India ended an 11-year ICC trophy drought by defeating South Africa in a breathtaking T20 World Cup Final in Barbados — a victory that sparked celebrations across the subcontinent and prompted the retirement of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja from T20 international cricket.
India had lost multiple ICC Finals across formats since 2013: the 2017 Champions Trophy Final, the 2019 ODI WC semi-final, the 2021 T20 WC group stage exit, the 2021 WTC Final, the 2022 T20 WC semi-final, the 2023 WTC Final, and the 2023 ODI WC Final. The 11-year wait had become a defining feature of India's cricket identity.
India arrived at the 2024 T20 WC as one of the favourites but carrying the psychological weight of repeated ICC Final defeats. The tournament format — hosted in the USA and the Caribbean — was unfamiliar. India won every match and arrived in the final without playing their best cricket, which made the eventual victory feel even more cathartic.
On June 29, 2024, at Kensington Oval in Barbados, India's cricketers finally ended a period of ICC-level heartbreak that had stretched across more than a decade. Their 7-run victory over South Africa in the T20 World Cup Final was a thriller that went down to the final over — and the celebration that followed was one of cricket's most emotional moments in years.
India's journey to the final had been accomplished without defeat — winning every match through the group stages, Super 8s, and semi-finals. South Africa had been equally impressive. The final was always going to be a classic.
Virat Kohli — playing what he had privately decided would be his final T20I — batted with unusual restraint early before exploding in the final overs to reach 76 from 59 balls. His innings, characterised by that distinctive technique and fierce focus, was the engine of India's total. When he was dismissed, he walked off to a Barbados crowd that sensed they were watching something significant.
South Africa, chasing, went agonisingly close. In the final over — with the equation requiring 16 runs — Hardik Pandya delivered what became one of the most dramatic final-over performances in World Cup history. South Africa fell 7 runs short.
When the wicket fell, the scenes were extraordinary: players embracing, coaching staff streaming onto the field, and eventually the Prime Minister of India calling the dressing room to congratulate the team. Rohit Sharma, Kohli, and Jadeja then announced their T20I retirements on the same stage — three legends taking their bow simultaneously.
The helicopter shot Rohit played for India's first six. Kohli's match-turning innings. Bumrah's economy throughout the tournament. Suryakumar Yadav's catch on the boundary in the final over. Every image was instantly iconic.
Kohli scores 76* from 59 balls — anchors India's total despite early pressure
India post 176/4 — below the boundary they wanted but competitive
South Africa reduced but recover — need 16 off the final over
Hardik Pandya's final over: wicket on first ball, tight lines throughout
Suryakumar Yadav's boundary catch — saves four runs in the last moments
South Africa finish 7 runs short — India win
Rohit, Kohli, and Jadeja announce T20I retirements simultaneously
2024-06-29
T20 WC Final: India vs South Africa, Kensington Oval, Barbados
2024-06-29
Kohli scores 76 — India post 176/4
2024-06-29
Pandya's final over — South Africa fall 7 runs short
2024-06-29
Rohit, Kohli, Jadeja retire from T20Is simultaneously
“This is what I had been playing for. This is the reason I didn't retire earlier — because I wanted to give India one more World Cup. Now it's done. I'm at peace.”
“I can't describe it. Eleven years is a long time. A lot of hurt. A lot of near-misses. Today was for all of that. For India.”
“The whole team played their part. When you win a World Cup, it's never one person — it's everyone. This is India's greatest T20 team.”
India won the T20 World Cup 2024 by 7 runs — their first ICC title since the 2013 Champions Trophy. Kohli was Player of the Match. Jasprit Bumrah was Player of the Tournament.
The 2024 T20 World Cup victory will be remembered as the tournament that closed one of cricket's great 'what went wrong?' narratives. India's ability to win when it mattered most — in a final, under pressure, against a worthy opponent — was the cathartic release that a billion supporters had been waiting for since 2013.
Australia vs West Indies
1960-12-14
The first tied Test in 86 years of cricket history — Australia and West Indies finished level on 737 runs each after five days of breathless cricket in Brisbane, producing one of the most dramatic finishes the game has ever seen.
India vs Australia
1986-09-22
Twenty-six years after Brisbane, cricket produced only its second tied Test — Dean Jones's heroic 210 through crippling heat and Dean Jones's fever, Ravi Shastri's unbeaten 48 and India needing 2 off the last over, only for Maninder Singh to be out lbw off the final ball.
Australia vs South Africa
1999-06-17
Lance Klusener smashed Australia to the brink of elimination, then ran out Allan Donald off the penultimate ball to tie the match — but Australia advanced to the final on superior run rate, ending South Africa's greatest World Cup campaign in devastating fashion.