T20 cricket is a synonym for explosive batting and quick scoring, but at times, even the most skilled cricketers can go into shell where they just could not get the ball out of the square. Here we discuss the Top 5 Slowest T20 Innings by Indian Cricketers with some surprise names that have molded Indian cricket history. The T20 format demands aggressive batting and quick scoring, with every ball presenting an opportunity to increase the run rate. But in the Top 5 Slowest T20 Innings by Indian Cricketers, while examining, it is clear that even the best of players can have days where timing completely deserts them. These innings are just evidence as how tough T20 cricket can be when pressure and conditions come together to present unexpectedly lumbering performances. Top 5 Slowest T20 Innings by Indian Cricketers MS Dhoni Image Source : AFP MS Dhoni, known for his finishing prowess, surprisingly features multiple times among the Top 5 Slowest T20 Innings by Indian Cricketers. His most notable struggle came against Australia in 2008, where he managed just 9 runs from 27 deliveries at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, recording a strike rate of 33.33. Walking in at 20/4, Dhoni’s usual rescue act turned into a painful vigil as he failed to find his timing on the bouncy Australian track. Another vivid fight was against South Africa in the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 at Nottingham, where Dhoni could score only 5 runs from 12 balls at a strike rate of 41.66. The innings were somehow inconclusively finished with an unfortunate run-out that signified the frustrations of the day. He again batted for West Indies at Lord's in the same tournament, managing 11 runs off 23 balls at a strike rate of 47.82, an innings that potentially denied India a place in the semi-final. Also Read | Top Players with the Highest Strike Rate in T20 Cricket History Yuvraj Singh Image Source : ESPN Among the Top 5 Slowest T20 Innings by Indian Cricketers, there is no other struggle as poignant as that of Yuvraj Singh in the final of the 2014 T20 World Cup against Sri Lanka. The flamboyant left-hander managed a mere 11 runs from 21 balls as he registered a strike rate of 52.38. Going in with the other end settling down in hand, Virat Kohli did not see a strike rotation from Yuvraj nor boundary strokes that proved dear to India. India managed 130/4 in 20 overs, hence losing the third and final final. Virat Kohli Image Source : Getty Images Even the modern-day master Virat Kohli finds a mention in the list of Top 5 Slowest T20 Innings by Indian Cricketers in a short yet relevant fight during the 2024 T20 World Cup against Ireland. Kohli, who was looking aggressive in the powerplay, managed to score only 1 off 5 deliveries before getting caught at deep third man, where he went for the big shot against Mark Adair while looking to get into the momentum. Ravichandran Ashwin Image Source : BCCI It was not a good day for Ravichandran Ashwin with the ball and bat in the first match of the 2016 T20 World Cup against New Zealand. His four overs conceded 32 runs, and the batting struggle only managed to produce 10 runs from 20 balls without any boundary. This inability to rotate strike added extra pressure on MS Dhoni at the other end, which made India lose shockingly by 47 runs on a challenging pitch. Yashpal Singh Image Source : ESPN The most obscure entry to the Top 5 Slowest T20 Innings by Indian Cricketers has to be that of Yashpal Singh. Playing for Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2009 IPL, he produced one of the slowest knocks in the history of the tournament by scoring just 6 runs off 20 deliveries. His team eventually won because of Laxmi Ratan Shukla's rescue act, but Yashpal's innings stands testimony to how even domestic specialists are affected by pressure. Also Read | Top 10 Bowlers With Most Wickets in T20 World Cup History | Bowling Brilliance Impact and Analysis These scores, which are statistically lousy, depict the plight in T20. Even the stalwarts in game face time-to-time struggles against timing and location. The exceptional factor here, however, would be how that affects team-level dynamics and hence the matches and their outcome because in most matches, such late innings with single-digit scores severely put pressure on other batsmen and hence saw the downfall of the team with the innings loss. Conclusion Top 5 Slowest T20 Innings by Indian Cricketers remind one that cricket, particularly its shortest version, can be very unpredictable. Such performances by some of India's finest cricketers do indicate that even the best of them have their off days. Though these innings will be remembered for slowness, they also speak of the fine line between success and failure in T20 cricket.