- Marlon Samuels:
West Indies became the first side to lift the World T20 title twice, as they defeated England at Eden Gardens in April this year. That victory is often remembered for the sheer brute force of Carlos Brathwaite, who smoked Ben Stokes for four maximums in the last over. However, what goes unnoticed is the contribution of Marlon Samuels in that tournament win for the Calypso Kings. In West Indies’ first game, Samuels played second fiddle to Chris Gayle as he was on point with his 27-ball knock of 37. However, in a low scoring thriller against South Africa at Nagpur, Samuels stood up and resisted in the middle to ensure that his side had a chance at the end. His knock of 43 off 44 deliveries was the ultimate game changer for the West Indies.
But it all came down to the final against England as Samuels played an innings full of character and grit. With no one to support him for long, Samuels remained unbeaten on 85 off 66 deliveries, as his team achieved glory in some style. Had Samuels not played that knock, Brathwaite might have never got the opportunity to smash Stokes for those sixes.