Rohit Sharma, the Indian skipper, heaped praise on his teammates for showing character when the team’s back was against the wall. India clinched their first T20 World Cup win since 2007, marking their first ICC tournament victory since 2013. The triumph came after a series of near misses, including a loss in the final of the 50-over World Cup last year and a second-place finish in the Test Championship earlier in 2023.
Rohit emphasized that India’s unbeaten run in the 2024 T20 World Cup was the result of years of hard work behind the scenes. “Very hard to sum up what we have been through for the last three-four years,” Rohit said. “To be honest, we worked very hard as individuals and as a team. A lot has gone on behind the scenes for us to be here today and win this game. It is not what we did today, it is what we have been doing for the last three-four years. That’s the result that has come for us today.”
He highlighted the importance of staying united under pressure. “We have played lots of high-pressure games in the past as well and have been on the wrong side as well. But the guys understand what needs to be done. Today was the perfect example of when the back is against the wall, what is required. We stuck together as a team and the guys, all of us, even when at one point it was looking South Africa’s way.”
Rohit also expressed his pride in the team’s overall performance and the support from the management. “Overall, as a team, as a group on the field, we wanted this really bad. We wanted to win this. To win a tournament like this, a lot goes behind the scenes, a lot of effort, a lot of minds need to come together. I am very proud of this bunch of boys I have and the management as well for giving us that liberty to go and play, to execute, for having that trust in each one of us. That has to start from the management, coach, captain and then the players go out there and do it. Throughout the tournament, I think we were fantastic. And credit needs to go to the management as well.”
Virat Kohli, who had struggled throughout the tournament, saved his best for the final. After India lost three early wickets, Kohli stabilized the innings. He started with three boundaries in the opening over and managed a crucial 49-ball half-century before accelerating in the death overs. His 59-ball 76 helped India post a competitive 176 for 7, earning him the Player of the Match award.
“Nobody was in doubt with Virat’s form,” Rohit said. “We know the quality he has, come the occasion the big players will stand up. Virat was holding that end up for us, we wanted someone to bat as long as possible. This wasn’t a wicket where a new guy could come and play straight. That’s where the experience of Virat comes through.”
India secured a seven-run win in the final against South Africa, who needed only 30 runs off the last five overs with six wickets in hand. Heinrich Klassen’s explosive 23-run over against Axar Patel had tilted the match in South Africa’s favor. However, the next three overs bowled by Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, along with Suryakumar Yadav’s crucial catch to dismiss David Miller in the final over, swung the match back to India.
Despite the heartbreaking loss, South African skipper Aiden Markram praised his team’s performance. “Gutted for the time being, it will take some time to have a good reflection on this,” Markram said. “Hurts quite a bit, but full credit to the bowlers and everyone else in this team. We bowled well, there wasn’t a lot to work with and restricted them to a chasable total. We batted well, came down to the wire in a great game of cricket but not quite there for us today.”
Markram remained optimistic about the future. “We’ve seen a lot of our games, it isn’t over till the last ball is bowled. We never got comfortable and there was always scoreboard pressure. Having said that, this was a really good game which proves that we were worthy finalists. Hopefully, this sets us up in a really good way, we pride ourselves on competing and hopefully we can put our skill to good use.”
India’s victory marks a significant moment in their cricketing history, bringing joy to fans who had waited over a decade for another ICC tournament win.
