On June 29, 2024, at the iconic Kensington Oval in Barbados, what happened went into the golden book of Indian cricket — that’s right. India made history by lifting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, ending an 11-year wait for an ICC trophy. The Men in Blue edged past South Africa in a nerve-wracking final by seven runs to claim their second T20 World Cup, matching their 2007 achievement under MS Dhoni’s leadership. The victory was especially sweet for stalwarts Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja, who bid farewell to T20Is with this ultimate accolade. For head coach Rahul Dravid, it was the perfect culmination of a two-year tenure.
Group Stage:
Beat Ireland, Pakistan, USA
Only close match vs Pakistan
Super 8s:
Defeated Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Australia
Clinical all-round performances
Semi-final:
Beat England comfortably in a rematch
Group Stage:
Beat Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Netherlands
Consistent batting and bowling
Super 8s:
Defeated West Indies, England, USA
Several close finishes, nerves held
Semi-final:
Crushed Afghanistan to reach first-ever final
A clear dramatic rollercoaster. After winning the toss and electing to bat, India suffered a shocking collapse, losing Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, and Suryakumar Yadav inside the powerplay, leaving them reeling at 34/3 by the fifth over. The innings was rescued by a crucial 72-run partnership between Virat Kohli and Axar Patel, the latter promoted to No. 5. Kohli, despite not being at his best earlier in the tournament, anchored the innings with a composed 76 off 59 balls, while Axar provided explosive impetus, smashing 47 off 31 deliveries, including four sixes. Shivam Dube’s brisk 27 off 16 balls pushed India to a competitive 176/7, with South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj and Anrich Nortje each picking up two wickets.
South Africa, playing in their first-ever World Cup final, began the chase steadily despite losing Reeza Hendricks early. Tristan Stubbs and Quinton de Kock steadied the innings before Heinrich Klaasen launched a blistering counterattack, reaching a 23-ball fifty and bringing South Africa within 30 runs of victory with five overs remaining. At that point, India’s hopes seemed to be slipping away.
However, India’s pace trio—Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Hardik Pandya—stepped up in the death overs. Bumrah’s 16th over yielded just four runs, and he returned to bowl a miserly 18th over, conceding only two while dismissing Marco Jansen. Hardik Pandya delivered a decisive blow by removing Klaasen in the 17th over, and Arshdeep kept the pressure on in the 19th, giving away just four runs. South Africa needed 16 off the final over, but on the very first ball, David Miller was caught spectacularly by Suryakumar Yadav at the boundary. Pandya held his nerve, finishing the over brilliantly and sealing India’s victory by seven runs.
The scenes of celebration were unforgettable—Pandya, who had seen plenty of ups and downs in IPL 2024, collapsed in relief; Rohit Sharma fell to his knees; and Kohli was overcome with emotion just after the final ball. Across India, fans erupted in joy, dancing in the streets and lighting fireworks, marking the end of an 11-year ICC trophy drought and a historic moment for Indian cricket. Social media was awash with tributes as the nation united in celebration.