File image of Sourav Ganguly and Ricky Ponting.© AFP

India spinner Kuldeep Yadav believes that the stalwart trio of Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja and Virat Kohli’s decision to retire from the T20I format is “personal,” and their absence will open a window of opportunity for the youngsters. The T20 World Cup final carried a mixed bag of emotions for the Indian fans. While there were tears of joy as India ended their ICC World Cup drought that lasted for 13 years, there were tears of sorrow as well with the three star players bidding adieu to the shortest format of cricket.

While announcing his retirement, Kohli said that it was time for him to pass the baton on to the younger generation.

Sharing similar views about giving an opportunity to the younger generation, Kuldeep told ANI, “It is their personal decision. They have achieved a lot for India. I hope that youngsters will get good opportunities. They announced their retirement after winning the T20 World Cup and there is no better achievement than that.”

India were stuck in a peculiar situation when the required run rate came down to six. South Africa needed 30 runs in the final five overs to walk away with the trophy.

However, the pace trio of Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya made the opposition batters sweat hard for each run.

Their efforts helped India end their 13-year-long T20 World Cup drought with a 7-run win in Barbados.

“It was a good approach. We were desperate to win the World Cup. We achieved what we wanted to,” Kuldeep added.

Recently, there have been rumours around Kuldeep’s marriage. The ‘Chinaman’ spinner remained tight-lipped about his future partner and said, “There is still time in that and hopefully you will get to know about it.”

On Thursday morning, the T20 World Cup-winning Indian team touched down in the national capital, Delhi, to a rousing welcome from fans eagerly waiting for a glimpse of their favourite heroes and the trophy.

Following their meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the players had an open bus victory parade in Mumbai, from Marine Drive to the iconic Wankhede Stadium.

The champion team was also felicitated with the prize money of Rs 125 crore by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) office-bearers.

Kuldeep Yadav has dedicated the team’s T20 World Cup triumph to Rohit Sharma.© X (Twitter)

Kuldeep Yadav with UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath

File photo of Kuldeep Yadav.© AFP

Kuldeep Yadav returns to Kanpur on Friday© X (Twitter)

PM Narendra Modi in conversation with Indian cricket team stars© AFP

Remember the date – June 29 – India lifted their second T20 World Cup – their first in 17 years – on Saturday by beating South Africa in a thriller. The team also bid farewell to the legendary trio – Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja – as the tournament was wrapped up on a high note in Bridgetown’s Kensington Oval. Apart from India’s fairytale journey, the tournament has also witnessed the rise of the Afghanistan and USA cricket teams and a remarkable redemption of the former champions, West Indies. A few early exits for the likes of New Zealand, Pakistan, and Australia have also made headlines.

As the T20 World Cup 2024 ended more as a bowler-friendly event, let’s have a look at who has made it to the tournament’s best-playing XI.

Rohit Sharma (captain)

Far from home, in the Caribbean, Rohit Sharma was only one of them who deserved a World Cup win very badly on Saturday. And he lifted the ICC silverware after a seven-run win over South Africa in the final.

With 257 runs in eight innings, the Indian skipper ended up as the highest run-scorer for his side. The Mumbai batter hit three fifties which also included a match-winning 92 against Australia. Having guided India to their second T20 World Cup title, Rohit Sharma will also be leading the Team of the Tournament.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Rahmanullah Gurbaz was one of the major reasons Afghanistan qualified for the semi-finals this year and the beast he turned into with the bat this time was a treat to watch.

The 22-year-old smashed 281 runs in the eight matches at an average of 35.12, wrapping up his World Cup campaign as the highest run-scorer in the tournament. He alongside Rohit at the top order could just be the cherry on the cake.

Nicholas Pooran (wicket-keeper)

A clean striker of the ball with some Caribbean flavour, Nicholas Pooran, enjoyed his best World Cup campaign which also helped the West Indies produce some memorable performances at home.

Batting at No.4, Pooran amassed 228 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 146.15 for the West Indies. His 53-ball 98 against Afghanistan was one of the highlights of his dream run in the recently-concluded tournament.

Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav, the No.2 T20I batter in the world, has all the reasons to feature in the Team of the Tournament. With 199 runs in eight innings, the swashbuckling batter was always an X-factor in India’s starting XI.

Suryakumar hit two half-centuries in the tournament, which came in crucial junctures against the USA and Afghanistan in the Super 8s. He also missed a well-deserved fifty against England in the semi-final.

Heinrich Klaasen

Indian fans held their collective breath when Heinrich Klaasen smashed a quick-fire fifty in the final and what could be a better occasion to include him in the best XI of the tournament?

A strong middle-order batter from South Africa, Klaasen, amassed 190 runs in eight innings at an average of 31.66. He has been one of the most consistent run-scorers in the T20 format for the last couple of years and his inclusion is a no-brainer in any starting XI.

Marcus Stoinis

Australian star all-rounder Marcus Stoinis continued his impressive form in the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the United States.

Stoinis smashed 169 runs in five innings at an impressive strike rate of 164.07. Interestingly, he also picked up 10 wickets with the ball for Australia.

Earlier, Chennai’s iconic Chepauk Stadium witnessed Marcus Stoinis’s whirlwind 124* against the home side, Chennai Super Kings which helped Lucknow Super Giants cross the line convincingly.

Hardik Pandya

An IPL villain in the Indian summer, Hardik Pandya, turned into a superstar all-rounder in the T20 World Cup. He has been going through contrasting environments but has held his nerves to deliver his best in Team India’s World Cup win.

