Virat Kohli’s masterclass in batting, Jasprit Bumrah’s constricting spell, and THAT Suryakumar Yadav catch: all these moments came together in the most magical manner possible to lead India to their second T20 World Cup trophy last Saturday.
India were involved in a thriller of a match against the mighty Proteas, both undefeated teams in the tournament, as the Virat Kohli-anchored batting order put up a historic total of 176 in their outing, the highest total set in an ICC T20 World Cup Final.
After that, it was time for India’s finest with the ball to shine. And shine they did, when the moment called for it, as the likes of Hardik Pandya and the ever-imminent Jasprit Bumrah delivered a masterclass in death bowling to seal a nail-biting 7-run win over the Proteas, to clinch the coveted T20 WC trophy.
Recalling the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup, Indian batter Suryakumar Yadav fondly reminisced on the crowning moment of the night: witnessing their coach and legendary Indian batter himself, Rahul Dravid, finally grab hold of a World Cup trophy.
“That 30-second clip, when he took the trophy in his hand and screamed… that moment when he expressed his happiness. I think I will save that clip for life,” recalled an ecstatic Suryakumar Yadav in an interview with the Indian Express.
Surya also mentioned how the now historic moment that was, could have never been if it weren’t for one fortuitous phone call: the call skipper Rohit Sharma made to ensure that coach Rahul Dravid tags along for one last ride with the Indian side.
“In the end, he came and thanked Rohit and said, “Thank you, Rohit, for that phone call in November”, because he didn’t want to continue after (India’s loss in) the 50-over World Cup but Rohit and Jay sir (BCCI secretary Jay Shah) convinced him to stay,” added Surya.
All’s well that ends well. Well, it sure ended well for India, who finally wrapped their hands around a World Cup trophy after 13 years.
But, with triumph came the news of the end of an era, as the likes of Rohit, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja all announced their retirement from the shorter format of cricket for India, to help usher in a newer younger age of Indian cricketers to take over the mantle and retain the glory they have achieved.
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