In Pictures: Tears of joy and jubilation as Team India end ICC jinx to lift 2024 T20 World Cup trophy
After numerous heartbreaks and setbacks, Team India finally broke their ICC jinx, beating South Africa in the 2024 T20 World Cup final by seven runs at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados on Saturday, June 29. In a thriller that ebbed and flowed till the end, the Men in Blue held their nerves to emerge victorious, lifting their first World Cup trophy since 2011.
Batting first after winning the toss, India recovered from a horror start to post a competitive 176-7 on the board. Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, and Suryakumar Yadav all fell inside the powerplay, but Virat Kohli (76 off 59) came to the party when it mattered the most. He featured in a crucial 72-run stand with Axar Patel, who contributed 47 off 31 balls.
In reply, the Proteas lost Reeza Hendricks and skipper Aiden Markram cheaply as Jasprit Bumrah (2-18) and Arshdeep Singh (2-20) struck early. Quinton de Kock (39 off 31) and Tristan Stubbs (31 off 21) lifted South Africa after which Heinrich Klaasen (52 off 27) seemed to be taking the Proteas to victory. He, however, fell to Hardik Pandya in what was to be the turning point of the final.
Indian cricketers demonstrated raw emotions immediately after the last ball was bowled. There was no 'men don't cry' philosophy on display as everyone from skipper Rohit to Kohli and Pandya, who bowled the last over, were in tears.
Mohammed Siraj, who didn't play the last few games, also couldn't control his emotions. For many, this meant closure after what transpired on November 19.
End of Rohit-Kohli era in T20Is
On expected lines, senior batter Kohli and skipper Rohit confirmed their retirement from T20Is in what proved to be a much-deserved fairy-tale ending for both legends.
Speaking after being named Player of the Final, Kohli said:
"This is my last T20 game playing for India, my last World Cup I was going to play. I wanted to make the most of it. And this was our aim. We wanted to win an ICC tournament, we wanted to lift the cup. As I said, it was the occasion that helped me put my head down and respect the situation rather than trying to force things out there, and play the game my team wanted me to play."
"Yes, I have. This was an open secret, it was not something that I was not going to announce if we'd lost. This was going to be my last T20 World Cup playing for India, it's time for the next generation to take over," the former India captain went on to add at the post-match presentation.
Indian skipper Rohit did not say anything about his retirement at the post-match presentation ceremony. However, when asked during the post-match press conference after the team's memorable triumph, he confirmed that the 2024 T20 World Cup final was his last T20I.
"This was my last [T20I] game as well. No better time to say goodbye to this format. I've loved every moment of this. I started my India career playing this format. This is what I wanted, I wanted to win the cup," the 37-year-old said.
"I wanted this badly. Very hard to put in words. It was a very emotional moment for me. I was very desperate for this title in my life. Happy that we eventually crossed the line," he went on to add.
Incidentally, Rohit and Kohli retire as the top two run-getters in the format. The former has 4231 runs from 159 matches at a strike rate of 140.89, while the latter has 4188 runs in 128 games at a strike rate of 137.04. Rohit has five hundreds and 32 fifties to his name, while Kohli has one ton and 38 fifties.
India head coach Rahul Dravid walks away on a high
Team India's 2024 T20 World Cup triumph marked a fairy-tale exit not only for Rohit and Kohli [from T20Is] but also for coach Rahul Dravid. The batting legend, whose contract has ended following the conclusion of the tournament in West Indies and United States, had confirmed earlier that the World Cup would be his last assignment as India's head coach.
Dravid had suffered a few setbacks during his playing career, none worse than the shocking early exit from the 2007 ODI World Cup, which incidentally was also played in the Caribbean. He was never part of a World Cup-winning squad as a player, but life has come a full circle as he guided the Men in Blue to victory in the West Indies - the place where his India captaincy hit its lowest point.
Long, frustrating wait for Team India and fans finally ends
As Rohit pointed out after India's win in the 2024 T20 World Cup final, the result is an outcome of the hard work they have put in over the last few years. When it comes to ICC events, Team India have had to bear several disappointments and heartbreaks.
Following their 2013 Champions Trophy win under MS Dhoni, India lost the 2014 T20 World Cup final, the 2015 ODI World Cup semifinal, the 2016 T20 World Cup semifinal, the 2017 Champions Trophy final, the 2019 ODI World Cup semifinal and the 2023 ODI World Cup final. They also finished runners-up in the 2021 and 2023 World Test Championships (WTC).
Heading into the 2024 T20 World Cup, the Men in Blue were again among the favorites, but question marks remained over the ability to deliver in the knockout matches. It has taken a while coming, read more than a decade, but Team India have finally delivered, and how!