New Delhi [India], December 27: India’s long wait for an ICC title finally ended in 2024 when Rohit Sharma led the team to victory in the ICC T20 World Cup, held in the USA and the Caribbean. This victory marked India’s second T20 World Cup title, following their first win in 2007, and brought an end to an 11-year gap without an ICC trophy.
India began their campaign with a dominant win over Ireland in their first group-stage match in New York. The Indian bowlers, led by Hardik Pandya’s three-wicket haul, restricted Ireland to just 96 runs. Captain Rohit Sharma’s 52 runs off 37 balls guided India to an eight-wicket victory, with Jasprit Bumrah taking two wickets for six runs in three overs, earning him the Player of the Match.
Next, India faced arch-rivals Pakistan, where the Indian bowlers put up an impressive performance to dismiss Pakistan for a modest total of 119. Despite Pakistan’s strong start at 57 for 1, India restricted them to 113 for 7 in 20 overs, winning by six runs. Bumrah was again named Player of the Match for his game-changing performance.
India continued their dominance with a seven-wicket victory over hosts USA, with Arshdeep Singh taking four wickets for nine runs. India comfortably chased down the target in 18.2 overs, with Suryakumar Yadav scoring 50 runs. India’s final group-stage match against Canada was abandoned due to rain, but India topped Group A with seven points to move on to the Super 8 stage.
In the Super 8, India faced Afghanistan, posting 181 for 8, thanks to a fiery 53 from Suryakumar Yadav. Bumrah and Arshdeep both took three wickets to bowl Afghanistan out for 134, giving India a 47-run win. The next match saw India defeat Bangladesh by 50 runs, with Hardik Pandya’s all-round performance leading India to 196 for 5. Bangladesh was restricted to 146 for 8.
India’s final Super 8 match was a high-stakes game against Australia, with Rohit Sharma scoring a brilliant 92 off 41 balls to guide India to 205 for 5. Australia could only manage 181 for 7, and India secured a 24-run victory, eliminating the defending champions.
In the semi-final, India faced England, where Rohit again led from the front with a knock of 57. India posted 171 for 7, and England were bowled out for just 103, with Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav taking three wickets each. India won by 68 runs and secured a place in their first T20 World Cup final in a decade.
In a thrilling final against South Africa at Kensington Oval, Barbados, India posted 176 for 7, thanks to Virat Kohli’s 76 off 59 balls. South Africa’s chase fell short, ending at 169 for 8, and India clinched a seven-run victory. Kohli was named Player of the Match, while Bumrah’s exceptional performance throughout the tournament earned him Player of the Series with 15 wickets in eight matches.
With this win, India not only ended their 11-year ICC trophy drought but also became the third team, after the West Indies and England, to win the T20 World Cup twice. Rohit Sharma became the second Indian captain, after MS Dhoni, to lift the ICC T20 World Cup, marking a historic moment in Indian cricket.