"Night to remember forever": Rajeev Shukla, Mohammed Kaif recall India's T20 WC 2024 win
On this day last year, Team India ended their 11-year-long trophy drought as a match-winning half-century from Virat Kohli and a brilliant pace choke by Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Hardik Pandya helped them beat South Africa by seven runs at Barbados in the T20 WC final to capture their second marquee T20 title.
Remembering that day, Shukla wrote on his X handle, 'June 29, 2024, was a night to remember forever. After 11 long years, India finally won an ICC trophy, lifting the T20 World Cup with pride and passion. The wait, the emotions, the glory all came together in that magical moment. @BCCI.'
https://x.com/ShuklaRajiv/status/1939260801501827090
Former Indian cricketer Mohammed Kaif also took to X, remembering the day when India's 'great tactics' won them the trophy, particularly the strategy to play three spinners, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja. After the match, Virat and Rohit Sharma announced their retirements from the format.
'Day to remember India's great tactics that won them the World T20 and our two greats who we miss. Rohit's plan to play three spinners and Virat's man of the match in final - great memories,' Kaif posted.
https://x.com/MohammadKaif/status/1939286404527210748
In the pulsating final of the marquee event, India and South Africa landed in Barbados unbeaten, with hopes of ending the quest on a memorable note. The coin spun in India's favour during the time of the toss, and Rohit decided to put South Africa in a position to chase.
After India was reduced to 34/3, batting maestro Virat Kohli and Axar raised a priceless 72-run partnership before the latter was dismissed on 47(31). Virat continued to extend his stay at the crease and switched through gears after celebrating his half-century.
With his enchanting strokeplay, he blew away the South African bowling unit and returned with 76(59). Shivam Dube's swift 27 from 16 deliveries propelled India to 176/7.
In reply, Quinton de Kock (39) and Heinrich Klaasen (52) decimated India's hopes of winning the title. With the equation down to 26 off 24 deliveries, a spirited pace bowling performance came to India's rescue.
Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh emerged as the prime architects of the Proteas' downfall. With 16 needed in the final over and David Miller on strike, Pandya began his over with a wide full toss that Miller dispatched down the ground through the aerial route. Suryakumar sprinted to his left from long-off and grabbed the ball. He lobbed it in the air as momentum took him past the boundary rope and then came back inside the field to complete a catch that determined the fate of the title.
The troika chained South African batters and escaped with a narrow seven-run victory to end the ICC Trophy drought. (ANI)
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