T20 World Cup: India ends the 11 years of drought; Irfan Pathan and Ishant Sharma are emotional; Gautam Gambhir’s take on Kohli and Rohit’s retirement from T20 cricket
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Summary: India's T20 World Cup victory was long-awaited for those involved, including some veteran players—Gautam Gambhir’s first reaction to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s retirement.
India went 11 years without an ICC trophy and 13 years without a world title. But it all ended on Saturday, when the Rohit Sharma-led team defeated South Africa at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, to win the T20 World Cup for the second time in history.
Virat Kohli, who battled to find his form throughout the tournament, scoring only 75 runs in seven innings, hammered a magnificent 76 off 59 against the Proteas to help India set a goal of 177. South Africa remained in the chase for the first half of their innings, albeit at a slower rate, before Heinrich Klaasen lowered the equation to 25 needed off the final 25 balls with a fierce half-century.
However, India held onto their nerves under pressure in the final overs, with Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah picking up four wickets between themselves as India won by seven runs and lifted the T20 World Cup trophy, which they had last won in 2007 under MS Dhoni.
The victory was a very emotional experience for the Indian team's senior members, notably Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Hardik, who were visibly moved. The fans, who had made the long trip to Barbados to cheer on the team, also shed happy tears.
Veteran India fast bowler Ishant Sharma was moved to tears after seeing a video of Kohli in tears during a video conversation with his wife Anushka Sharma, while Irfan Pathan, a member of the 2007 T20 World Cup-winning team, was also moved to tears after the match. He stated, "The last ten days were quite difficult for me. So these are both sad and happy tears. I love you, Team India, and thank you so much."
Former opener Gautam Gambhir hailed Rohit and Kohli for their outstanding contributions to Indian cricket following their historic T20 World Cup victory. After India defeated South Africa in the T20 World Cup final, batting icon Virat Kohli announced his departure from international cricket for the T20 format. At the post-match press conference, India captain Rohit disclosed to reporters that he had played his last T20 international match for the defending champions.
Gambhir praised Rohit and Kohli for finishing their remarkable T20I careers. "What better way to round off a T20 career than with a World Cup victory? They have both contributed greatly to Indian cricket and are excellent players. They have my congratulations and best wishes. They'll play cricket, both One Day and test. I am sure they will continue to help the squad and the nation thrive."
