Any ICC event is known to generate hype regardless of the format, be it the 50-over World Cup or the T20 World Cup. Every tournament is unique in itself, which is evident by the number it is able to generate both in thestands and on TV or through various digital mediums.
The Numbers
Out of all the ICC events, the one that is looked upon as the one that will draw a lot of eyeballs is the T20 World Cup, and there are a couple of reasons for it, one being the nature of the format.
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There is no denying thefact that T20 cricket is more popular among the maasses ascompared to the fifty-over format or Test cricket, which is watched by the purists in the majority of the nations that play cricket, because of its short and crisp format, which keeps the viewer hooked to the television sets or handheld devices.
The Popularity
The second reason why T20 is more popular than any other format is the time at which T20 matches are held, which is usually at night, when people tune in to their devices in huge numbers to enjoy the game of cricket.
Having said that, in modern times, people don’t need to wait to get to their home to watch the match, which brings us to a really important point, which has contributed to generating numbers that we see today, i.e. live streaming
With the majority of the viewership coming from India, people often say that the ICC favours the Men in Blue as they get a great chunk of revenue from that part of the world.
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The Truth
Well, the argument seems to be partially true as ICC does get a great chunk of its revenue from India, but there is no evidence of cricket’s governing body favouring a certain team due to this very reason.
The Viewership
Coming back to the topic that this article sheds light on, which is the top five most viewed matches in the ongoing T20 World Cup, each of those games has a common factor, which happens to be India, which further reiterates the above mentioned fact that a large part of ICC’s revenue from the TV and digital viewership in India.
The List
India features in every match that the list below mentions, including the much-anticipated game involving the Men in Blue and Pakistan.
Other than the India vs Pakistan and not to the surprise of many, the India vs USA game also finds a place in the top five because of the way India started their first match of the tournament
Here is the full list
| Match | Viewership |
| India vs West Indies | 510 Million |
| India vs Pakistan | 470 Million |
| India vs Zimbabwe | 375 Million |
| India vs South Africa | 363 Million |
| India vs USA | 363 Million |
Also Read: IND vs ENG Semifinal: Surya vs Brook Stats Who Wins?
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