Perhaps what makes the batting cameos at the backend of an innings stands out is due to two-fold reasons. Firstly, with the ball getting old and opposition’s death specialists with all their knuckleballs, slower cutter and toe-crushers, in full swing, batting is at its most difficult. Secondly, the pressure of the situation is magnanimous which can get better from you, young Vijay Shankar’s struggle whilst facing the same bore a testimony to it.

Nevertheless, there have been a plethora of breathtaking cameos by batsmen that have proceeded to transcend the expectations of cricket fans.

Here’s the compilation of some of best cameos played in T20s over the years:

#5 Albie Morkel, 28 off 7 balls

Occasion: Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, League Match, IPL05, M.A. Chidambram Stadium, Chennai 2012

Equation: 43 off 12 balls

In the 2012 season of the Indian Premier League, the Royal Challengers from Banglore looked well on course for a huge away win at the Chepauk against the eventual runners-up Chennai Super Kings.

After having made an imposing 205 runs in 20 overs, RCB, while defending still had 43 runs in the bag after 18 overs. RCB skipper Daniel Vettori turned to Virat Kohli to bowl the 19th over. All of Chennai’s hopes hinged on Albie Morkel who had just come in. Morkel proceeded to tee into Kohli taking 28 off his over while hitting three massive sixes over long-on and a couple of boundaries to reduce the equation down to 15 of the last six balls.

Though Morkel got out in the last over, Bravo and Jadeja finished off the job to achieve an improbable win.

#4 Darren Sammy, 30 off 9 balls

Occasion: West Indies vs England, 2nd T20I, Bridgetown 2014

Equation: 37 off 22 balls

Coming off a win in the first T20I, the Windies were in danger of losing the second encounter when Tim Bresnan scalped wicket off successive balls leaving the equation down to 37 off 22 balls when in walked skipper Darren Sammy.

Sammy sliced the first ball of the 18th over, bowled by Jade Dernbach, towards the third-man region to pick up a boundary. While Dernbach came back valiantly with the second ball being a yorker, he missed his length by millimetres during the latter part of the over allowing Sammy to nail a six between deep mid-wicket and long-on reducing the equation down to 17 of the remaining two overs.

The hero of the 17th over Bresnan wasn’t spared either as the West Indian clobbered the fast bowler for two sixes, one over long-off and the other over the long-on region. With just two runs needed, Sammy closed out the game with a ferocious square-cut to bring up one of the most extraordinary wins in T20 cricket.

#3 Hardik Pandya, 21 off 8 balls

Occasion: Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, League Match, IPL08 , M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai 2015

Equation: 34 off 17 balls

Chennai Super Kings had not lost a home game in the 2015 edition of the IPL and looked in prime position to continue their winning streak when Hardik Pandya arrived on the crease with Mumbai Indians still needing a further 34 runs off the last 17 balls.

With Nehra (0-45 in 3 overs) having an off day, Dhoni tossed the ball to Pawan Negi for the penultimate over. The move turned out to be disastrous for MS and his side as Pandaya teed off, hitting Negi for three monstrous sixes to make a mockery of the required equation.

Pandya was then dropped on the first ball of the last over to which he obliged with a cracking boundary to singlehandedly win the game for the Mumbai Indians.

#2 Dinesh Karthik, 29 off 8 balls

Occasion: India vs Bangladesh, Nidahas Trophy Final, Colombo 2018

Equation: 34 off 12 balls

Mustafizur Rahman had just bowled an outstanding 18th over that resulted in a solitary run and a prize wicket of Manish Pandey. The equation was down to 34 runs of the remaining 12 legitimate deliveries and India required a messiah to procure them out the hole they’ve dug for themselves thanks to some insipid batting in the lead up to the death overs. In walks Dinesh Karthik.

Karthik brought all of his experience to the crease as he teed into Rubel Hossain, who kept it full and the vile batsman obliged with two sixes over his head coupled with a paddle sweep to reduce the equation down to 12 of the last over. Shankar’s misery ended on the fifth delivery of the final over leaving Karthik with 5 runs to get off the last ball.

The magnanimity of the situation got to Somya Sarkar as he dished out a wide delivery outside off-stump for Karthik to strike it over extra cover to pull off a sensational heist for the Men in Blue.

#1 Carlos Brathwaite, 34 off 10 balls

Occasion: West Indies vs England, ICC WT20 Final, Eden Gardens, Kolkata 2016

Equation: 19 runs off 6 balls

Topping the list is an innings that made Carlos Brathwaite an overnight hero. Brathwaite was not having a substantial World T20 leading into the finals but the flamboyant West Indian turned it around when it mattered the most.

19 runs were required off the last six balls of the 2016 World T20 final, and Brathwaite was up against Ben Stokes in front of a packed Eden Gardens. The Caribbean who had not really got going heaved the first ball off Stokes for a leg-side six. 13 off five and suddenly England looked worried. Stokes charged in, missed his length and Brathwaite hoiked it straight over the bowlers head. He then followed it with a Brobdingnagian strike over long-off and then another one over midwicket to win his team their second World T20 title.

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