India had been unable to clinch the ultimate prize until now

Sunil Gavaskar expressed his delight after India, under Rohit Sharma's leadership, finally secured a World Cup title by winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 against South Africa. Gavaskar likened this achievement to scoring a century for Indian cricket, emphasising how India had previously faltered in the final stages of ICC events. He noted that despite consistently reaching the semi-finals and finals, India had been unable to clinch the ultimate prize until now.

In the final match at Kensington Oval, Virat Kohli's brilliant innings of 76 runs played a crucial role in India's victory, setting up a challenging total that South Africa ultimately fell short of by seven runs. Gavaskar praised Kohli's performance as a batting masterclass that paved the way for Rohit Sharma's team to break South Africa's unbeaten streak and lift the trophy.

Rohit Sharma, leading India, achieved a historic feat by becoming the second Indian captain, after MS Dhoni, to win the ICC T20 World Cup title. Under Rohit's captaincy, India became the first team to win the tournament without losing a single match. This victory marked Rohit's second T20 World Cup triumph, having previously won as a player in 2007. Following the win, both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from T20 Internationals, adding a poignant touch to India's celebratory moment.

In recognition of their stellar performances throughout the tournament, Virat Kohli was named the Player of the Match in the final, while Jasprit Bumrah received the Player of the Tournament award. Ravindra Jadeja also bid farewell to T20I cricket following the World Cup victory. The International Cricket Council subsequently included six Indians in the Team of the Tournament, further highlighting India's dominance and individual brilliance in the competition.