T20 World Cup 2022: Top 3 run outs affected in the tournament

The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 culminated on Sunday, November 13, with England clinching their second title. The Jos Buttler-led outfit defeated Babar Azam's Pakistan side by five wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to hold both the 50-over and T20 world titles in men's cricket.

Sam Curran emerged as England's biggest hero in the summit clash with impeccable returns of 3/12 from his four overs. Aside from bagging the Player of the Match award, the Surrey all-rounder was also adjudged the Player of the Tournament for his 13 wickets at an economy rate of 6.53.

Aside from a clinical bowling display, England's catching stood out as a charm in the final, with their fielders gobbling almost every chance coming their way.

The T20 World Cup wasn't averse to moments of magic on the field, either in the form of spectacular catches, diving stops, or direct hits. Speaking of direct hits, quite a few game-changing moments in the tournament came in the form of a run out.

Let's look back then at three of the best run-outs at the T20 World Cup 2022.

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#3 Shadab Khan runs Devon Conway out in the first semi-final

Shadab Khan's credentials as Pakistan's best fielder were restated when he hit the bull's eye to catch Devon Conway short in the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup.

Pakistan's seamers kept the Kiwis on a tight leash before the last ball of the powerplay saw Conway run a dicey single as he pushed the ball uppishly towards mid-off. Shadab swooped in and arrowed the ball into the stumps to catch Conway, one of the fastest runners between the wickets, short of his ground.

That he affected this run out to dismiss one of New Zealand's best players of spin went on to play a huge role on a tacky Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) surface. Pakistan restricted New Zealand to 152/4 before coasting to a seven-wicket win.

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#2 Glenn Maxwell catches Gulbadin Naib short

Australia's hopes of defending their T20 World Cup title were hanging by a thread in the game against Afghanistan in Adelaide. With Gulbadin Naib looking in ominous touch, the signs were pointing towards the Afghans pulling off a famous win.

Glenn Maxwell, the hero with the bat, then turned in a special display on the field. As Ibrahim Zadran flicked the first ball of the 14th over towards long on, Maxwell nailed a long, flat throw to run Naib out at the non-striker's end. Replays confirmed that even a dive ended in vain for Naib, who was sent back for a 23-ball 39.

The game flipped completely on its head with that dismissal, as Afghanistan would go on to lose two more wickets in the over. Maxwell's brilliance orchestrated a collapse that even a Rashid Khan special couldn't salvage towards the end as Australia prevailed by four runs.

However, the narrow win wasn't enough as the Aussies crashed out of the tournament by virtue of having an inferior net run rate.

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#1 KL Rahul's brilliance ends Litton Das' masterclass

In a must-win Super 12 clash against Bangladesh, India ran into a rampaging Litton Das who unleashed a top-drawer half-century to power the Tigers along in their quest to chase down 185.

The heavens opened up after the seventh over and put Bangladesh well in front via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, leaving India's T20 World Cup hopes on the brink. Eventually, a revised target of 151 in 16 overs was set after it stopped raining.

Najmul Hossain Shanto flicked the second delivery after the break into the deep mid-wicket region before KL Rahul got in on the act. Covering a fair bit of ground, he picked up the ball and fired a rapid throw at the bowler's end to gun down the wickets, with only one stump in sight.

A stoked Rahul roared in elation Das, despite a valiant dive, failed to make his ground. That proved to be the turning point in the contest with the wheels coming off the Bangladeshi chase. Despite taking it very close, they fell short by five runs.

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According to you, which was the best fielding moment of the T20 World Cup 2022? Let us know in the comments section below!

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