The 2024 T20 World Cup is now history, with India winning against South Africa in a closely contested final. Due to his greatest performance of the tournament—a knock in which he scored more runs than all of the previous hits combined—Virat Kohli was declared the Player of the Final.
Several incredible innings were played during the 2024 T20 World Cup. While players like Nicholas Pooran, Aaron Jones, Sherfane Rutherford, and Andries Gous produced long-lasting knocks, Rohit Sharma scored a 92 against Australia to send them out of the tournament.
Nonetheless, some managed to evade detection at the same time. They were either played by players whose names are not associated with the high-profile clubs, or they were overshadowed by stronger efforts in the same game.
Let’s have a look at these top 5 underrated knocks of T20 World Cup 2024
#5 Axar Patel vs South Africa
Although Jasprit Bumrah’s session turned the game around and Virat Kohli was named Player of the Match, Axar Patel was crucial to India’s victory over South Africa in the championship match.
Axar needed to steady the ship and make sure that a par score was within reach after the Men in Blue lost three wickets early in the innings, coming in at No. 5. The southpaw decided to be the offensive partner while Kohli meandered along at the other end.
Axar’s crucial 47, which featured four fours and a six, enabled India to overcome the early deficit and claw their way back into the game.
4. Nicholas Kirton vs Ireland
Nicholas, a Trinidadian left-hander with explode although hardly the first that comes to mind. Playing for Canada, Nicholas Kirton had an outstanding game that helped his team defeat a highly regarded Ireland squad in New York.
Although Kirton was superior, the Nassau County International Stadium produced another subpar pitch. With 49 runs in 35 balls, he was the only Canadian batsman to score at a strike rate above 130, helping his team reach a respectable total.
Mark Adair’s late-inning barrage failed to save Ireland by 12 runs as Canada’s bowlers did their jobs.
3. Michael Jones vs England
Rain ultimately had the last word in this contest, ending without a winner. But for the ten overs that it lasted, Michael Jones gave the crowd a show, offering Scotland a genuine chance to upset eventual runners-up England.
Jones played some amazing shots against England’s best bowlers, smashing four fours and two sixes. When the rain finally arrived, Scotland had reached 90/0 in 10 overs and would have to give Jos Buttler and company a difficult chase. Their prospects would have been considerably greater if the game hadn’t been postponed due to weather.
2. Roston Chase vs South Africa
During the 2024 T20 World Cup, Roston Chase made a few key plays for the West Indies, one of which was against South Africa. The right-hander was in his element, even though it might not have been discussed much because it was in vain.
On a challenging track in Antigua, only Chase and Kyle Mayers scored more than 15 runs for the Windies. Chase had to get his hands dirty because the spinners were gaining traction. He achieved this by hitting three fours and two sixes in his 42-ball crease stay, which resulted in 52 runs.
South Africa successfully reduced the score in the last over, but Chase—who carried the team on his shoulders by consistently improving as a cricketer—deserves praise for his work.
1. Monank Patel vs Pakistan
This seems like a long time ago. The United States of America did a lot of memorable things after beating Pakistan, and in that, it’s easy to forget how they entered the limelight in the first place.
Batting in a tricky chase of 160 against one of the best bowling attacks in the competition, USA captain Monank Patel had to anchor his side. He performed his role to perfection, hitting seven fours and a six while keeping one end ticking.
With the help of Andries Gous and Aaron Jones, the USA won the Super Over and tied the score with the final ball, securing their spot in the Super 8 round. Monank contributed significantly to a historic day for America, even though he was injured and didn’t compete in the sport after that.
Also Read: 5 Iconic Moments From India’s T20 World Cup 2024 Win
