INDIA finally broke the 13-year-old jinx by clinching the T20 World Cup after prevailing over South Africa in a pulsating final at the Kensington Oval on June 29. The Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blue played inspiration cricket as they trounced South Africa by seven runs to send billions of fans in a tizzy. There were wild celebrations all around as cricket-crazy India finally got something to cheer about after a series of disappointment in ICC tournaments. Blitz India picks out four star-performers who made the victory possible.
Rohit Sharma
The most destructive opener in T20 format The talismanic Mumbaikar has shown that he is the most destructive opener in the shorter version of the game. Rohit Sharma is also a big match player and is known to excel in the marquee tournaments. Evidence of this comes from the IPL 2024 in which he had a woefully dismal performance with the bat. Cometh the World Cup and Rohit was a transformed player rediscovering his Midas touch. He scored 257 runs at a mindboggling strike rate of 157, becoming the second-highest scorer in the tournament. It was his blitzkrieg as an opener which laid the foundation of many of India’s wins in the justconcluded World Cup.
Virat Kohli
Form is temporary, class is permanent Virat Kohli had a forgettable performance in this World Cup, going by his lofty standards. He scored ducks against Australia and US and there was more cause for worry as he was dismissed for 4 against archrivals Pakistan. The decision to make him open with Rohit seemed to have misfired. But the adage that ‘form is temporary and class is permanent’ proved true going by Virat’s performance in the final. Knowing that it was going to be his swansong in T20, he knew he had to come up with something spectacular, which he did. His masterly knock of 76 was a class act by a class batsman.
Jaspreet Bumrah
Variation and guile come to the fore Widely acknowledged as the world’s best fast bowler, the 30-year-old Jaspreet Bumrah proved why he is so difficult to play. Earlier known for his tear away pace, post-injury, he has added variations and guile all of which make it so difficult for a batsman to negotiate him. In fact, he bowls six different types of deliveries in his over, and his guile and change of pace proved to be lethal. He finished the tournament with a haul of 15 wickets at an astonishing economy rate of 4.2. He was easily the Bowler of the Word Cup
Hardik Pandya
Renaissance of the temperamental This tournament proved to be the renaissance of the temperamental but extremely talented Pandya. There were many who even questioned his place in the side, given his pathetic performance in the IPL, in which he captained Mumbai Indians. He was cheered and booed during matches. There was also speculation about his rift with Rohit Sharma. But none of this bothered him as he went about his business shining both with the bat and ball. In the final, he had the Herculean task of bowling the last over as South Africa required 16 runs to win. It was in this nerve-wracking situation that Hardik showed his mettle.
The brain behind
In his last outing as coach, Rahul Dravid has been the brain behind Team India’s superb performances since 2021. Under his tutelage, the team has reached the finals of three major ICC tournaments – the 2023 World Test Team Championships, the 50 over World Cup (2023), and the T20 World Cup (2024).Though India finished runners-up in the Test World Championships and 50-over World Cups, the Men in Blue gave him an ideal parting gift by winning the T20 World Cup. Dravid had announced last year that the T20 World Cup would be his last as coach. His selfless attitude and ability to pep-talk was what saw the veterans like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma come up with their best performance in the 2024 World Cup.
‘SKY’ catches the Cup
Suryakumar Yadav’s once-in-a-lifetime catch to dismiss David Miller in the last over had all the twists and turns. The South African went for a mighty hit off the first delivery of Hardik Pandya and the ball seemed destined for a six. It was here that ‘SKY’, as he is nicknamed, showed steely nerves and an ice-cool demeanour leaping several feet, defying gravity to first ensure that the ball didn’t go for a six. Thereafter, in a split second, he juggled the ball back into his hands to complete the near-impossible catch, which turned the match India’s way and finally brought home the coveted Cup. Many have compared this catch with Kapil Dev’s stunner to dismiss Viv Richards in the final of the 1983 World Cup.