Hardik smashed 144 runs in six innings at an excellent strike rate of 151.57. He even made things easier for India, picking 11 wickets with the ball.

Rashid Khan

From refugee camps to World Cup semi-finals in the Caribbean Islands, Rashid Khan was the man behind Afghanistan’s drastic rise in T20 cricket. He captained the side all through Super 8s before losing to South Africa in the semis.

Rashid scalped 14 wickets in eight matches at an economy rate of 6.17 for Afghanistan and was one of the leading wicket-takers in the tournament.

Fazalhaq Farooqi

Who would have imagined Fazalhaq Farooqi taking nine wickets in Afghanistan’s initial two matches in the tournament? Benched for the whole season in the IPL by Sunrisers Hyderabad, Farooqi had different plans coming into the T20 World Cup.

He took 17 wickets in eight matches at an economy rate of 6.31 and was the highest wicket-taker in the tournament. His fast-bowling masterclass included his career-best 5/9 against Uganda.

Kuldeep Yadav

Apart from conceding 45 runs in the final, Kuldeep Yadav was at his ultimate best in the World Cup. The left-arm chinaman carried his IPL 2024 success to the ICC event and produced crucial breakthroughs whenever required.

Kuldeep picked up 10 wickets in five matches at an economy rate of 6.95 to make India’s journey to the final easy.

Jasprit Bumrah

The player of the T20 World Cup 2024, Jasprit Bumrah, had a wonderful comeback in the IPL 2024 after an injury. He had turned into a rare commodity with the ball in the tournament providing several match-winning spells.

Bumrah scalped 15 wickets in eight matches at a jaw-dropping economy rate of 4.17 and is currently one of the best bowlers across all formats.

Kuldeep Yadav’s childhood coach Kapil Dev Pandey believes that Rohit Sharma-led Team India will bring the glory of the 2007 T20 World Cup back to India after 17 years of drought when they face South Africa in the final of Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 on Saturday at Barbados. India aim to reclaim the trophy that they last won in the inaugural 2007 edition while South Africa are into the final for the first time — after seven previous World Cup semifinal defeats across formats. The two sides have met six times in the T20 World Cup in the history of the tournament with India having an upper hand in the head-to-head matchup.

India defeated England in the semi-finals by 68 runs and continued their eight-match unbeaten streak to face Proteas in the finals.

Speaking exclusively to IANS, Pandey remains optimistic of India winning the T20 World Cup.

Excerpts of the interview.

Q: The Indian team is in the final of the T20 World Cup 2024, what are your thoughts on that?

A: India is performing exceptionally well and they have reached the final of the T20 World CUP after beating every team. We did the same in the ODI World Cup 2023 but lost in the finals to Australia. However, this time the team looks different, this is the best Indian T20I team to reach the final and I firmly believe that this team will bring back the glory of 2007 T20 WC and end the drought of 17 years.

Q: Do you think there is any need for changes in the Playing XI as few players have not performed well?

A: I know many players have not performed but they are big names of T20I cricket, you just can’t ignore them. In big matches, you need players like those who can handle the pressure and I also believe that they will perform in the final against South Africa.

Q: Virat Kohli has been out of form in this T20 World Cup. Any advice to him that you would like to share?

A: He doesn’t need any advice or suggestions. He is a very big player and those who are questioning his performance will soon get an answer. He is a very confident guy and India needs him to perform on the big stage against Africa. All the players are performing well Kuldeep Yadav, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Axar Patel. So, I just want to wish them all the luck.

Q: Kuldeep has been performing very well in the past ICC tournaments, what are your thoughts on this?

A: Obviously, he is the backbone of the Indian team. He got the chance in the last four matches and has been performing very well. We all know what sort of player he is and I feel really proud to see him delivering for the country.

India cricket legend Yuvraj Singh sent social media into a frenzy with a tweet, following India’s semi-final win over England in the 2024 T20 World Cup. As India ran out convincing winners by 68 runs, Yuvraj tweeted “Goodnight in-laws”. The tweet is a humorous reference to his wife Hazel Keech, who was born and brought up in Britain. A star of India’s 2007 T20 World Cup triumph, Yuvraj will now be cheering on Rohit Sharma and co. as they aim for a second title.

After the semi-final, Yuvraj tweeted: “Well played boys. Goodnight in-laws.”

Well played boys goodnight in-laws #IndiaVsEng #ICCMensT20WorldCup2024

— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) June 27, 2024

Put into bat by England, India notched 171 on the board in 20 overs. Thereafter, India skittled out the English batting lineup for just 103. Axar Patel was Player of the Match, picking up three wickets. Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav also got three, while Jasprit Bumrah took two.

Earlier, Rohit Sharma’s 39-ball 57 and Suryakumar Yadav‘s 36-ball 47 helped India to an above par score on a slow, spin-friendly pitch at Guyana’s Providence Stadium. Despite some rain interruptions, India managed to score big.

Yuvraj is no stranger to scoring runs against England in T20 World Cups. He famously smashed Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over during the 2007 T20 World Cup, en route to a 12-ball half-century.

Yuvraj has also been in the USA during the T20 World Cup, and has appeared in the commentary panel for some of India’s games.

India will now take on South Africa in the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup. Much like the 2023 ODI World Cup, India will enter the final having not lost a single game in the tournament. Interestingly, South Africa also have a 100% win record in this edition, as they gear up to play their first T20 World Cup final.

The final will take place at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on June 29.