Aiden Markram's South Africa were cruising in the final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados on Saturday, June 29 when Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya decided to change the script. (Match Highlights| | Scorecard | Full Coverage)
Heinrich Klaasen's wicket in the 16.1 over of the match might be the turning point but Suryakumar Yadav's spectacular grab on the boundary line to send back the dangerous David Miller in the final over of the game, really changed the course of the game.
The Proteas required 16 runs in the final over and had Miller on strike to face Pandya. The southpaw received a full-toss outside the off-stump and connected it straight down the ground. It looked like the ball will cross the boundary ropes but Surya leaped out of nowhere to take a brilliant catch.
However, his follow through saw him cross the rope but he lobbed the ball in the air, perfected himself and completed it to take a brilliant grab. The catch proved to be the turning point of the final as India closed out the game by 7 runs and took home the ICC T20 WC title after 17 years.
India skipper Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from T20 Internationals after guiding the team to its second World Cup in the format, describing it as the perfect time to "say goodbye".
"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," Rohit told the post-match press conference.
"This what I wanted and it happened. I was very desperate for this in my life. Happy that we crossed the line this time," he added.
Along with Rohit, star batter Virat Kohli too announced his retirement from T20 Internationals.
"This was my last T20 World Cup and this is exactly what we wanted to achieve. This is an amazing game. I was telling Rohit (Sharma) when we went out to bat, I was like, one day you feel like you can't get a run and then you come out and then things happen. God is great,” Kohli told host broadcasters after bagging the player of the match award.
"I bow my head in gratitude. I'm just really grateful I was able to get the job done for the team on the day that it mattered the most," he added.
The veteran batter hoped that the next generation players will take India to even loftier peaks.
"It's time for the next generation to take over. It's a two-year cycle (for next T20 WC), there're some amazing players playing in India. They're going to take the team forward in the T20 format and do wonders as we've seen them do in the IPL.
"I have no doubts that they'll keep the flag waving high and really take this team further from here now."
