India after 13 long years finally won an ICC tournament by the lifting the T20 World Cup on Saturday. After a couple of heart-breaking losses in the finals, India finally managed to slay its demons.
The loss that particularly sticks in the throat was the one against Australia in the ODI World Cup finals last year at Ahmedabad. After being the best team in the tournament by a mile, India then fluffed its lines on the final stage.
But on Saturday the Indian cricket team managed to hold its nerve and get past the finish line. At one stage South Africa seemed to have the match in the bag — they needed just 30 runs off 30 balls with six wickets in hand. But Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya’s brilliant bowling and Suryakumar Yadav’s spectacular catch to dismiss David Miller in the first ball of the last over saw India through.
India were deserved winners as like in the ODI World Cup last year, this time too they were the best team in the run up to finals, having got there without losing a match.
This T20 World Cup victory also marks the change of guard in Indian cricket with three seniors — captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja — announcing their T20 international retirement. This perhaps is the best moment for them to walk into the sunset. The baton now has been passed to the next generation.
With the likes of Yashaswi Jaiswal (who didn’t get a single game in this tournament), Rinku Singh and Shubman Gill on the bench, the future of white ball cricket looks bright.
For Hardik Pandya, this tournament has been a moment of redemption. After copping a lot of criticism during the IPL (not to mention the incessant social media trolling) his performance in the T20 World Cup was his way to shut up the critics.
Praise must also be given to Rahul Dravid, for having coached this terrific team in his customary unassuming manner.