India’s trophy drought ended on Saturday as Rohit Sharma clinched the T20 World Cup 2024 title in Bridgetown, defeating South Africa by seven runs in the final. Defending a target of 177 runs, India restricted the Proteas to 169/8 in 20 overs, as Hardik Pandya took a three-wicket haul. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh returned with figures of 2/18 and 2/20.
Initially, Virat Kohli’s 59-ball 76-run knock proved to be pivotal as India posted 176/7 in 20 overs. Meanwhile, Axar Patel (47) and Shivam Dube (27) also played crucial knocks.
India’s celebration perfectly summed up the meaning of the trophy, as they last won a ICC title in 2013, when they reigned supreme at the Champions Trophy. After the match, Kohli and Rohit also announced their retirements from T20Is.
Speaking to the media, Kohli said, “Well, this was my last T20 World Cup.. And.. This is exactly what we wanted to achieve. This is an amazing game. I was telling Rohit today when we went out to bat I was like.. one day you feel like you can’t get a run and then you come out and things happen. God is great. I bow my head in gratitude. I am really grateful that I was able to get the job done for the team on the day it mattered the most.”
“Just the occasion. It was now or never I knew. This is.. my last T20 game playing for India. It’s the last World Cup I was going to play, so 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 and as I said it was the occasion that helped me to put my head down and just respect the situation rather than trying to force things out there and really play the game that my team wanted me to play. (Have just you made an announcement about T20Is?) Yes I have. This was an open secret (smiles). It was not something that I was not going to announce even if we had lost. This was going to be my last T20 World Cup playing for India,” he added.
Meanwhile, Rohit said, “I don’t make decisions like this about my future. Whatever I feel is right from inside I try to do that. I don’t think much about the future or whether I would play this World Cup after the ODI World Cup last year.”
“I never thought that I would retire from T20s. But the situation is such, I thought it is the perfect situation for me. Nothing better than winning the cup and saying goodbye,” he added.
How did the Australian and English media react to India’s T20 World Cup final win:
The Sydney Morning Herald’s headline in the cricket section read: “‘Gut wrenching’: South Africa’s choke puts India on top of T20 World”. The article further added, “In a Twenty20 World Cup where cricket’s global behemoth India had all the advantages, it still took an extraordinary collapse by South Africa and a marginal umpiring decision to hand Rohit Sharma’s team the trophy in Barbados.”
Meanwhile, cricket.com.au stated in their match report headline, “Clutch India down Proteas in thrilling World Cup final”. The report stated, “South Africa’s history of heartbreak was extended as India clinched a drought-breaking World Cup title, thanks to Virat Kohli in his T20 International swansong and his side’s nerveless pacemen, following a dramatic final in Barbados.”
Meanwhile, Fox Cricket wrote, “Kohli had struggled throughout the tournament, but the Indian superstar delivered his best innings at the perfect moment with his balanced batting.”