Near the end of the most exciting T20 final World Cup, three Indian players were under intense pressure. Hardik Pandya, the man the nation has been crying out for in the last few months of the IPL; lodestar Jasprit Bumrah, who once again had to show why he is the best T20 bowler of all time; and Arshdeep Singh, whom the team trusted more than the world.
A Dream That Came Back Home: T20 Final World Cup 2024
There were also nerves from South Africa, a team that had to concede 26 runs from 24 balls with six wickets in hand but whose past meant that the game was far from over.The pendulum during the T20 final World Cup swung dramatically from the moment Hardik slipped into the odd slower well to dismiss a restless South African, Heinrich Klassen, who had conceded just four runs. Later, Jasprit Bumrah not only dismissed Marco Jansen, the last man who could relieve the pressure on David Miller, but also conceded two runs.With the equation on 19 from the last two overs, Arshdeep scored just four runs. And Pandya came back to finish what he started, and it still might not have happened barring an almost impossible retreat under pressure—a dream effort from Suryakumar Yadav.
Miller hit a full toss high, and it looked like it was going to sink when Suryakumar materialised out of nowhere, staggered near the boundary rope, poked the ball, bounced it gently, and stepped across the boundary before stepping in to end the game. the most incredible catch imaginable in such a situation. Hardik closed the game and then broke down. So did others. Rohit Sharma sneaked into the privacy of the dressing room and came out, wiping away tears. On the field, former captain Rahul Dravid, who presided over India’s most humiliating World Cup campaign in the same Caribbean in 2007 and now has his own song of redemption, had tears of pride and happiness over his face.
Hardik spoke about his tumultuous last six months, a time when he replaced Rohit as the captain of Mumbai Indians and was left swimming both on and off the field due to team failure and personal form. “It’s very emotional; nothing clicked for me, but the whole crowd wanted it. In six months, I have not spoken a single word; things were unfair, but I knew there would be a moment when I could shine,” he said.
Soon, Rohit surprised both the TV anchor and Hardik by sneaking into the frame and kissing the Indian final act. Rohit would say what a win means to the team, especially after the heartbreaking loss to Australia in the 50-over World Cup last year. Like in this T20 World Cup, they were unbeaten then, but here they won the game that really matters. “There are a lot of high-pressure games and we were on the wrong side. The boys understand when there is pressure on what needs to be done. We stuck together with our backs against the wall,” he said, choking on his words.So did another old pro, Virat Kohli, the man whose bat was silent throughout the tournament before leading it so calmly on the biggest.day He held his ground after the early wickets and said it’s time for youngsters to lead in India I wanted to take advantage of it. I wanted to lift the trophy. I wanted to respect the situation and not force it,” he said.
Consider the South Africans who were involved in a great thriller and almost found a way to escape the C-word that had plagued their previous white-ball teams to reach the final. And with Klassen leading the demolition effort, history seemed within reach, but their hands eventually met in the air.For a while, Rohit and Dravid would have feared that a void would await them when their second T20 World Cup campaign ended. But things turned out, and how? These are two very different personalities with contrasting batting and captaincy; Rohit and Dravid had to endure similar cricketing lows in their long careers.
They are universally recognised as cricketers and have always been considered the second best because they were part of teams that included Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. In the company of a god or a king, these were earthly names. Dravid was the wall, Rohit The Hid-Man.The T20 final World Cup was not good for both. In 2015, Rohit scored a fifty, but India was knocked out in the semi-final. Last year, he came so close to doing what Dhoni did—lifting the World Cup as captain at home. In the final out, he missed the kick and fielder Travis Head took an impossible catch.
Rewriting The T20 World Cup Histoy For Rahul Dravid
That day, he cried in the corner of the dressing room of the extremely quiet Ahmedabad Stadium. This time, he shed tears of joy far and wide in Barbados, where David once wept over his disappointment in 2007.The fan fury after the 2007 team failed to clear the league stage turned ugly. The efforts of the players were burned, and their houses were attacked. Everyone in the group was worried about their families; they were afraid to return home. This time, the return flight is more comfortable. After two heartbreaking final defeats in ICC events last year—the Test World Cup in June and the ODI World Cup in November—Dravid’s boys gave Rahul Bhai a memorable farewell gift by winning the T20 final World Cup.Unlike 2007, when the flight departs from these picturesque Caribbean islands, Dravid and Team India would like to go home.
Narendra Modi Congratulates Team Blue For T20 final World Cup Win
Prizes, a ticker tape parade, an open bus party, and a possible trip to Lok Kalyan Marg await them.In an X video message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the victory “shaandar” and inspirational to the nation. “CHAMPION! Our team will bring the T20 World Cup home in style! We are proud of the Indian cricket team. This match was historic,” he said.
CHAMPIONS!
Our team brings the T20 World Cup home in STYLE!
We are proud of the Indian Cricket Team.
This match was HISTORIC. 🇮🇳 🏏 🏆 pic.twitter.com/HhaKGwwEDt
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 29, 2024
