Team India and New Zealand are hours away from taking the field for the all-important T20 World Cup 2026 final in Ahmedabad. Several players from both sides will experience their first final of an ICC event, an occasion unlike any in the sport.
The T20 World Cup has been in existence for almost two decades, with the first edition played in 2007. In this period, several legendary players have made their mark in the tournament, helping their respective sides to ultimate glory.
However, many relatively famous names were at the fag end of their careers when the T20 World Cup started, or played only a tournament or two.
As we look ahead to the final of the 10th edition of the T20 World Cup, it is time to look back at five players who many may not know participated in a T20 World Cup final.
#1 Amit Mishra
It is not often that the plugged-in Indian fans forget one of their own playing a T20 World Cup final. Yet, former leg-spinner Amit Mishra might be an exception to that rule, considering he played only the 2014 T20 World Cup. Mishra enjoyed an outstanding tournament, picking up 10 wickets in six matches at an average of 14.70 and an economy of 6.68. He even won back-to-back Player of the Match awards in the group stage of the competition.
However, Mishra could not prevent India from losing in the final against Sri Lanka despite his impressive figures of 1/32 in four overs.
#2 Sanath Jayasuriya
Peak Sanath Jayasuriya would have been a sight to behold in the shortest format of the game, considering his all-out attacking batting style. The former Sri Lankan opener was part of the first three T20 World Cups from 2007 to 2010 before retiring from the sport.
Sanath featured in Sri Lanka’s only final appearance of that period in the 2009 T20 World Cup. The legendary batter could only muster a 10-ball 17 as Sri Lanka posted a sub-par 138 in their 20 overs to lose by eight wickets.
Sanath did not set the stage on fire in his T20 World Cup career, averaging under 22 at a strike rate of 121.40 in 18 matches.
#3 Abdul Razzaq
Another cricketer, who was a popular name before the T20 era, Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, also featured in the 2009 T20 World Cup final. The right-arm seamer made a massive contribution to derail Sri Lanka in the contest with figures of 3/20 in three overs.
Winning Pakistan their first and only T20 World Cup title led to Razzaq playing for them in the next two editions in 2010 and 2012. He finished with 11 T20 World Cup games in his career, averaging over 20 with the bat and picking up seven wickets at an average of 22.42 with the ball.
#4 Stuart Broad
Former England pacer Stuart Broad is remembered mainly for conceding 36 runs in an over to Yuvraj Singh when it comes to T20 World Cups. However, he enjoyed several other memorable moments in the tournament, including helping England win the 2010 T20 World Cup.
In his lone final appearance in the 2010 edition, Broad bowled a miserly spell of 0/27 in four overs against Australia, helping England eventually pull off a seven-wicket win.
Broad played five T20 World Cups overall from 2007 to 2014, finishing with 30 wickets at an average of 22.36 and an economy of 7.72 in 26 outings.
#5 Joe Root
England batter Joe Root has established himself as the best Test batter in the world since the turn of the 2020s. However, a decade earlier, he featured in his only T20 World Cup in 2016, the last time the tournament was played in India before the ongoing edition.
The 35-year-old was fortunate enough to play in a final in his only T20 World Cup and thrive with bat and ball. Root scored a crucial 36-ball 54 to help England to a competitive 155/9 in 20 overs against the West Indies.
He then dismissed the West Indian openers, Johnson Charles and Chris Gayle, in the second over of the innings, sparking massive celebrations from the English players. However, the final ended in disappointment for Root and England with a heartbreaking last-over defeat.
Nevertheless, Root shone brightly in the 2016 T20 World Cup, finishing with 249 runs at an average of almost 50 and a strike rate of 146.47 in six games.
Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran