India’s talisman, Virat Kohli finally managed to get his hands on the coveted ICC T20 World Cup 2024 after years of disappointment despite giving his all. Kohli had been India’s main man in every edition of the T20 World Cup and had gotten close to lifting the trophy on a handful number of occasions but to no avail.
The win in the 2024 Final against South Africa served as a crowning moment for the 35-year-old in his last-ever T20 international for the Men in Blue. He played a masterful knock of 76 runs, helping India reach a competitive total of 176/7 in 20 overs, eventually winning the game by 7 runs. Kohli had an underwhelming tournament throughout but stepped up when his team needed him the most.
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Ultimately, Kohli achieved what he wanted, completing the rare trio of ICC trophies that include the ICC ODI World Cup 2011 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2013.
Alas, not all players have a fairytale ending like Kohli, and in today’s story, The Sporting News takes a look at some of the top cricketing stars who couldn’t win the T20 World Cup despite starring in the competition across multiple editions.
Top players to have never won the T20 World Cup
AB de Villers
Kicking off the list is South Africa’s finest, AB de Villers who could never win the T20 World Cup. Let alone the T20 World Cup, South Africa and de Villers haven’t been fortunate enough to win a single ICC tournament in their glorious history so far. De Villers represented South Africa in the T20 World Cup between 2007 and 2016, playing a total of 30 games for the Proteas.
Suresh Raina
One of the best T20 players in the world, also known as Mr. IPL, Suresh Raina has never managed to win a T20 World Cup despite winning numerous IPL titles. Raina was a part of the squad that won the ODI World Cup in 2011 and the Champions Trophy in 2012, but unfortunately, he could never get his hands on the T20 World title.
He still holds a special place in Indian hearts when it comes to T20, being the only Indian to have scored a century in the T20 World Cup. He smashed 101 runs against South Africa in the 2010 T20 World Cup off just 60 balls.
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Rashid Khan
Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan spits fire every time he steps on the bowling crease, and the same was the case in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Rashid spearheaded the Afghani bowling attack alongside Fazhal Farooqi and Naveen ul-Haq, leading the Afghans to their first-ever semi-final of an ICC tournament. They were knocked out by South Africa in the semi-finals
Rashid is still to win the coveted title, but considering his young age and the pace at which Afghanistan cricket is developing, they could create history soon.
Trent Boult
Trent Boult has spearheaded New Zealand’s bowling attack consistently and the same was the case in the T20 World Cup. Boult boasts an extraordinary record when it comes to T20 World Cups, but unfortunately, he could never win the ultimate prize. The 34-year-old announced his retirement from T20I cricket following New Zealand’s group stage exit in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup.
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David Miller
South African power-hitter, better known as ‘Killer-Miller’ is another example of a world-class player who could never win the quintessential T20 prize. He got close to lifting it in the 2024 edition with South Africa but was defied by Suryakumar Yadav’s decisive catch in the Final of the tournament.
Quinton de Kock
Joining the list of unfortunates is another player from the South African squad, wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock. de Kock was an integral member of the Proteas squad that reached the Final of the tournament against India. Alas, Rohit Sharma’s team proved to be the better team in Barbados.
Shakib Al Hasan
Veteran Bangladeshi all-rounder recently became the highest wicket-taker in T20 World Cups. Shakib has taken a total of 50 wickets in T20 World Cups, having played in every edition of the tournament since its inception back in 2007.
Despite his heroics for the Bangla Tigers, Shakib and Bangladesh could never even reach the semi-finals of the tournament, let alone winning the cup.
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Tim Southee
Apart from Boult, another Black Cap representative who has never won the T20 World Cup is Tim Southee. The 35-year-old has represented New Zealand in seven editions of the T20 World Cup and is their top wicket-taker with 36 wickets in 25 matches to his name.
Babar Azam
Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam has been the center of attention for all the wrong reasons since Pakistan’s shocking group-stage exit in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Babar has faced a lot of heat from Pakistani media and fans for the team’s underwhelming performances in the tournament.
Babar and co had gotten very close on previous occasions though, having made it to the Final of the 2022 edition wherein they lost to eventual champions England, and in the 2021 edition wherein they lost out to the Aussies in the semi-finals.
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Brendon McCullum
Lastly, we’ve got the former New Zealand opener and the current head coach of England, Brendon McCullum. McCullum was one of the most feared T20 batters as he took no time in accelerating the scoreboard, smashing the bowlers all around the park. Unfortunately, though, he’s yet another player who could never get his hands on the coveted trophy.
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