2024 T20 World Cup: One triumph and two goodbyes

When South Africa needed 30 runs from 30 deliveries in the 2024 ICC Men’s T20I World Cup final against India, all seemed lost for the Men in Blue. Two dangerous South African hitters were at the crease: David Miller and Henrik Klaasen, both of them capable of carrying out demolition jobs with the bat. However, skipper Rohit Sharma and his men were in no mood to give up and leave the ground in Bridgetown with drooping shoulders after what could have been India’s sixth defeat in an ICC Trophy final since 2013. As skipper Sharma said during the post-match ceremony after India’s summit clash win by seven runs, “We wanted this really bad…” And, the Men in Blue achieved their goal to ensure that history did not repeat itself.

Although millions of Indian cricket fans remained wide awake to watch the much-awaited match, it is important to state how India’s brilliant bowling after the 16th over of the South African innings decided the outcome. The Player of the Tournament Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh gave away a mere 14 runs in five overs. The South Africans also lost the wickets of Klaasen and Marco Jansen during this critical phase. Pandya returned for the last over, with South Africa needing 16 more runs. They lost two more wickets, including Miller’s as a result of a sensational Suryakumar Yadav catch, resulting in India’s seven-run win.

After the match ended, fortunate fans of Indian cricket, who experienced the drama in the tension-filled clash inside the stadium, manifested their ecstasy with loud cheers. WhatsApp soothsayers foretelling an Indian surrender fell silent. Celebrations on social media began, followed by many trending hashtags. Crackers lit up the midnight skies across the country. Indian cricketers could not conceal their emotions after their hard-earned victory either. Few cricket fans glued to their TV sets would have missed those few moments when Sharma stood alone for a while. His team had won, and being alone might have helped him come closer to that precious reality.

Not one but two things happened in the Bridgetown stadium on the day of the finals. Apart from the win, two Indian stalwarts announced their retirement from T20 internationals: Sharma and Virat Kohli. Many cricket fans would have anticipated that the announcement was on the way. But, few would have thought that both of them would hang up their boots on the same day and, that too, after the World Cup win. When it actually happened, with Kohli stating his decision before Sharma, almost everyone was taken by surprise.

All good things must end. That is true of cricket, in fact, life as a whole. Both Sharma and Kohli have served India in the T20 format for a long time, and their decision to leave the international stage will result in opportunities for talented youngsters waiting for their time under the sun. Sharma played his first T20I in 2007 against England in Durban in which he did not bat. Kohli debuted in 2010 against Zimbabwe and scored an unbeaten 26. Since then, Sharma has scored 4,231 runs in 159 matches at an average of 32.05, while Kohli has played 125 matches in which he has scored 4,188 runs at an average of 48.69. Every record is shattered someday. However, at the moment, Sharma and Kohli are the highest and second-highest scorers in the format.

Kohli had a bad World Cup until the finals, in which he scored 76 to rescue India from the possibility of a forgettable collapse and won the Player of the Match award. Sharma, on the other hand, was the highest scorer in the tournament for India with 257 runs in eight matches, including a brilliant 41-ball 92 against Australia, one of the highlights of the tournament. Although he got out for 9 in the finals, the joy of leading his team to a famous triumph was the only thing that would have mattered to him.

After the match, Virat said, “(This is my) last T20 for India, wanted to make the most of it… This was an open secret. It’s time for the next generation to take over. Some amazing players will take the team forward and keep the flag flying high.” Rohit’s words were, “This was my last (T20I) game as well. There is no better time to say goodbye to this format.” Their fans know that they will play for India and ODIs – at least for a while. They will also feature in the Indian Premier League, the nation’s annual festival of T20 cricket.

When the Men in Blue play their next T20I match, neither Sharma nor Kohli will appear in national colours. New players will take their place, among them, hopefully, a superstar of the future.

The writer, a journalist for three decades, writes on literature and pop culture. Among his books are ‘MSD: The Man, The Leader’, the bestselling biography of former Indian captain MS Dhoni, and the ‘Hall of Fame’ series of film star biographies. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.