Photo Credit: ANI
India secured their second ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title with a thrilling seven-run victory over South Africa in the final. This triumph places India alongside England and West Indies as the only teams to have won the tournament twice.
The match saw an incredible turnaround as India defended a target when South Africa required just 30 runs from 30 balls. The cricketing world erupted in tributes as Hardik Pandya delivered the final ball, with former captain MS Dhoni congratulating Rohit Sharma’s leadership reminiscent of India’s inaugural win in 2007.
Sachin Tendulkar praised outgoing head coach Rahul Dravid, batting coach Vikram Rathour, and bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, highlighting their contributions to India’s success, particularly acknowledging their impact on the team formed from the “Class of ‘96”.
The occasion also marked the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from T20I cricket, the duo leaving as the top run-scorers in T20Is and holding numerous records. Kohli, with this win, added a third ICC trophy to his accolades, having previously won the Men’s Cricket World Cup (2011) and the Champions Trophy (2013), while Rohit celebrated his second T20 World Cup title after 2007 and was part of the victorious Champions Trophy team in 2013.
Their retirements prompted glowing tributes from cricketing figures, hailing their contributions to the T20I format as a fitting conclusion to their illustrious careers.
