THE last hurdle was always too high, too tricky for India all these years, 11 years to be precise. The feeling of lifting an ICC trophy kept eluding the Men in Blue since their Champions Trophy victory in 2013. On many occasions, they were on the cusp of regaining the elusive pride but found the door shut at the last moment. This time, with all their might, India barged in, shattering all doors, overcoming the last danger, to pick up the silverware they so deserved. The ICC World Twenty20 Trophy 2024 has finally ended the long drought, bringing much-needed relief to Indian cricket and a great redemption for the two veterans who merited the tag of World Champions once again.

 

Skipper Rohit Sharma and his predecessor Virat Kohli will be the most-contended souls in the cricketing world at this moment. Their swansong has finally found a conclusion worth an opera! India’s thrilling victory over first-timers South Africa in the WT20 final in the West Indies has soothed nerves and warmed the cockles of millions of hearts. The country badly wanted this triumph after the heartbreaks it endured in the last few years. The latest wound the Indians were nursing was the 2023 50-over World Cup final loss to Australia at home. They badly wanted relief and how they have got it from Rohit Sharma and his wonderful bunch. Not only was the victory earned like a boss but it also established India as the force that must not be needled in any form of cricket. Such was the dominance of the Indians in this edition of the World Cup.

 

When they departed to the shores of the United States immediately after the hectic Indian Premier League (IPL), the Indians were looking a harried lot. There were issues at hands including player behaviour and personal relations due to franchise owners’ decisions. There were questions over selection of Rohit and Virat. Then there was the matter of finding a new coach as Rahul Dravid’s term was set to end. All these issues came with their own overbearing impacts. Full marks to the Indian team for keeping all the noise out of the dressing room and focusing on a collective dream. The beauty of this delightful triumph lies in the mature manner in which Rohit, Dravid and the team handled the long campaign. Starting the tournament as customary favourites, India needed a strategy that could sustain their momentum. In the preceding top tournaments, the team was found losing steam at crucial moments. This time, there was a definite gameplan which Rohit and Co executed with tremendous precision. The batting order changes, the elevation of Kohli as opener, packing seamers in the US and spinners in the Caribbean, everything looked jotted on the drawing board and taken into the ground. There was never a let-up in intensity, not even during the onslaught by Proteas in the final. It made the ultimate difference.