MS Dhoni relived his memories of watching India’s T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa. (BCCI)
Team India ended an 11-year drought for an ICC title since MS Dhoni’s captaincy days when Rohit Sharma’s side trumped South Africa to clinch the 2024 T20 World Cup last June in Barbados.
India eked out the Proteas by only seven runs to fashion a dramatic title win, their first since Dhoni’s young brigade won the inaugural tournament back in 2007. And recently, the former India captain shared the memories of watching the nerve-wracking final.
When asked about the evening while turning up for a promotional event for a software company, Dhoni said: “We were at home; some friends had come over. The way the second innings was going, zyada tar dost bahar chale gaye the (most of them went out). They said to me, it is done, come join us outside. I said to them that in cricket, it is not over until it is over. None of them believed, even I was questioning but on the inside, I was asking abhi kya hona chaiye (what is supposed to happen now).”
“One of the things I firmly believed was that their batters were slightly light on the batting front. There was a time when they were cruising but when the stakes were high and it was very crucial, you get a chance and you want to do the most of it,” Dhoni explained.
“I think we did that and we won the trophy. Big congratulations to the guys on the field because that is the kind of energy, motivation, and belief that was needed. Irrespective of the result, till they don’t win we need to keep pushing the game and that was the attitude,” Dhoni remarked.
India batted first in the final and put up 176/4 on the board on the back of Virat Kohli’s 76 and Axar Patel’s counter-attacking 47. The Proteas put India under pressure in the chase and looked certain to win when they needed only 27 runs in 28 balls with six wickets in hand.
However, India’s seam attack led by Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh remarkably pulled things back to mark a pulsating finish.
