“But today was a day where we kind of fulfilled what the whole nation wanted”, said Hardik Pandya as he wiped his tears and held the Indian flag close to him. A historic moment for the Indian Cricket team as they won the final of the T20 World Cup 2024 against South Africa by 7 runs. This is India’s second T20 World Cup win and India marks as the first-ever team to win the title without losing a single match. A truly invincible world champions!
Here are 10 reactions to India's glory at the Barbados
1. Droupadi Murmu
President Droupadi Murmu applauded the "never-say-die-spirit" of the Indian team, as she took to social media to appreciate this commemorative win.
“My heartiest congratulations to Team India for winning the T20 World Cup. With the never-say-die spirit, the team sailed through difficult situations and demonstrated outstanding skills throughout the tournament. It was an extraordinary victory in the final match. Well done, Team India! We are proud of you!”
2. Narendra Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted a heartfelt video message for the Indian cricket team, highly praising their exceptional performance. He went on to praise their resilience and further mentioned how over 140 crore Indians are feeling immense pride in their final win. They have successfully won the cup, not only in the field but also in the hearts of the crores of Indians residing in villages and the streets.
He tweeted, “CHAMPIONS! Our team brings the T20 World Cup home in STYLE! We are proud of the Indian Cricket Team.This match was HISTORIC. 🇮🇳 🏏 🏆”
3. Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Cricket fans were surprised when they saw an Instagram post by the former captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Famous for keeping his social media activity to a minimum, fans understood it was a special occasion for the former World Cup-winning captain.
“WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS 2024. My heart rate was up, well done on being calm, having the self belief and doing what u guys did. From all the Indians back home and everywhere in the world a big thank you for bringing the World Cup Home. CONGRATULATIONS. arreeee thanks for the priceless birthday gift," MS Dhoni wrote in the Instagram post.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is one of the only three Indian cricket captains under whom India have won a cricket World Cup.
4. Ian Smith
With the match inching towards the final over, South Africa needed only 16 runs to win the game. Hardik Pandya made the decision to throw a full toss which David Miller struck high in the air, expecting to cross boundary for a six. However, it was Suryakumar Yadav who caught the ball with such mastery that made New Zealand commentator Ian Smith go absolutely crazy.
“Athleticism at its very very best”, a short yet accurate description said by Ian Smith that perfectly describes Yadav’s awareness under pressure.
5. Virat Kohli
By far the most debated player from the Indian team this T20I season. With fans and experts concerned about his form during recent matches, he did delivered when his team wanted it the most.
After collecting the Man Of The Match award, he said, “One day you feel like you can’t get a run and this happens, God is great. (It is) just the occasion, now or never kind of situation. This was my last T20 game playing for India. We wanted to lift that cup.”
Soon after the winning moment, fans were shocked as they realized they have witnessed the 35-year-old run-machine for the last time wearing the color blue in the T20I format.
“Yes I have, this was an open secret (retirement). Not something that I wasn’t going to announce even if we had lost. Time for the next generation to take the T20 game forward,” Virat Kohli confirmed his retirement from the format.
6. Rohit Sharma
The skipper, Rohit Sharma broke down after their monumental T20 World cup win. South Africa needed 26 out of 24 balls and the win seemed to have been slipping out of India’s hand. However, Rohit used is bowlers wisely to snatch the win away from the Proteas.
During the press conference, Rohit Sharma could not rip the smile off his face. He said, "This was my last game as well. No better time to say goodbye. I wanted this (trophy) badly. It's very hard to put in words
"This is what I wanted and it happened. I was very desperate for this in my life. Happy that we crossed the line this time."
A bittersweet moment for the fans to witness the 37-year-old captain announce his retirement from the T20I format.
7. Rahul Dravid
Cricket fans are well aware of how much this World Cup win meant to the Indian team's head coach Rahul Dravid. A player and former captain of the team, Dravid was not successful in claiming this title before. Today he has experienced a full circle moment, lifting the cup as the coach.
"I really have felt short of words over the last few hours. I just could not be more proud of this team, the way we had to fight difficult situations," Rahul Dravid said during a press conference.
"You know, as a player, I was not lucky enough to win a trophy, but I tried my best whenever I played and it happens, it's part of sports," the 51-year-old coach added.
Usually a calm and composed man, fans saw Rahul Dravid break down in tears and cheer as he saw his team win the final against South Africa. With him stepping down from the position of head coach, this win felt personal to him and the millions of Indian cricket fans.
"Nice feeling, but it's not like I am aiming for some redemption, it's just a job that I was doing. I loved doing the job, I loved working with Rohit and this team. It's been a great journey and I have really enjoyed it." He added.
8. Sachin Tendulkar
Legendary Indian cricketer, Sachin Tendulkar sang praises for the Indian team and took his time to appreciate the players, especially Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Player of the tournament Jasprit Bumrah.
He tweeted, “What can one say about @ImRo45? Superb captaincy! To put the 2023 ODI World Cup loss behind and to keep all our players motivated towards the T20 World Cup is commendable. @Jaspritbumrah93's Player of the Tournament award as well as @imVkohli's Player of the Match award are both well-deserved. They were just superb when it mattered.”
Who can forget the iconic partnership, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid shared, during their time? Sachin certainly did not as he took a special moment to congratulate his former teammate and believes that life comes a full circle moment eventually.
“Life comes full circle for Indian cricket in the West Indies. From our lows in the 2007 ODI World Cup to becoming a cricketing powerhouse and winning the T20WC in 2024. Very happy for my friend Rahul Dravid, who missed out on the 2011 World Cup win but his contribution to this T20 World Cup victory has been immense. I am so so happy for him,” Sachin Tendulkar tweeted.
9. Irfan Pathan
The moment when Suryakumar Yadav caught the ball which was hit by David Miller, is the kind of moment that shall be written off in the history of cricket as one of the best. A moment that truly changed the fate of the team. The former Indian cricketer, Irfan Pathan could not agree more to this statement. Additionally, he mentioned how this win felt like a sigh of relief from him during the ongoing distressing time in his life
He said, “I am thankful to Jasprit Bumrah, thankful to Rohit Sharma,thankful to Hardik Pandya. Suryakumar Yadav, uska catch to mein poori zindagi nahi bhulunga (I won't forget his catch my entire life).”
10. VVS Laxman
"Congratulations Team India on becoming the T20 World Champions. Been the best team in the tournament remaining unbeaten throughout," VVS Laxman, current head of the National Cricket Academy wrote on X.
"Great composure and character shown by the team to win this from the situation we were in with 5 overs remaining. Every player deserves credit for giving it their all and rising to the occasion and wonderfully led by Rohit," he added.