India scripted cricket history by capturing the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup in 2007 under MS Dhoni’s inspirational leadership, launching what would become the sport’s most electrifying format.
After a 17-year gap, the Men in Blue reclaimed glory with their triumphant 2024 campaign and now stand as defending champions heading into the upcoming edition.
The prestigious tournament, scheduled from February 7 to March 1, 2026, will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, bringing the action back to the subcontinent where it all began.
Held biennially since its inception, the T20 World Cup has witnessed multiple champions, with West Indies and England each claiming two titles alongside India’s pair of triumphs.
As cricket fans eagerly anticipate the 2026 showdown on home soil, let’s explore the complete journey of ICC T20 World Cup winners from the tournament’s fascinating history.
ICC T20 World Cup Winners List (2007-2026)
There have been 9 T20 World Cups to date, and the upcoming 2026 T20 World Cup will be the 10th edition of the series, scheduled to take place from 7 February to 1 March in India and Sri Lanka.
| Year | Host Country | Winner | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007/08 | South Africa | India | Pakistan |
| 2009 | England | Pakistan | Sri Lanka |
| 2010 | West Indies | England | Australia |
| 2012/13 | Sri Lanka | West Indies | Sri Lanka |
| 2013/14 | Bangladesh | Sri Lanka | India |
| 2015/16 | India | West Indies | England |
| 2021/22 | Oman/UAE | Australia | New Zealand |
| 2022/23 | Australia | England | Pakistan |
| 2024 | USA/West Indies | India | South Africa |
1. ICC T20 World Cup 2007-08 Winner: India
The 2007 ICC World Twenty20, held in South Africa from September 11-24, was the inaugural edition of T20 cricket’s premier tournament. Twelve teams participated, with India defeating Pakistan by 5 runs in a thrilling final at Johannesburg.
In the final, India posted 157/5 in 20 overs, with Gautam Gambhir scoring a brilliant 75 off 54 balls. Defending the total, Irfan Pathan (3/16), RP Singh (3/26), and Joginder Sharma (2/20) restricted Pakistan’s chase.
The match culminated dramatically in the final over, with Pakistan needing 13 runs with one wicket remaining. Misbah-ul-Haq attempted a paddle-scoop off Joginder Sharma but was caught by Sreesanth at short fine-leg, giving India a historic 5-run victory and making them the first-ever T20 World Cup champions.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Year | 2007 |
| Host | South Africa |
| Winner | India |
| Runner-Up | Pakistan |
| Man of the Match | Irfan Pathan (3/16) |
| Player of the Series | Shahid Afridi |
| Top Run Scorer | Matthew Hayden |
| Highest Wicket Taker | Umar Gul |
2. ICC T20 World Cup 2009 Winner: Pakistan
The 2009 ICC World Twenty20 in England saw Pakistan claim their first T20 World Cup title, defeating Sri Lanka by eight wickets at Lord’s on 21 June. The tournament featured 12 teams across three venues, Lord’s, The Oval, and Trent Bridge, with Zimbabwe’s political troubles opening the door for Scotland to qualify alongside Ireland and the Netherlands.
Sri Lanka’s final innings collapsed early to 2/2 as Mohammad Amir and Abdul Razzaq struck, before Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews rebuilt the innings to post 138/6. Pakistan chased comfortably, with openers adding 48 runs before cruising to victory in 18.4 overs. Shahid Afridi hit the winning runs and earned Man of the Match, while Tillakaratne Dilshan’s 317 runs at 63.40 secured him Player of the Series honours, cementing Pakistan’s triumph as their first global title since the 1992 World Cup.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Year | 2009 |
| Host | England |
| Winner | Pakistan |
| Runner-Up | Sri Lanka |
| Man of the Match | Shahid Afridi |
| Player of the Series | Tillakaratne Dilshan |
| Top Run Scorer | Tillakaratne Dilshan |
| Highest Wicket Taker | Umar Gul |
3. ICC T20 World Cup 2010 Winner: England
England ended their 31-year wait for a global cricket title by winning the 2010 ICC World Twenty20, defeating arch-rivals Australia by seven wickets at Kensington Oval, Barbados on 16 May. The tournament, held unusually just 10 months after the previous edition, replaced the postponed 2008 Champions Trophy and featured matches across three Caribbean venues.
