Another year of epic shots and record-breaking feats, muddles and mishaps, beckons.
Dec 31, 2024 07:10 IST First published on: Dec 31, 2024 at 07:10 IST
Earlier this year, Rohit Sharma’s men defeated South Africa to hoist the World T20 trophy, completing the redemption arc for coach Rahul Dravid, who was captain when India crashed out in the 2007 ODI World Cup on these shores. It was the loftiest peak India’s cricketers scaled in the calendar year wherein they vanquished Ben Stokes’s Bazballers and saw the future of Indian batting in Yashasvi Jaiswal, arguably the country’s cricketer of the year, with Jasprit Bumrah. But like every year, there were highs and lows. For the first time in 12 years, India lost a Test series at home, to a resourceful New Zealand. The year would end with Ravichandran Ashwin, one of its greatest match-winners, bidding farewell in the middle of a see-sawing series Down Under.
A similar bitter-sweet thread pervaded other arenas too. The Olympics brought joy — a silver and five bronze medals — and twinges of regret. Tokyo gold medalist Neeraj Chopra had to settle for a silver, even as his camaraderie with gold medalist Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan was one of the most heartwarming stories of the Paris Games. The hockey team, too, clinched bronze, their second in as many editions, a sign that it has dragged itself from the abyss, but would rue missing out on gold or silver. Wrestling gave the usual ripple of delight, as Aman Sehrawat, 21, became the youngest medalist for his country in the Games. But the joy was weighed down by the gloom of Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification in the final.
The Olympics would forever be remembered for Vinesh’s medal that was not. But the year would not depart without a final flourish, lifting the nation’s mood, with D Gukesh being crowned the world chess champion, the youngest ever and India’s first since Viswanathan Anand. The 18-year-old’s celebrations fizzed into India’s sporting skyline like fireworks. His was the biggest success story of Indian sports this year. Another year of epic shots and record-breaking feats, muddles and mishaps, beckons.
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