T20 World Cup: 5 biggest controversies in tournament history

The inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup took place in 2007 and it was India who became the first-ever champions. It has been over 15 years since the start of the T20 carnival and one has witnessed some heart-throbbing performances at the marquee tournament. Many cricketers have shown their mettle on the grandest stage of them all and written their names in the history books.

Amid the suspense, joy, and excitement the competition has brought, there have been times when certain incidents that occurred during the global tournament have attracted a lot of attention and become a huge topic of debate. Let us look at the top controversies in the T20 World Cup history

5. Quinton de Kock refusing to take a knee in 2021

Quinton de Kock is regarded as one of the best wicketkeeper-batters in white-ball cricket. He has grabbed a lot of headlines due to his spectacular performances. But at the 2021 World Cup, the veteran batter created a lot of buzz for a different reason altogether.

The ace-batter did not take part in a crucial match against the West Indies. Skipper Temba Bavuma at the toss mentioned that the wicketkeeper-batter had made himself unavailable “for personal reasons”. However, it was later learned that de Kock’s refusal to take a knee was the reason for his absence.

This decision fetched him a lot of criticism while a few experts also supported him. Later, the southpaw issued an apology for the same stating that he was ready to take a knee. The veteran batter’s statement read "I would like to start by saying sorry to my teammates, and the fans back home. I never ever wanted to make this a Quinton issue. I understand the importance of standing against racism, and I also understand the responsibility of us as players to set an example. If me taking a knee helps to educate others, and makes the lives of others better, I am more than happy to do so.”