KOLKATA — West Indies with another unbelievable win after their semi-final victory became the World Twenty20 champions here at the Eden Gardens on Sunday night.
Needing 19 runs in the final over, Carlos Brathwaite, batting at number eight, smashed four sixes on the trot to seal the title with a four-wicket win with two balls to spare.
West Indies set a unique record of winning the double crown in T20 cricket.
They became the first side to win the World T20 title twice, first time in 2010. They were also the first team to win two ODI World Cups as well.
Chasing a rather difficult target, West Indies began their innings on a disappointing note losing three wickets for just eleven runs.
However, Marlon Samuels and Dwayne Bravo came to rescue and took the score to 86 before Bravo departed after hitting 25 with a six and a four.
Samuels and Bravo added 65 runs for the fourth wicket and then two more wickets fell as West Indies reached 107 for six.
Now they needed 49 runs from 27 balls with Samuels still at the crease as Brathwaite joined him and they were in no mood to give up the chase.
They added 54 runs from 25 balls, for an unbeaten fifth wicket stand, to finish it after Brathwaite hit four consecutive sixes off Ben Stokes in the final over.
David Willey claimed three wickets for 20 and Joe Root got two for nine for England.
Earlier, England being sent into bat, managed to reach 155 for nine after a disastrous start losing three early wickets for just 23 runs.
However, Joe Root and Jos Buttler rescued the team from collapse with a 61-run fourth wicket partnership and later Willey slogged a quick fire 21 with two sixes and a four.
Root made 54 off 36 balls with seven fours while Buttler scored 36 off 22 balls with three sixes and a four.
West Indian pacers Brathwaite and Bravo captured three wickets each for 23 and 37, respectively while leg-spinner Samuel Badree took two for 16.
WI 1st “Women’s T20 World Cup”
The West Indies Women, who made their maiden appearance in the summit clash shattered the Aussie women’s dream of winning their fourth successive World T20 title.
Chasing a rather tough target of 149, West Indies completed their eight-wicket victory, with three balls remaining, against the three-time Women’s World T20 champions.
Openers Hayley Matthews and skipper Stafanie Taylor with a remarkable 120-run stand paved the way of for an easy win for the West Indies.
The latter batters, Britney Cooper and Deandra Dottin needed just 29 runs from 26 balls to win and they achieved it in 23 balls.
Matthews, who was declared the Player of the Match, made 66 off 45 balls with three sixes and six fours while Taylor, who was named Player of the Series, scored 59 runs off 57 balls with six boundaries.