The Indian cricket team was fast gaining notoriety as the perennial bridesmaid in world events despite being within striking distance of the title. Since 2021, India has featured in the 2021 World Test Championship final against New Zealand, the 2022 Twenty20 World Cup semi-final against England, the 2023 World Championship final against Australia, the 2023 World Cup final against Australia at home and lost all. The big match temperament of the team and the players, most of them who were international superstars, was under a cloud. The Twenty20 World Cup high at the Kensington Oval in Barbados not only ended India’s long wait for a world title but it also was a redemption for all 11 players of the team, including the coach Rahul Dravid, who had to deal with their own struggles in the run-up to the event. Newsroompost.com takes a look at each player’s journey:
Rohit Sharma
Led one of the most stirring campaigns by an Indian team ever in a cricket World Cup in 2023 but had to suffer the ignominy of a heart-breaking defeat in the final to Australia in front of his home fans that left him in tears. Seven months later, he had to pick up the pieces and mount another challenge despite the fact that unlike his success in the one-day internationals, he had not been in good nick with the bat in the Twenty20 Internationals. The determined Mumbai star once again led from the front with his blistering starts and shrewd captaincy to script a heart-warming redemption.
Twenty20 World Cup: Matches 8, Runs 257, Highest score 92, Strike Rate 156.7, Average 36.71, Fours 24, Sixes 15
Virat Kohli
A batting great, adjudged player of the 2023 World Cup, was at the receiving end for his ‘slow’ 54 off 63 balls in the final loss to Australia. There were also doubts whether he will be able to deliver the goods as an opener in the Twenty20 World Cup. He struggled throughout the tournament but stepped up when it mattered the most, in the final with a defiant 76 that held the Indian innings together and helped the team raise a fighting 176-7 on the board.
TWC 2024: Matches 8, Runs 151, HS 76, SR 112.68, Ave 18.87, Fours 8, Sixes 7
Rishabh Pant
After his life-threatening road accident in January 2023, there was a question mark about his return to cricket, let alone playing for India. But the resolute wicket-keeper batsman made a miraculous recovery in time for the trip to the Caribbean isles. He shone in patches as a batter, in a new role of No.3, but his work behind the stumps was a revelation.
TWC 2024: Matches 8, Runs 171, HS 42, SR 127.61, Ave 24.42, Fours 19, Sixes 6
Suryakumar Yadav
Another key player who has not sure whether he will be on the flight to the US and West Indies. The Mumbai batting ace was saddled with a series of injuries – sports hernia, ankle tear and right knee that kept him away for more than three months. He played his first match in April 2024 during the Indian Premier League. It was a challenging phase, and on his return he claimed it was a “second version” of himself. He did not exactly set the stage on fire and shone in patches. There were murmurs about his inability to stamp his authority in high-pressure matches, like the final but he put all that behind with a brilliant catch on the boundary to dismiss David Miller, an effort that will be talked about forever.
TWC 2024: Matches 8, Runs 199, HS 53, SR 135.37, Ave 28.42, Fours 15, Sixes 10
Hardik Pandya
He has been the target of social media trolls ever since he was made captain of Mumbai Indians at the expense of Rohit Sharma. The Mumbai Indians’ poor display in the 17th Indian Premier League where they finished at the bottom of the 10-team table only made it worse for Pandya. All was not well at his home front too as rumours of divorce with his Serbian wife Natasa Stankovic swirled. It was not an ideal preparation for an high-octance event but the Baroda all-rounder put all that behind and let his cricket take the front seat. He was an effective seamer and made useful runs lower in the order. His last overs against South Africa, under intense pressure, were gold dust.
TWC 2024: Matches 8, Runs 144, HS 50*, SR 151.57, Ave 48.00, Fours 11, Sixes 9;
Wickets 11, Overs 25, Best Bowling 3-20, Average 17.36, Economy Rate 7.64
Shivam Dubey
The all-rounder’s selection to the squad was met with a lot of derision because he had made the cut by edging out an explosive left-handed batter Rinku Singh, who had done no wrong in his international stint. The call for Rinku’s inclusion grew louder when Dubey had a miserable outing against Pakistan where he was dismissed for 3 (9 balls) and also dropped an easy catch to give Mohammad Rizwan a reprieve. The Mumbai left-hander, however, made amends against Bangladesh (34 off 24 balls) and Australia (28 off 22 balls). He redeemed himself in the final against South Africa, scoring a crucial 27 off 16 balls and more importantly raised 53 runs in the company of Kohli for the 5th wicket, which was the second highest partnership of the innings.