Afghanistan made history by becoming the first Affiliate member to compete in a major ICC tournament after defeating Ireland in the qualifiers. In the final, England’s bowlers dominated early, reducing Australia to 8/3 in 2.1 overs before David Hussey’s resilient 59 helped Australia post 147/6. Craig Kieswetter (63) and Kevin Pietersen (47) combined for a decisive 111-run partnership as England cruised to 148/3 with 18 balls remaining, ending their drought after final losses in 1979, 1987, 1992, and 2004.
Kieswetter’s maiden T20 international half-century earned him Man of the Match, while Pietersen’s tournament-leading 248 runs secured Player of the Tournament honours, capping England’s breakthrough triumph in the Caribbean.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Year | 2010 |
| Host | West Indies |
| Winner | England |
| Runner-Up | Australia |
| Man of the Match | Craig Kieswetter |
| Player of the Series | Kevin Pietersen |
| Top Run Scorer | Mahela Jayawardene |
| Highest Wicket Taker | Dirk Nannes |
4. ICC T20 World Cup 2012-13 Winner: West Indies
West Indies captured their first T20 World Cup crown by comprehensively defeating Sri Lanka by 36 runs in the final at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium on 7 October 2012. Held across Sri Lanka from 18 September to 7 October, this fourth edition marked the tournament’s Asian debut after previous editions in South Africa, England, and the Caribbean.
The 12-team competition featured four preliminary groups, with Lasith Malinga serving as tournament ambassador, advancing to a Super Eight stage. Marlon Samuels’ masterful 78 off 56 balls powered West Indies to 137/6 after early struggles left them at 14/2, with Ajantha Mendis claiming exceptional figures of 4/12. Sri Lanka’s chase collapsed spectacularly before 35,000 fans as Sunil Narine’s devastating 3/9 in 3.4 overs, and captain Daren Sammy’s 2/6 dismantled the batting lineup, restricting the hosts to 101 all out in 18.4 overs.
Samuels was named Player of the Match for his match-winning innings, while Australia’s Shane Watson earned Player of the Tournament honours as the West Indies became the fourth nation to lift the T20 World Cup trophy.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Year | 2012 |
| Host | Sri Lanka |
| Winner | West Indies |
| Runner-Up | Sri Lanka |
| Man of the Match | Marlon Samuels |
| Player of the Series | Shane Watson |
| Top Run Scorer | Shane Watson |
| Highest Wicket Taker | Ajantha Mendis |
5. ICC T20 World Cup 2013-14 Winner: Sri Lanka
The 2014 ICC World Twenty20 culminated in a memorable final at Mirpur, where Sri Lanka defeated India by 6 wickets on April 6, 2014. Chasing India’s total, Sri Lanka successfully reached the target to claim their first T20 World Cup title. The triumph held special significance, as it marked the final Twenty20 international appearances of two Sri Lankan legends, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, who bowed out on the highest note possible.
The victory was particularly poignant given that Sri Lanka had previously fallen short in ICC tournaments despite consistently strong performances. This championship win at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka provided a fitting farewell to two of the greatest batsmen in Sri Lankan cricket history, cementing their legacy with a world title.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Year | 2014 |
| Host | Bangladesh |
| Winner | Sri Lanka |
| Runner-Up | India |
| Man of the Match | Kumar Sangakkara |
| Player of the Series | Virat Kohli |
| Top Run Scorer | Virat Kohli |
| Highest Wicket Taker | Imran Tahir |
6. ICC T20 World Cup 2015-16 Winner: West Indies
The 2016 ICC World Twenty20 will forever be remembered for Carlos Brathwaite’s extraordinary final over heroics, where he smashed four consecutive sixes off Ben Stokes to seal a thrilling four-wicket victory for the West Indies over England at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
Needing 19 runs from the final over, Brathwaite’s stunning assault sparked wild celebrations as the Caribbean side clinched their second T20 World Cup title on April 3, 2016. The tournament, hosted across seven Indian cities from March 8 to April 3, featured 16 teams and marked India’s first time hosting the event. While Marlon Samuels was named Man of the Match with an unbeaten 85, the highest score in a World T20 final, it was Brathwaite’s breathtaking finish that created one of cricket’s most iconic moments.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Year | 2016 |
| Host | India |
| Winner | West Indies |
| Runner-Up | England |
| Man of the Match | Marlon Samuels |
| Player of the Series | Virat Kohli |
| Top Run Scorer | Tamim Iqbal |
| Highest Wicket Taker | Mohammad Nabi |
7. ICC T20 World Cup 2021 Winner: Australia
Mitchell Marsh’s explosive unbeaten 77 off 50 balls powered Australia to their maiden T20 World Cup title, defeating New Zealand by 8 wickets in the final at Dubai on November 14, 2021. Chasing 173, Australia posted the highest-ever total in a T20 World Cup final after Marsh and David Warner (53) built a crucial 92-run partnership that took the game away from the Kiwis.
