T20 World Cup: Heroes of India's triumphant campaign — Kohli, Rohit, Bumrah, Pandya and more

Team India finally broke their 11-year ICC trophy jinx on Saturday after beating South Africa in the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup in Barbados. And that would not have been possible without a collective team effort, considering the Men in Blue had to snatch the victory from the jaws of defeat in the final.

South Africa were set for victory, needing 30 runs off 30 balls at one stage with Heinrich Klaasen (52) looking in good touch, but Hardik Pandya had other plans. He struck thrice in the final few overs and to add to the Proteas’ misery, a spectacular catch from Suryakumar Yadav in the final over to dismiss David Miller changed it all for India.

Simply put, throughout their successful T20 World Cup campaign, India had several heroes both on and off the field grab the headlines. And with the title victory still fresh in people’s minds, it’s only right that we look at some of the major roles that some players and support staff have played.

Kohli’s defining knock in final; SKY India’s crisis man

There was a time earlier this year when Virat Kohli’s spot in India’s T20 World Cup squad was reportedly under threat. Fast forward a few months, Kohli played arguably the most defining role in India’s T20 World Cup title victory in the Caribbean. The 35 year-old had been used as an opener throughout this T20 World Cup, and the same was the case in the final against South Africa.

What was a cause of concern for India was Kohli’s form with the bat — he had only scored 75 runs in the first seven matches of this T20 World Cup. But, in typical Kohli fashion, the Delhi batter would step up and turn things around in the final with a 59-ball 76 to set the platform for the Men in Blue.

Suryakumar Yadav, on the other hand, was often India’s crisis man during the T20 World Cup. He may have scored just two half-centuries but the 33-year-old has done much more than that. Take India’s match against USA for example. India were 39/3 in the eighth over following Rishabh Pant’s dismissal, and they needed someone to step in and take control of the proceedings and that someone was Suryakumar Yadav, who largely took a cautious route in that match but made sure India crossed the finish line.

SKY was once again India’s crisis man in their win over Afghanistan, taking India to 181/8 from 90/4 at one point. It’s safe to say that over the years, SKY has not only matured as a batter but also as a cricketer who is much more aware of the game situation and plays according to that.

Pandya’s revival

Not long ago, Hardik Pandya was at the receiving end of things at Mumbai Indians in the IPL. He had taken over as captain of MI from Rohit Sharma, a decision which was criticised by some fans, and what added more misery was the team’s underwhelming start to the season and their eventual elimination from the league stage. He was even booed by fans during MI’s initial games of the season and has had to go through a difficult time.

Also read | Hardik Pandya gets the redemption he deserved

But, the T20 World Cup witnessed Hardik returning to being vital for Team India once again. From match-winning contributions with the bat to game-changing spells with the ball, the 30-year-old was back doing what he does best. And his performance under pressure did not go unnoticed, especially in the final over of the final where he defended 16 runs for India.

Bumrah, Kuldeep stand out

There simply is no need to introduce the kind of impact Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav have had on India’s campaign. The two have been leading India’s pace and spin attack from the front in the last few years and both of them were sensational in this tournament. The duo combined for 25 wickets with Bumrah taking 15 of those.

Bumrah hit the right lines and lengths often, containing the flow of runs and taking wickets, whereas Kuldeep Yadav’s variation came of good use in crunch situations. These two were just unstoppable and unplayable thanks to their effectiveness and accuracy.

Dravid’s final hurrah

As a player, what Rahul Dravid missed was winning a World Cup. And while one of his motives as a head coach was to do exactly that, his team would endure heartbreak after heartbreak in crucial matches. Be it the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final, or the final of the 2023 World Test Championship as well as the ODI World Cup.

Read | Rahul Dravid’s lasting impact sealed by Rohit Sharma’s T20 World Cup triumph

But, to see the joy on Dravid’s face after he had guided India to the T20 World Cup victory as coach, and to see him lifting the trophy, was priceless. The former Karnataka batter also had a formidable support staff in batting coach Vikram Rathour and bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, both of whom had made their India debuts in 1996 around the same time as Dravid.

And then there was T Dilip, the fielding coach. He made the Best Fielder medal ceremony an internet sensation but also made the Indian fielders brilliant at their work.

Rohit leads from the front

Rohit Sharma has finally proven himself as an able team captain and leader. Not that he had not earlier in his career, but the way he put faith in his players and helped them create the right impact has gone a long way in defining his leadership qualities.

For Rohit, it’s not those personal milestones that matter but how the team performs collectively.

“When I took over as India’s captain, I just wanted everyone to drive in one direction and that’s how team sport should be played. It is not about personal milestones and personal stats and goals, it was what 11 of us can bring on the table and win the trophy,” Rohit had said on the Dubai Ee 103.8 YouTube channel before the T20 World Cup.

The 37-year-old kept his word after all.