How Rohit and his men’s juggernaut conquered the ICC T20 2024 World Cup

By K.R. Nayar
From Kensington Oval, Barbados

From the moment Team India, led by Rohit Sharma, arrived in the USA for the ICC T20 World Cup, their juggernaut began to roll. Every opponent they faced were eliminated. They raced through the group stages and super eight clashes, reaching the final destination where the Cup they had won in 2007, but had failed to win it again despite many attempts, was waiting. Before the start of the final, this Cup was carried to the middle by Mia Mottley, the Prime Minister of Barbados, and Chris Gayle, the legend known as Universe Boss, and placed on a pedestal as if it was waiting for the team that played the best in the final.

 

On their way, Team India beat England, who were the reigning champions. The only hurdle left was an undefeated South Africa, who had shown brilliance in all departments of the game. Through a final that once again boosted the glitter of T20 cricket, India emerged champions and lifted the World Cup after a 17-year wait.

 

Kensington Oval, which staged this final, elevated its glamour by providing an excellent stage with a pitch ideal for T20, different from some of the pitches in this tournament that have come in for some heavy criticism.

 

When such a pitch is provided, the cricket played on it should be brilliant too. It was a match between two unbeaten teams clashing in a T20 World Cup final. It turned out to be a contest where one could not predict the winner until the last ball was bowled, and hence it will remain a classic final.

 

India’s shaky start

 

Everyone walked into the match with the question whether Virat Kohli would click or fail again, or if Rohit would play another whirlwind knock. Kohli began with two delectable boundaries off Marco Jansen to announce it was his day. If India was up in the first over scoring 15 runs off Jansen, the second over saw South Africa on top with Keshav Maharaj removing Rishabh Pant (0) and Rohit (9). The whole match was nothing but a contest with constant ups and downs.

Unexpected events glorify the game. Axar Patel virtually hit India to the top with four brilliant sixes. He got run-out on 47, but by then he had added an invaluable 72 runs with Kohli. Shivam Dube shook off the fear of his last match duck and went for his shots, resulting in another 57 runs with Kohli. Though Jansen removed Kohli, he had played his best knock of this World Cup, scoring 76 runs. Until this match, he had scored a total 75 runs only from seven innings. Dube scored a timely 27 runs to take India to 176 for 7, the highest total in a T20 World Cup final.

 

South Africa Takes Up the Challenge

 

South Africa took up the challenge of chasing the highest total as if statistics were just numbers that would never scare them. What mattered were boundaries at regular intervals, and Quinton de Kock provided them just that despite Jasprit Bumrah producing a beauty to clean bowl Reeza Hendricks for 4. It was nothing but a perfect outswinger, and watching it go through and hit the stumps was spectacular. Arshdeep Singh forced skipper Aiden Markram to edge to wicketkeeper Pant with a delivery that angled across. If anyone thought the quick wickets indicated a South African batting collapse, they were wrong.

 

Tristan Stubbs and Quinton de Kock went for their shots, adding 58 runs in 38 balls. Axar Patel came in and clean bowled Stubbs for 31 to extend the seesaw battle. When it looked like Quinton de Kock was placing South Africa in a winning situation, adding 36 more runs with Heinrich Klassen, Arshdeep produced a beauty of an angling delivery. De Kock hit it to Kuldeep Yadav at deep square for 39.

Tense moments and a catch

 

Klassen took up the challenge and it looked like he would take the game away from India, making it only 30 runs needed off 30 balls. Axar Patel was hit for 24 runs in the 15th over. Kuldeep Yadav ended with figures of no wicket for 45, making one wonder why Rohit persisted with spinners who were being thrashed continuously.

 

Klassen and David Miller put on 45 runs in 22 balls. Then it was Hardik Pandya who had Klassen caught behind for 52. Bumrah, as usual, struck when he was re-introduced, through a classic delivery that bowled Jansen for 2. With 20 needed off 12 balls, they pushed everyone to the edge of their seats.

 

 That’s when Arshdeep bowled a brilliant 19th over, giving away just four runs. With 16 runs needed off the last six balls, came the classic catch by Suryakumar Yadav to dismiss David Miller. To lob the ball back into play despite toppling over  the boundary was simply intelligent and brilliant. Pandya then removed Kagiso Rabada for 4, with Suryakumar taking another catch to ensure the seven-run unbelievable win.