NEW DELHI: India won their second T20 World Cup title last year when Rohit Sharma’s men defeated South Africa in the final at Barbados on June 29.
This victory marked India’s first ICC trophy since the MS Dhoni-led team clinched the Champions Trophy in 2013, bringing immense joy to millions of supporters back home and worldwide.
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At the BCCI awards on Saturday in Mumbai, Rohit looked back at the glorious moment and said, “Honestly it took a while for me to realize we’ve won the World Cup, until we came to Mumbai we realized what we actually did. Unfortunately for us, in Barbados we were stuck there because of the hurricane, we were not able to go out so three or four days we were there and you know when you win an ICC trophy, you want to go and celebrate, specially when you are not in the country and bring it back to the country and celebrate with the fans. But up until we arrived in Mumbai and we saw the glimpse of it, the next morning when I woke up, I realized it was very very special.”
India’s campaign in the 2024 T20 World Cup was nothing short of spectacular. The team displayed remarkable consistency and resilience throughout the tournament, remaining undefeated leading up to the final. From the group stages to the knockout rounds, India dominated their opponents with a balanced blend of explosive batting, precise bowling, and sharp fielding.
The final against South Africa was a thrilling encounter that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the very last ball. Batting first, India posted a competitive total of 176/7 in their 20 overs. It was the highest first-innings total in a T20 World Cup final.
South Africa, chasing 177 to win, had a shaky start. However, a solid recovery and the fastest World Cup fifty by Heinrich Klaasen put them on top. At one point, the Proteas needed 30 off 30 balls with six wickets in hand.
India pacers, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya, maintained their composure and bowled tight spells in the last five overs, while taking regular wickets. South Africa were eventually stopped at 169/8 as India won the final by seven runs with Suryakumar Yadav taking a spectacular catch at the boundary.
