembly line of mystery spinners, while Hasan played a starring role against the strong India and Australia batting lineups.
New kids on the block
Raza Hasan and Akila Dananjaya
If you'd never heard of Raza Hasan (right) or Akila Dananjaya before the World T20, don't be too hard on yourself. One of them, the 18-year-old Dananjaya, had never even played a professional match. After their performance, however, it looks like they'll be household names sooner rather than later. Dananjaya is the latest in Sri Lanka's assembly line of mystery spinners, while Hasan played a starring role against the strong India and Australia batting lineups.
Standout batting performance
Johnson Charles
84 vS England
The lanky opener managed to pull off a feat many far more accomplished batsman haven't — he outshone Chris Gayle. The imposing right-hander from St Lucia started slowly, and early in his innings he was striking at less than a run a ball. But, shifting gears in Gaylesque mode, he unleashed a barrage of big hits and sweetly-timed
boundaries.
England miss KP
Even as England stumbled in their chase against Sri Lanka in their final Super Eights match, the man who’s arguably their best batsman sat in the commentators' studio watching the defending champions fail to overhaul a target that would have kept their hopes alive. Common sense, it seems, has finally prevailed as immediately following their exit, Kevin Pietersen has been offered a fresh central contract. The commentators' box is poorer for it!
All-rounder
The Watson show
If you had doubts about the dominance of the burly Australia all-rounder, a cursory glance at the stat sheet will suffice. He's on top of both the batsmen and bowlers' charts, with 242 runs at 60 and a strike-rate of 154 and 11 wickets at 12.81. The most telling statistic, however, is his bowling strike-rate and his six-hitting rate. He's picking up a wicket every 10 balls and is hitting a six every 10 balls!