India clinches T20 World Cup after 17 years, Rohit, Kohli announce T20I retirement

Wandering aimlessly, Rohit Sharma was still trying to figure out if he had finally won the World Cup.

Rahul Dravid leaped from his chair and ran to the ground, Hardik Pandya broke down in tears, and both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma declared to the world that they would no longer be playing Twenty20 Internationals.

After a 17-year break, India won their second T20 World Cup by a slim seven runs at Bridgetown.

As early as the 18th over, Jasprit Bumrah's triumphant jig appeared to signal the end of South Africa's pursuit.

After being outmatched for the majority of the middle overs on Saturday by South Africa's batting assault against a renowned spin attack, Rohit's team had suddenly seen a chance. A couple of overs into the chase, which looked a cinch, the chase of 177, the highest in a T20 World Cup final, had suddenly gone badly wrong.

Bumrah landed it outside off after going wide of the crease. To clip the bails, the ball angled between Marco Jansen's bat and pad. At that point, South Africa needed 21 runs off 14 balls.

Arshdeep Singh conceded just four runs in the subsequent over, and they withered under the strain.

Suryakumar Yadav produced an incredible catch at wide long off, pulling the ball back into play from over the ropes and gripping it with both hands to send David Miller back with 16 needed off the last six balls.

After Bumrah's second spell, South Africa required 30 out of 30. The Indians were sent shivering down their spines as Heinrich Klaasen blasted 24 runs off an Axar Patel over.

After Bumrah bowled a tight over for just four runs, Hardik Pandya clipped the wings of South Africa, dismissing Miller and Kagiso Rabada in the final over, then Klaasen.

The Indian fast bowlers had the unique chance to display their breadth of abilities on Saturday in the home of Charlie Griffith, Joel Garner, Malcolm Marshall, and Wes Hall.

Although Bumrah's outswinger to remove Reeza Hendricks was spectacular, Pandya posed a threat due to his accuracy and tactical acumen.

In an ICC trophy final, Rohit's squad finally broke through after two unsuccessful tries in the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup.

It was impossible to ignore Rohit's innocent joy during the toss. Despite the fact that a similar situation had ended tragically seven months prior, he exuded confidence and didn't hesitate to take the initial strike.

The South Africans, who had never played in a final before, seemed nervous when Kohli hit three boundaries in the opening over, but the Indians seemed at ease. However, in this format, things can change rapidly. Keshav Maharaj removed Rohit and Rishabh Pant in the next over, sowing worry in the minds of the batsmen.

India fell to 34/3 in the fifth over thanks to a cunningly planned removal of Suryakumar by Rabada, but Kohli's presence gave comfort. Together with Kohli, Axar Patel demonstrated his perseverance and brilliance by making 72 off of 54 balls.

India vs. South Africa in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 final at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados on June 29, 2024 Rahul Dravid, the coach of India, celebrates their victory in the T20 World Cup.
India vs. South Africa in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 final at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados on June 29, 2024 Rahul Dravid, the coach of India, rejoices following his team's T20 World Cup victory Reuters
Although South Africa had prepared for the Rohits and the Kohlis, they were caught off guard when Axar and Shivam Dube made them pay for their longer preparations. Banging it short didn't work either.

Three distinct periods may be seen in Kohli's innings. After reaching 14 off the first five balls, he withdrew into his shell as three wickets fell during the Powerplay. The next 22 runs came off of 24 balls, and Kohli lasted 37 balls without hitting a boundary before reaching his half-century off of 48. But he broke free as the death overs took hold. 26 runs came off of 11 as he fired into Rabada first and then Jansen.

He was mostly responsible for the 42 runs that were scored in the final three overs. That demonstrated the decisive blow. At the right moment, a master had proven himself.

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