To cap it all and to naively put it into context with the game of T20 cricket, mountains would be equivalent to a canter of a racehorse. And yet, there would be some teams who refuse to believe those are the circumstances and make the impossible, possible. For that purpose, let us examine the ten lowest scores ever defended in T20 cricket match, involving T20 Internationals and World Cups where one can say – Davids have indeed beaten Goliaths. Lowest Scores Defended in T20I Cricket Rank Team Score Opponent Year Venue Competition 1 Nigeria 91 Sierra Leone 2021 Lagos T20I 2 Zimbabwe 105 West Indies 2010 Port of Spain T20I 3 Bangladesh 106 Nepal 2024 Kingstown T20 World Cup 4 West Indies 113 England 2011 The Oval T20I 5 South Africa 113 Bangladesh 2024 New York T20 World Cup 6 South Africa 115 Sri Lanka 2013 Colombo T20I 7 South Africa 115 Nepal 2024 Kingstown T20 World Cup 8 Afghanistan 115 Bangladesh 2024 Kingstown T20 World Cup 9 Zimbabwe 118 Pakistan 2021 Harare T20I 10 Sri Lanka 119 New Zealand 2014 Chattogram T20 World Cup Nigeria 91 vs Sierra Leone Image Source: ESPN To head the list is Nigeria’s stunning 91 runs against Sierra Leone in 2021 – a classic low budget duel played in Lagos city during a bilateral series. The die-hard Nigerian bowlers whipped the batsmen of the Sierra Leonean team for a meager 71 runs. This match did not only stand as the lowest score defended in the history of T20 matches but also it showed how emerging cricket nations were becoming better and their cricket ambitious. Also Read | Sachin Tendulkar Net Worth: Cricket Icon's Financial Empire Zimbabwe 105 vs West Indies Image Source: ESPN There must have been cricket's greatest heist when Zimbabwe defended 105 against mighty West Indies in Port of Spain. Graeme Cremer (3/11) and Greg Lamb (2/14) wove a web of deceit and had the Windies reduced to 79 for seven in this match, one that, in its time, was the record for the lowest totals defended in t20 internationals - a testament to Zimbabwean fighting spirit against a powerhouse of a T20 side. Bangladesh 106 vs Nepal Image Source: ESPN Fast forward to 2024, and we have a witness yet another first - a first in the lowest score defended in the T20 World Cup history. Bangladesh, while defending an abysmal 106 against Nepal in Kingstown, did it by notching up a marvelous 21-run win when fire and precision blows were dished out by Tanzim Hasan Sakib (4/7) and Mustafizur Rahman (3/7). Such bowling will always be memorialized in the T20 World Cup lore forever. West Indies 113 v England Image Source: ESPN The Oval witnessed a cricketing miracle when West Indies, so configured, defended 113 against England. An unknown spinner, Garey Mathurin, came out and delivered a spell for the ages: three in four overs, which brought about the end of the chase as England crumpled to 88 all out. It proves that in T20 cricket heroes may emerge from the most unexpected quarters. South Africa 113 vs Bangladesh Image Source: ESPN Bangladesh did the Near Impossibility against South Africa in their 2024 T20 World Cup encounter, defending just 113 in a thriller. Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje started off with strikes at the top order while Keshav Maharaj applied the chokehold with his three wickets for just 27 runs. It was the win after 4-run deficit which showed Proteas can take low totals into the biggest stage of them all. South Africa 115 vs Sri Lanka Image Source: ESPN In Colombo, South Africa defended a mere 115. Too often crated under the shadow of being a bowler, Jean-Paul Duminy sent the game upside down as he yielded figures of 3/18. In support of Morne Morkel and Wayne Parnell, South Africa kept the Lankan arms on 103/9 with pride, effectively showing the acclimatization to Asian conditions. South Africa 115 vs Nepal Image Source: ESPN Lightning did strike twice for South Africa in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Chasing 115 against Nepal, Tabraiz Shamsi was the hero with 4/19. It went to the wire, where South Africa overcame a heart-stopping 1-run victory and consolidated their reputation as the masters of lowest score defended in t20. Afghanistan 115 vs Bangladesh Image Source: ESPN Afghanistan's spin wizards, led by the one and only Rashid Khan, proved a defense of lowest scores defended in T20 World Cup matches. That they do so on the back of just 115, strangling the Bangladesh batting to emerge 10-run winners, was exemplary. The match underlined not just the rising stature of Afghanistan in world cricket but the ability to punch above their weight. Zimbabwe 118 vs Pakistan Image Source: ESPN Zimbabwe proved again they are giant-killers, this time against Pakistan, in Harare. Defending 118, Luke Jongwe, with four maidens for 18, and Ryan Burl, with two wickets for 21, bowled heart and dots to decimate the star-studded Pakistan lineup, handing Zimbabwe an unforgettable 19-run victory and adding another chapter to their book of unlikely triumphs. Also Read | Top 10 Famous Cricket Players in the World | Legendary Status Sri Lanka 119 vs New Zealand Image Source: ESPN The spell of Rangana Herath in the match of 2014 T20 World Cup will be remembered as magical. His bowling figures of 5/3 set records as the lowest score defended in t20 world cup. At one stage, Sri Lanka, defending 119, was as good as out. But that spell left New Zealand in tatters, and they lost their remaining match at hand with only 60 runs on board. No less than a testament to the brilliance of Herath and how spin bowling can prove a game-changer in the defence of low totals. Conclusion Such match-winning lowest score defended in t20 reminds one and all of the reasons for the magic of T20 cricket. They prove after all said that the game never gets over till it is bowled at the last ball. From the thrills of Nigeria's shocker over Sierra Leone to Bangladesh in the annals of history of T20 World Cup, and from South Africa having multiple entries on this list of 'incredible matches'-the unpredictability and thrill attached to T20 cricket could only be witnessed in these particular matches. They represent fighting spirit by a team, genius of bowlers, and sheer drama that unfolds when a side is refusing to give up irrespective of how desperate things may look. And as T20 cricket keeps growing further, one thing will always be sure, and that's that there's always the possibility of an unbelievable comeback on the cards, which will keep the fans on the edge of their seats.