Former Indian batter Robin Uthappa recently revealed his pick for the greatest innings played in a T20 World Cup final across the previous nine editions ahead of the 2026 summit clash of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Sharing the segment on his Instagram handle in a “This or That” format, Uthappa compared some of the most memorable knocks in tournament finals, beginning with current India head coach Gautam Gambhir and Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara.
Gambhir’s crucial 75 off 54 balls came during India’s victory in the inaugural 2007 World T20, while Sangakkara scored an unbeaten 64 from 52 balls in the 2009 final, although Sri Lanka ended up on the losing side against Pakistan.
Uthappa, who was part of India’s 2007 title-winning squad, had little hesitation in choosing Gambhir’s knock in the first round — a match where India edged Pakistan by five runs in a tense final over.
He continued to favour Gambhir’s innings when compared with Craig Kieswetter’s 63 in the 2010 final and Marlon Samuels’s 78 in the 2012 title clash.
Uthappa also stuck with the 2007 effort ahead of another Sangakkara half-century in the 2014 final and Carlos Brathwaite’s famous 10-ball 34 not out in the 2016 final.
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However, this wasn’t all; there was more to come from the thinking capacities of Robin Uthappa who went on to add further:
After weighing his options, Robin Uthappa continued to back Gautam Gambhir’s 75 from the 2007 final over Ben Stokes’ unbeaten 52, which guided England to their second title in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 final.
However, Uthappa eventually chose a different innings over Gambhir’s iconic knock — selecting Virat Kohli’s match-defining performance in the 2024 T20 World Cup final.
Kohli’s innings actually carried striking similarities to Gambhir’s effort in 2007, as he steadied India after an early collapse at 34/3 with a composed 76 off 59 balls against South Africa national cricket team in the title clash.