The tournament, originally scheduled for Australia in 2020, was relocated to the UAE and Oman due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. New Zealand captain Kane Williamson played a masterful innings, top-scoring with 85 runs, equalling the record for the highest individual score in a T20 World Cup final set by Marlon Samuels in 2016. Marsh was named player of the match for his match-winning knock, while Warner won player of the tournament with 289 runs, narrowly missing Pakistan’s Babar Azam, who topped the charts with 303 runs.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Year | 2021 |
| Host | UAE |
| Winner | Australia |
| Runner-Up | New Zealand |
| Man of the Match | Mitchell Marsh |
| Player of the Series | David Warner |
| Top Run Scorer | Babar Azam |
| Highest Wicket Taker | Wanindu Hasaranga |
8. ICC T20 World Cup 2022 Winner: England
Ben Stokes’ maiden T20I fifty and Sam Curran’s exceptional death bowling steered England to their second T20 World Cup title, defeating Pakistan by 5 wickets at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground on November 13, 2022. Chasing 138, Stokes anchored the innings with an unbeaten 52 off 49 balls, displaying tremendous composure under pressure and hitting the winning runs with six balls remaining. With this victory, England became the first men’s team to simultaneously hold both the ODI World Cup (won in 2019) and T20 World Cup titles.
Curran’s remarkable spell of 3 wickets for just 12 runs across four boundary-less overs proved decisive in restricting Pakistan to a below-par total of 137/8 after they batted first. Shan Masood was Pakistan’s top scorer with 38 runs, while the young left-arm pacer Curran earned both player of the match and player of the tournament honours for his consistent performances throughout the competition.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Year | 2022 |
| Host | Australia |
| Winner | England |
| Runner-Up | Pakistan |
| Man of the Match | Sam Curran |
| Player of the Series | Sam Curran |
| Top Run Scorer | Virat Kohli |
| Highest Wicket Taker | Wanindu Hasaranga |
9. ICC T20 World Cup 2024 Winner: India
Virat Kohli’s crucial 76 off 59 balls and brilliant death bowling from Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Arshdeep Singh delivered India’s second T20 World Cup title, defeating South Africa by 7 runs in a thrilling final at Kensington Oval, Barbados, on June 29, 2024. India posted 176/7, the highest-ever total in a T20 World Cup final, with Kohli anchoring the innings after early wickets had left them struggling at 34/3.
Defending the total, India’s bowlers held their nerve in a tense chase where South Africa needed just 30 runs from 30 balls with six wickets in hand. Suryakumar Yadav’s stunning boundary catch to dismiss David Miller in the penultimate over proved decisive when South Africa needed just 16 runs with five wickets remaining. India became the first team to win the T20 World Cup undefeated throughout the tournament, ending their 11-year ICC trophy drought. Following the emotional victory, Kohli, captain Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja announced their retirements from T20I cricket.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Year | 2024 |
| Host | West Indies & USA |
| Winner | India |
| Runner-Up | South Africa |
| Man of the Match | Virat Kohli |
| Player of the Series | Jasprit Bumrah |
| Top Run Scorer | Rahmanullah Gurbaz |
| Highest Wicket Taker | Fazalhaq Farooqi |
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Upcoming 2026 T20I World Cup
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 kicks off on February 7 and runs until March 8, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka with 20 teams competing across 55 matches in eight venues. Defending champions India will look to retain their title, while Italy makes its T20 World Cup debut, and Scotland has replaced Bangladesh after the latter refused to play matches in India.
