A Look Back at Pakistan's T20 World Cup Journey: From 2007 Debut to 2024 Exit

Pakistan has reached the knockout stage of the T20 World Cup six times in cricket history. However, they have only managed to win this prestigious title once, under the leadership of Younis Khan in 2009.

The 'Men in Green' had a good opportunity to win another title, but their hopes were dashed when they were defeated by England by five wickets in the final of the 2022 edition.

Pakistan's T20 World Cup History

• T20 World Cup 2007, South Africa

If the India-Pakistan match is considered the biggest rivalry, the 2007 T20 World Cup took their rivalry to a new height. The first meeting between India and Pakistan in this tournament was historic because the winner was decided by a 'bowl-out'. When both teams scored equal runs in the scheduled 20 overs, the match was decided by a bowl-out. Unfortunately, Pakistan lost that match 3-0.

However, that was their only loss in the group stage, and they met their arch-rivals India again in the final. Misbah-ul-Haq's 'bad shot selection' ended Pakistan's dream of victory, as India won by five runs in the last over to claim the first T20 World Cup title. Nevertheless, Misbah was Pakistan's top batsman with 218 runs, while Umar Gul's 13 wickets were the best performance by a Pakistani bowler.

• T20 World Cup 2009, England

Pakistan won the title by defeating Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the final. Although Younis Khan's team started the season with a loss against England, Pakistan maintained their winning streak. Three wins in the group stage took Pakistan to the semi-finals, where Pakistan defeated South Africa by seven runs. Kamran Akmal was Pakistan's top scorer with 188 runs, and Umar Gul again took 13 wickets.

• T20 World Cup 2010, West Indies

In this World Cup, Pakistan reached the knockout stage for the third consecutive time but were eliminated in the semi-finals this time. Australia defeated Pakistan by three wickets in a last-over thriller in the second semi-final. Despite losing three matches and winning only two in the group stage, the defending champions managed to qualify for the knockout stage. Salman Butt was the top scorer with 223 runs (including two half-centuries), while spinner Saeed Ajmal was on top of the list of top wicket-takers with 11 wickets.

• T20 World Cup 2012, Sri Lanka

Pakistan's group stage performance was excellent, where Pakistan won four matches. Pakistan was defeated only by India. Pakistan's winning streak was halted by hosts Sri Lanka in the first semi-final, where Pakistan lost by 16 runs. Captain Mohammad Hafeez himself led the batting unit with 164 runs, while Saeed Ajmal led the bowling attack with nine wickets.

• T20 World Cup 2014, Bangladesh

After successful campaigns in four World Cups, Pakistan failed to reach the semi-finals for the first time in the 2014 World Cup. Pakistan started their campaign with a seven-wicket loss against arch-rivals India. Pakistan managed only two wins and finished third in the group stage (Group 2). Ahmed Shehzad was the top scorer with 138 runs, and right-arm bowler Umar Gul was the highest wicket-taker with 6 wickets.

• T20 World Cup 2016, India

Pakistan came to neighboring India with the aim of performing excellently in this World Cup. But it turned out to be Pakistan's worst World Cup in history. This is because the team led by Shahid Afridi managed to win only one match in the group stage. Sharjeel Khan scored 112 runs, while Mohammad Sami and Shahid Afridi took four wickets each.

• T20 World Cup 2021, India/UAE

After two poor performances, Pakistan reached the semi-finals in the 2021 edition. This time, the 'Men in Green' took revenge on India. They started the tournament successfully by defeating Virat Kohli's team by a massive margin of 10 wickets. With five wins and 10 points, Babar Azam's led team topped the points table in Group 2. However, Pakistan was defeated by Australia by five wickets in the second semi-final. Babar was the tournament's top scorer with 303 runs, while spin all-rounder Shadab Khan was Pakistan's top bowler with nine wickets.

• T20 World Cup 2022, Australia

Virat Kohli's excellent performance in this World Cup prevented Pakistan from getting a positive start. The former Indian captain secured a four-wicket victory at the MCG, but that did not dampen the confidence of Babar Azam and the Pakistani team, who managed to enter the final for the first time since 2009. A weak batting performance in the final against England dashed Pakistan's hopes of winning a second title. Shan Masood and Mohammad Rizwan finished as Pakistan's top scorers with 175 runs each, while Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shadab Khan made it to the list of top wicket-takers with 11 wickets each.

• T20 World Cup 2024: Out from Group Stage After 10 Years

Pakistan's journey in the 'ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024', held in the USA and West Indies, was disappointing. For the first time in the last 10 years, the team was eliminated from the group stage of the Super-8.

The unexpected loss to debutants USA in a Super Over and a narrow six-run defeat against India proved fatal for Pakistan in this World Cup. Although they managed a consolation victory of seven wickets against Canada, it was not enough to advance to the next stage. Weak batting, low run-rate, and an inability to handle pressure led to Pakistan's early exit from the tournament.