Key Points

On June 29, 2024, India lifted the coveted T20 World Cup title for the first time in 17 years. After putting up a competitive 176/7 on the board, India flirted with danger and floundered in its approach to follow the blueprint for successfully defending the total. However, the Rohit Sharma-led side stayed in the contest to deny the Proteas with a seven-run triumph.

Pant took to Instagram and posted a picture of himself lifting the title and wrote, "What a moment". Axar shared a video of himself celebrating the trophy success with his teammates and captioned it, "One year ago, we lived the dream."

In the pulsating final of the marquee event, India and South Africa landed in Barbados unbeaten, with hopes of ending the quest on a memorable note. The coin spun in India's favour during the time of the toss, and Rohit decided to put South Africa in a position to chase.

After India was reduced to 34/3, batting maestro Virat Kohli and Axar raised a priceless 72-run partnership before the latter was dismissed on 47(31). Virat continued to extend his stay at the crease and switched through gears after celebrating his half-century.

With his enchanting strokeplay, he blew away the South African bowling unit and returned with 76(59). Shivam Dube's swift 27 from 16 deliveries propelled India to 176/7.

In reply, Quinton de Kock (39) and Heinrich Klaasen (52) decimated India's hopes of winning the title. With the equation down to 26 off 24 deliveries, a spirited pace bowling performance came to India's rescue.

Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh emerged as the prime architects of the Proteas' downfall. With 16 needed in the final over and David Miller on strike, Pandya began his over with a wide full toss that Miller dispatched down the ground through the aerial route.

Suryakumar sprinted to his left from long-off and grabbed the ball. He lobbed it in the air as momentum took him past the boundary rope and then came back inside the field to complete a catch that determined the fate of the title. The troika chained South African batters and escaped with a narrow seven-run victory to end the ICC Trophy drought.

- ANI