India are the ICC T20 World Cup champions and Rohit Sharma and his men have ensured their fans have a world title to celebrate after years
With five overs to go in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup final, South Africa were heavy favourites. Heinrich Klaasen’s assault on India’s spinners had ensured that. What happened over the next 25 minutes will be spoken about countless times in cricketing circles and become part of the game’s lore. India won, becoming world champion again after 17 years. And it was a perfect team effort, epitomizing the campaign the team had launched. More than jubilation, what many Indian fans felt was relief. The jinx was broken. After several trysts as the bridesmaid, Team India’s hour in the sun was here.
Between 2007 and 2013, India won three ICC titles – the T20 World Cup, the World Cup, and the Champions Trophy; all under the captaincy of MS Dhoni. Since then, it had all been barren. The team lost the 2017 Champions Trophy final (to Pakistan no less) before losing back-to-back World Test Championship finals. But the loss that hurt the most was last year, on a date that no Indian fan will ever forget – November 19. A ruthless Australia beat the home favourites in the World Cup final in Ahmedabad.
The wounds of that defeat have been fresh in the minds of all Indian fans. The win in Barbados on June 29 will act as balm, or at least a relief. The fans can finally respond to all the jibes and taunts with one statement: ‘We are the world champions!’
Jasprit Bumrah was the architect of the win on Saturday through his masterful bowling. But it was Virat Kohli who took home the Player of the Match award for a sensational return-to-form 76. Hardik Pandya chipped in with vital wickets, while Suryakumar Yadav sent fans into a frenzy with one of the greatest catches you will ever see. Before that, Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel, and Shivam Dube had weaved their tiny pieces of magic earlier in the game. That is seven great individual contributions in one game; clearly a recipe on how to win a World Cup final.
And spare a thought for the captain of the ship, the indomitable Rohit Sharma. He has been India’s best batter in this tournament, and his captaincy has been on point too. Even in the final, bringing Bumrah and Pandya back into the attack when all was lost made all the difference. This has been a champion campaign from a champion team that never lost faith in themselves, even when the odd were stacked against them.
In his post-match interview, a teary-eyed Hardik Pandya alluded to the challenges before the tournament and how emotional this win was. The all-rounder had been trolled for his lacklustre form in the IPL and endured speculations about his personal life for weeks leading up to the tournament. His phoenix story mirrored the rise from the ashes for the entire team. This one was for all of them, as it is for all the billion odd fans in a cricket-mad nation, who finally, after a decade of heartbreak, have something to celebrate. Cheers to Team India!
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 "Rohit Sharma after India won the ICC T20 World Cup 2024")
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