After overcoming the impact of COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021, cricket made a strong comeback in 2022 with a packed international schedule and packed stadiums. Teams gave their all on the field and fans were treated to a wealth of thrilling games.
The year 2022 was filled with exciting cricket events, from the Indian U19 team’s World Cup win under Yash Dhull to the Australia women’s ODI World Cup victory, and the Netherlands stunning upset over South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2022.
But 2022 also gave us some unforgettable moments that will remain in the hearts of cricket fans forever. Here are the top five iconic moments of 2022:
Number 1. Fastest Double Century in ODI History
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In the final match of the three-game ODI series against Bangladesh in Chattogram, Ishan Kishan had other plans in mind when the hosts were looking to sweep the series against the 2011 World Cup champions. With Rohit Sharma out injured, Kishan stepped in and immediately took the attack to Bangladesh, hitting the bowlers all over the ground.
In the 35th over, he made history by becoming the seventh batter in men’s ODIs to score a double century. Kishan achieved the milestone in just 126 balls, making him the fastest to reach 200 in One-day Internationals. The previous fastest double century in men’s ODIs was 138 balls by Chris Gayle in the 2015 World Cup, while the quickest double ton in ODI history across men and women’s cricket was 134 balls by Amelia Kerr against Ireland in 2018.
Kishan smashed 210 runs off 131 deliveries to help India post a massive 409 runs on the board. His record-breaking innings included 24 fours and ten sixes. Following Kishan’s heroics, the Indian bowlers took over and bowled Bangladesh out for 182 runs to secure a commanding victory.
Number 2. England are crowned White-Ball Cricket Champions
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England’s cricket had a major setback when they were ousted from the 2015 World Cup at the group stage after a loss to Bangladesh. Since then, the team has seen a dramatic rise in their status, with Eoin Morgan as captain and Trevor Bayliss as head coach implementing a bold and fearless style of play in white-ball cricket. This approach paid off, leading to England’s 2019 World Cup victory. After Morgan’s retirement, Jos Buttler took over as skipper.
In the T20 World Cup in Australia, the Buttler-led side continued their aggressive approach, bouncing back from a group stage loss to Ireland to make it to the knockout stages. In the semifinals, they dominated India with a 10-wicket victory. In the final against Pakistan, Sam Curran’s three-wicket haul helped limit Pakistan to 137, and Ben Stokes’ 52 not out guided England to a comfortable win and their second T20 World Cup title.
By winning both the 50-over and 20-over World Cup, England became the first team in history to hold both titles simultaneously.
Number 3. Virat Kohli finally gets to his 71st international century
Image Source – Twitter
On September 8, 2022, India took on Afghanistan in the 11th game of the Asia Cup 2022, and Virat Kohli finally broke his century drought. He last scored a century in international cricket in November 2019.
Kohli opened India’s innings with KL Rahul, displaying beautiful batting and decimating the Afghanistan bowlers. In the 19th over, he hit a six over deep mid-wicket to bring up his 71st international century and end his 1020-day wait, including his first T20I century.
The Dubai stadium erupted in celebration, and Kohli removed his helmet, acknowledged the crowd, and kissed his wedding ring. He finished the innings undefeated with a brilliant 122* off 61 deliveries, leading India to post a commanding total of 212 runs. His innings included 12 boundaries and six maximums, and he was named the Player of the Match. Afghanistan could only manage to score 111 runs in 20 overs.
Number 4. We finally saw pay parity for male and female cricketers
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On July 2022, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) broke the mold by becoming the first organization to introduce pay parity in the sport. Under the five-year agreement between NZC and the players’ association, female players at both international and domestic levels will receive the same match fees as their male counterparts, across all formats and competitions.
In October, the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) emulated New Zealand Cricket by introducing equal match fees for male and female cricketers for international appearances. The move was widely praised in the cricket community and beyond.
Number 5. Women’s cricket found a spot in the Commonwealth Games
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The year 2022 saw the addition of women’s cricket to the Commonwealth Games lineup after 24 years of absence. 16 teams participated, with South Africa clinching the gold medal by beating Australia in the final. The games took place at Edgbaston and were divided into two groups of four teams each. Group A featured Australia, Barbados, India, and Pakistan, while Group B included England, New Zealand, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. After a 9-day competition, Australia faced India in the championship match and New Zealand faced England for the third-place finish.
The final match saw Australia beat India by 9 runs, earning them the gold medal, while New Zealand claimed the bronze medal by defeating England by 8 wickets.
