Table of Contents
In today’s article, KT11 takes you through the exciting process of India winning the T20 Cricket World Cup
Foreword
For India, the 13-year wait finally ended on a glorious day in Barbados. For South Africa, the endless suffering continues, and no one can guarantee if or when it will end.
But the spectacle these two teams put on at Kensington Oval in Bridgeton was worthy of a World Cup final. This is a back-and-forth battle, with every blow being accompanied by an equally brutal counterattack, and the outcome is not decided until the very last moment.
The streets around Kensington Oval were bathed in blue before the game even started. There are neutrals, and there are rare South Africans, but the vast majority of fans want to see Rohit Sharma lift the trophy they take for granted, not knowing that this is the last time he will represent India in such a tournament.
He first wore a championship medal in South Africa in 2007, when he was just a rookie. He retired wearing a winner’s medal in Barbados, when he led a talented and indomitable Indian team to defeat South Africa and the burden of expectations of more than a billion Indian fans was lifted from his shoulders.
Rohit announced his retirement from T20 matches at the end of his media address, almost like an afterthought. In his post-match speech, he gave Virat Kohli a thumbs up and the ace batsman revealed that this will be his last T20 international.
Virat Kohli emerges from shadows
Few players, even the greatest, can write the perfect farewell message. If Rohit’s victory is sweet, then Kohli’s victory is legendary. He reached the final with a score of 75 in seven innings of the tournament and finished with a score of 76 in one game, but it was the game that mattered most.
The 35-year-old scoffed at the theory that the best T20 teams don’t need a key player and dismissed critics who believe the team is supporting him. His best was saved for the moments when it was needed most, and his performance was a guarantee of victory for the Indian team.
In the World Cup, Kohli always showed his extraordinary talent, even if the Indian team failed to win the final championship. In this special format, he is always the uncrowned king. This is no longer the case.
But he didn’t do it alone. Axar Patel repaid the faith reposed in him by the team and promoted him to a higher position, playing the role of a switch-batsman to perfection. When he fell, Shivam Dubey also fell in a seamless transition.
Classy Klassen pushes South Africa to the brink
When India needed to defend a formidable total in the World Cup final, their ferocious bowling attack took on their now-familiar finisher image. They felt no pity, remorse, or fear. They definitely won’t stop. never. Until South Africa’s hopes of making history were dashed and buried at the famous Kensington Oval.
South Africa scored two early points to the delight of the Indian crowd, but returned to their seats when Quinton de Kock and Tristan Stubbs gave South Africa the lead.
Stubbs was brought down by Axar, who was hit in the leg, which brought them back to their feet, but his departure ushered in Heinrich Klassen, the most dangerous player in South Africa’s line-up. is a hitter who can and often does change the game within a few innings.
More than two games. Klassen’s jab was brutal and the pendulum swung again. In the blink of an eye, he reduced South Africa’s target to 30 runs off 30 balls.
This was the new South Africa team, they did not buckle under pressure throughout the tournament, they kept their composure even in the most intense matches and won all the big moments. Until now.
Talented Bumrah and unpopular Pandya beat South Africa
At the end of the 15th over, Rishabh Pant injured his knee and play was suspended, giving Rohit time to rethink his bowling options.
So he turned to Hardik Pandya, the man who replaced him as captain of the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) four months ago, sparking a stir from Ahmedabad to the Wankhede Stadium and beyond boos.
The unpopular Pandya has maintained a dignified silence amid criticisms over why he has lost fans.
But he did not lose Rohit’s trust. When Klassen chased the pass from the side, he immediately shot, but was eventually forced back by the opponent. He was the kicker in a game filled with clutch moments, and the crowd felt it, with fans in blue jerseys cheering in the stands.
All hope is not lost for South Africa as their always reliable innings-ending batsman David Miller – affectionately known as ‘Killer Miller’ – is still in the batting line alongside him. and all-round bowler Marco Jansen.
But can Jansen survive against the technically beautiful and incredible talent of Jasprit Bumrah?
Bumrah, the “human slingshot” of logic-defying accuracy, pitched flawlessly in every inning. Now, with his team desperate for a wicket to open up South Africa’s batting, he bowled a ball that only the Gods of Cricket could have imagined.
A diabolical missile ejected with uncanny acrobatics, slanted towards the pitch and then straight towards Jansen’s goal, sending the Indian fans into a frenzy.
Kohli was fielding on the boundary, gritting his teeth and quietly clenching his fists after every out.
Suryakumar plucks a ball from the air
The only thing missing from this final so far is a thrilling catch to end the highlight reel, and that one came off the first ball of the final over. South Africa needed 6 overs to score 16 runs but with ‘Killer Miller’ batting, hopes began to falter.
Miller had to go all out and he tried to hit Pandya’s first full delivery down the ground. Suryakumar Yadav rushed out from long delivery and tiptoed nimbly around the boundary rope for a solo catch that would have left Michael Flatley feel proud.
Pandya took the third wicket, this time of Kagiso Rabada, with Yadav again catching the ball. There was one ball left but the Indian fans were already celebrating.
India’s joy in final is South Africa’s heartbreak
In the India dressing room, head coach Rahul Dravid slammed shut the notebook he had been writing in, clenched his fists and shouted loudly, not unlike the Dravid cricket fans have known since 1996 His calm image is completely different.
Why can’t he stay calm? It was his last day as India’s head coach and his last chance to win the men’s ICC World Cup, a title he had never won in his 15-year career.
After Pandya bowled the final ball, the “unpopular” turned hero collapsed to the ground and slowly lay on his back, weeping tears of joy and disbelief. He lay there until his teammates picked him up and started celebrating wildly.
The wait is over and India have got their reward.
For the frustrated South African players, who let the ball slip through their fingertips, the pain was unbearable. Miller buried his face in his forearms, Norje hugged a tearful Maharaj, and India celebrated wildly on the field.
It started to rain, just as the weather forecast said, as if everything had succumbed to the will of billions of dreams.
The award ceremony became the focus, with two touching scenes on the side of the stage that were meaningful.
After receiving his runner-up medal, Quinton de Kock took a knee as his three-year-old daughter, wearing a South Africa jersey and bright pink tutu, ran towards her father. He hangs the medal around her neck and she runs away, ecstatic about the new medal, completely unaware of the pain it represents. One day she will know.
Kohli has Mumbai moment
After receiving the championship medal, Pandya walked off the stage, closed her eyes and pressed the medal to her lips. The crowd closest to him cheered his name, and Pandya turned to look at them, smiling. No one can deny his hero status now.
Dravid never really expected this match to be his last as India’s coach, but he watched with a satisfied look on his face. His work is done.
Then there are Rohit and Kohli, who each bid farewell in their own way. Kohli was hoisted aloft by his teammates, echoing the scene in which he carried Sachin Tendulkar on his shoulders in tribute during the 2011 World Cup final, which Rohit refused to reveal later. In their own way, they have left an indelible mark on this team and this format.
The 2024 T20 World Cup will be remembered for the brilliant performances of the International Cricket Council affiliated nations, the incursion into uncharted territory of the United States, the fairy tale match between the United States and Afghanistan and the resurgence of cricket in the Caribbean.
The on-field controversies, nightmare logistics and stellar performances from unknown rookies will never be forgotten. South Africa’s long-awaited first finals appearance will be painful but heartbreaking.
But as the golden confetti fluttered across the Kensington Oval, everything else faded away and only Rohit, Kohli and their teammates remained in sight.
Because, in the end, the only memory left will be that of incredible India.
KT11 celebrates the wonderful moment of India’s championship with you. Now you can enjoy various discounts by playing KT11 games. Come and join in!
