New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today spoke to the Indian Cricket Team on the phone to congratulate the players for their T20 World Cup win against South Africa, officials said.

The Prime Minister thanked coach Rahul Dravid , whose two-and-a-half-year-long tenure as Team India’s Head Coach came to a close after yesterday’s match, for his contribution to Indian cricket. Under Rahul Dravid’s guidance, India’s 11-year ICC title drought ended with Team India’s triumph in yesterday’s match.

Rahul Dravid’s incredible coaching journey has shaped the success of Indian cricket.

His unwavering dedication, strategic insights and nurturing the right talent have transformed the team.

India is grateful to him for his contributions and for inspiring generations. We are… pic.twitter.com/8MKSPqztDV

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 30, 2024

PM Modi congratulated Rohit Sharma for his “splendid captaincy” and praised Virat Kohli for his performance in the final match.

Dear @ImRo45,

You are excellence personified. Your aggressive mindset, batting and captaincy has given a new dimension to the Indian team. Your T20 career will be remembered fondly. Delighted to have spoken to you earlier today. pic.twitter.com/D5Ue9jHaad

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 30, 2024

Both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma – announced their T20I retirements yesterday. While Kohli announced his retirement minutes after the triumph, India captain Rohit Sharma announced it in the official post match press conference.

Dear @imVkohli,

Glad to have spoken to you. Like the innings in the Finals, you have anchored Indian batting splendidly. You’ve shone in all forms of the game. T20 Cricket will miss you but I am confident you’ll continue to motivate the new generation of players. pic.twitter.com/rw8fKvgTbA

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 30, 2024

PM Modi also praised Hardik Pandya for his final over and Suryakumar Yadav for his splendid catch on the boundary line to dismiss David Miller.

Home Minister Amit Shah also called Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma to congratulate them on the win.

In a video message, PM Modi yesterday had said that the team won the World Cup and also the “hearts of crores of Indians”. No small achievement that they did not lose a single match, he said.

“Champions! Our team brings the T20 World Cup home in style! We are proud of the Indian Cricket Team,” Prime Minister Modi posted on X – earlier known as Twitter.

The country witnessed euphoric celebrations last evening as Team India won the T20 World Cup, with fans flooding the streets carrying the Tricolour in their hands.

Social media was flooded with congratulatory messages and images of celebratory scenes as India edged past South Africa by seven runs in the final match of T20 World Cup 2024 at the Kensington Oval, Barbados to clinch an ICC title after 11 years.

Watch | How India became a pace-bowling superpower

India’s success in Test cricket has always been associated with its batting prowess and its unique spin-bowling core, several generations of which have helped build India as a Test fortress.

But in the past half a decade or so, a breed of fast bowlers have changed the script. India has since became a pace-bowling superpower, highlighted by Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammad Siraj at the centre of it all and well supported by other stalwarts like Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and more.

How did India get so good at fast bowling? What does the data say?

The Hindu spoke to Bharath Arun, the former India bowling coach who was in instrumental in getting the likes of Shami, Siraj and Bumrah to find their peak. Arun gives insights into the importance of seam position, consistency, the science of inswing/outswing/reverse swing, and more.

The Hindu also spoke to Shanker Basu, who was a key figure in ensuring the fast bowlers keep fit while he was the head trainer of the Indian team.

Reporting: Srinivasan Ramani, Dipak Ragav

Videography: Johan Sathyadas, Shiva Raj, Thamodharan B.

Production: Johan Sathyadas, Shiva Raj

3D animation: Archit Ramesh

2D animation: Soumyadip Sinha

Graphics: Kannan Sundar

Fast bowler data: Hayagrive Srikanth, Cricket21

Voiceover: Kunal Shankar