TWC 2024: Matches 8, Runs 133, HS 34, SR 114.65, Ave 22.16, Fours 6, Sixes 7
Axar Patel
It is not easy to make it to a team which already had a brilliant all-rounder in Ravindra Jadeja. Like Jadeja, Patel is a left-arm spinner, useful batter and a gun fielder. It is a tribute to his abilities and the team management’s wisdom that he has been playing alongside Jadeja in almost all formats. He was heartbroken when a left quadricep injury ruled him out of 2023 World Cup despite being named in the squad. The Gujarat all-rounder made amends with a sterling display in the T20 World Cup with his 47 off 31 balls against South Africa in the final and man of the match haul of 3-23 against England in the semi-final.
TWC 2024: Matches 8, Runs 92, HS 47, SR 139.90, Ave 23.00, Fours 5, Sixes 6
Wkts 9, Overs 22, BB 3-23, Ave 19.22, ER 7.86
Ravindra Jadeja
Always pencilled in teams across formats for his ability to contribute with the ball, bat and lightning reflexes on the field, Jadeja has been battling injuries every year since January 2021. Until January 2024, the Saurashtra all-rounder had been out of action for 17 months overall for various injuries – thumb (2021), forearm (2021-22), rib (2022), knee (2022-23, required surgery), hamstring (2024). He was India’s best spinner in the 2023 World Cup and continued that form in the 2024 IPL (267 runs, 8 wickets), which meant he had warmed up well for the Twenty20 World Cup. Though he did not create much an impact in the tournament, he was quick to realise his time was up and decided to call it quits from the T20 format on a high.
TWC 2024: Matches 8, Runs 35, HS 17*, SR 159.09; Wickets 1
Kuldip Yadav
An exciting talent who had an impressive start to his international career in 2017 but his career hit a trough when a mix of injury and self-doubt kept him on the sidelines for two years. The lowest phase came when he missed an entire season of IPL in 2021 due to a knee injury. The ‘chinaman’ bowler fought that period of desperation and has risen like a Phoenix, sealing a regular spot in the Indian team, in all three formats. This World Cup triumph was an apt reward for his struggles.
TWC 2024: Matches 5, Overs 20, Wickets 10, BB 3-19, Ave 13.9, ER 6.95
Jasprit Bumrah
For almost an year, there were serious doubts about Bumrah’s return to international cricket. A lower back strain that surfaced in September 2022 got aggravated, which forced him to undergo surgery in New Zealand. The pace spearhead was away from cricket for close to 12 months and ended up missing the 2022 Asia Cup held in the UAE, the 2022 Twenty20 World Cup in Australia, the 2022-23 Australia series in India, the 2023 Indian Premier League and the 2023 World Test Championship final against Australia at the Oval in London, England. On his comeback, the Gujarat fast bowler proved his mettle in the 2023 World Cup (20 wickets from 11 matches, economy rate 4.06) and along with the magnificent Mohammad Shami (24 from 7 matches) was the toast of the tournament. With Shami out of action with an ankle injury that needed surgery, Bumrah had to lead the pace attack in this World Cup, which he did with an incredible display that ranked high on skills. The Player of the Tournament award was an icing on the cake for this remarkable cricketer, who assured of a place in the game’s Hall of Fame.
TWC 2024: Matches 8, Overs 29.4, Wickets 15, BB 3-7, Ave 8.26, ER 4.17
Arshdeep Singh
Ever since making his international debut in a Twenty20 match, this left-arm pacer has been an India regular in the shortest format of the game. His ability to pick wickets early in the game meant he was chosen ahead of the experienced Mohammad Siraj. But in the run up to the Twenty20 World Cup there were concerns about his economy rate which has often pegged him down. It was evident in the 2024 IPL season where his economy rate was 10.03 despite picking up 19 wickets for Kings XI Punjab, who finished a dismal 9th. However, Arshdeep redeemed himself in the T20 World Cup by becoming the joint highest wicket-taker with Afghanistan’s Fazalhaq Farooqui (17 wickets) with a much-improved economy rate of 7.16. Of greater significance was the 19th over he bowled in a tense final when he conceded just 4 runs to tighten the screws on South Africa.
TWC 2024: Matches 8, Overs 30, Wickets 17, BB 4-9, Ave 12.64, ER 7.16
Rahul Dravid
As a player, Dravid was central to the resurgence in Indian cricket since making his debut in England 1996. A glorious cricket career that spanned across 164 Tests, 344 one-day internationals scoring over 24,000 runs had an equally impressive stint as a coach that began by guiding the Under-19, India A squads before becoming the national team’s head coach in 2021. However, his trophy cabinet barely had a World Cup, IPL or even a Champions Trophy medal. He came agonisingly close during the 2023 World Cup at home and it appeared he would have to remain content with just one big high – the Under-19 World Cup in 2018, when the Prithvi Shaw-led team, that also included Shubman Gill, Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, and Riyan Parag won the title defeating Australia in the final. The T20 World Cup success was also a fitting tribute to his efforts as a coach. That it came in West Indies, where India suffered a shocking exit in the 2007 World Cup under his captaincy, made it all the more sweeter.