The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team clinched the T20 World Cup 2024 from the jaws of defeat when the Men in Blue defeated South Africa in the final in Barbados last year on June 29. Defending 176 in the final, the World Cup had almost slipped out of India's hands when the Proteas needed 30 runs from the final 30 balls with Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller in the middle.
Klaasen had just thumped Axar Patel for a 24-run over and with momentum on South Africa's side, Rohit turned to his trump card, Jasprit Bumrah, who bowled a four-run over. Then Hardik Pandya removed Klaasen in the next over, while Bumrah returned in the 18th to give only two.
With 20 needed from 12 balls, the Proteas still had a good chance to win the crown with David Miller in the middle. Arshdeep Singh bowled the penultimate over and mixed his deliveries with hard lengths and yorkers to concede only four.
Hardik had 16 runs to defend with Miller on strike, and a brilliant catch from Suryakumar Yadav under immense pressure meant India were almost home.
Kagiso Rabada got a four off the next ball, off an edge, but India romped home with a seven-run win to clinch their second T20 World crown after their first in 2007.
Rohit, who led India to glory in Barbados, has reflected back on the historic day, referring to India's first World Cup in 13 years after the 2011 crown. "13 years is a lot of time. People don't have a career of 13 years. So, to wait for that long to win the World Cup, the last World Cup that I won was in 2007. For me, it couldn't have gotten any bigger than that, in my mind. The whole night, I didn't sleep. I was only thinking about the World Cup. Nervousness. I couldn't feel my legs waking up," said Rohit Sharma on JioHotstar.
"I don't show my nervousness, but it was inside me. In the morning, I think we were supposed to leave at 8:30-9. In the morning, I woke up at seven or something. In the morning, you're feeling that the match is about to start. And I can see the ground in front of my room. Then I was just watching that. And I'm like, okay, in the next two hours, I'll be there. I don't know what is going to happen after four hours. After four hours, the result must have come. Either the cup will be here or there," he added.
