5 similarities between India's 2007 T20 World Cup and 2024 T20 World Cup championship wins
India won the 2024 T20 World Cup yesterday, ending an 11-year drought of ICC events. The last ICC trophy won by India was the 2013 Champions Trophy, while India's previous T20 World Cup triumph came in 2007.
It was the inaugural edition of the T20I tournament, where India had entered as the underdogs. Led by MS Dhoni, a young Indian outfit defeated top teams like England, Australia, South Africa and Pakistan to capture the trophy.
It took 17 years for India to add another T20 World Cup trophy to their cabinet as Rohit Sharma led the nation to glory on Saturday in Barbados. India's 2007 and 2024 T20 WC triumphs have some interesting similarities.
Rohit was the only common member in both squads, and here's a list of five other similarities.
#1 A Delhi-based opener scores 70+ for India in final, team win by less than 10 runs
Gautam Gambhir was the top-scorer for the Men in Blue in the inaugural T20 WC final against Pakistan. The Delhi-based opener scored 75 off 54 and helped India reach 157-5.
Similarly, in 2024, Delhi-based Virat Kohli opened the batting for India and scored 76 off 59. India won the 2007 T20 WC final by five runs, while in 2024, they won by seven runs.
Incidentally, the last ball of the final was bowled a right-arm pace bowling all-rounder. In 2007, it was Joginder Sharma, while in 2024, it was Hardik Pandya.
#2 India's group game against an associate nation was abandoned due to rain
In 2007, India were in Group D with Pakistan and Scotland. Their first match was against Scotland, which got abandoned due to rain. India then beat Pakistan via a bowl-out to qualify for the Super 8s.
In 2024, India were in Group A with Pakistan, Canada, USA and Ireland. While India beat Pakistan, USA and Ireland, their fixture against Canada was washed out.
#3 A left-arm pacer with the surname 'Singh' was India's top wicket-taker in both T20 World Cup triumphs
Left-arm fast bowler RP Singh was the leading wicket-taker for India in the inaugural T20 WC. The left-arm fast bowler bagged 12 wickets in six innings at an impressive average of 12.66.
Seventeen years later, left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh emerged as the most successful bowler for India in the T20 WC. Arshdeep took 17 wickets in eight innings at an average of 12.64.
#4 India benched a leg-spinner for the entire tournament
Piyush Chawla was the only player from India's T20 World Cup squad in the 2007 tournament who didn't get a game. The leg-spinner warmed the bench in all matches but ended up lifting the trophy.
Similarly, in 2024, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was on the bench for the entire T20 World Cup. Chahal supported his teammates in every way he could and got a chance to put his hands on the trophy.
#5 India benched a right-arm fast bowler who took one wicket in three matches
In 2007, India dropped Ajit Agarkar from the playing XI after he bagged one wicket in three matches. After the defeat to New Zealand in the Super 8s, Agarkar lost his place to Joginder Sharma.
Seventeen years later, Mohammed Siraj took one wicket in three games in the group stage. When the tournament moved from the USA to the West Indies in the Super 8s, India left out Siraj to accommodate left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI.